HBO Sports Premieres "Joe Buck Live" Tonight With Favre, Irvin

HBO Sports tonight will premiere "Joe Buck Live" at 9:00pm ET, and host Joe Buck has "lined up Brett Favre as his top guest" for the debut episode, according to Dan Caesar of the ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH. Buck and Favre are "scheduled to have a live conversation" on tonight's program, the theme of which is "how athletes' personal lives have become fodder for tabloid treatment in recent years" (ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH, 6/15). In Ft. Worth, Ray Buck noted Pro Football HOFer Michael Irvin and Bengals WR Chad Ochocinco also are scheduled to appear live on tonight's broadcast. HBO Sports with "Joe Buck Live," which is in essence replacing "Costas Now," will be "trying to present a fresh perspective with a 'live' energy to topical issues." If that means a "little humor gets sprinkled in, then the network will have gotten its money's worth out of two comedy writers hired for the new show" (FT. WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM, 6/12). USA TODAY's Michael Hiestand notes tonight's episode also will have a taped appearance from Mets 3B David Wright and a "comedic roundtable ... that will include Artie Lange and Jason Sudeikis." Buck said of replacing "Costas Now," "It's not going to be that much different, structurally from Bob's show. It's that Bob and I are different guys" (USA TODAY, 6/15).

WILLING & CABLE: The POST-DISPATCH's Caesar noted the show "mixes comedy, interviews and skits in a free-form format that will rely heavily on his dry, often self-deprecating, wit." Buck will remain in his play-by-play roles at Fox Sports, but has "wanted to branch out from the broadcast booth for several years" and "thinks he has found the right fit." HBO Sports President Ross Greenburg: "We've developed a show that's in sync with his unique personality, his sense of humor. ... He's ready to showcase a side of him the American public has not quite seen yet." Buck said of broadcasting live, "I have no idea what's going to come out of my mouth. I'm just as anxious as anybody else to see and hear it" (ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH, 6/12). Tonight's episode also will include a piece from actor Will Ferrell's "Funny or Die" Web site, but Buck said, "It's not my main objective to go in and quote unquote be funny. This is not a comedy show with sports mixed in. This is a sports talk show with some laughs mixed in" (NEWSDAY, 6/13). Buck said that he is "not looking to interrogate newsmakers, although he is willing to ask tough questions." Buck: "There's got to be some ease, make it more of a conversation than interviewer-interviewee. This isn't Frost-Nixon" (MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL, 6/12). More Buck: "There is more to me than balls and strikes and calling touchdowns. I can conduct an interview and hold my own in taking over for a titan in the industry. But just like I wasn't Jack Buck Jr. when I started and I wasn't Pat Summerall Jr. when I moved into the NFL booth, I won't be Bob Costas Jr." (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 6/13).

CANDY KORN: ESPN's "PTI" Friday featured Buck and Tim McCarver, his Fox MLB broadcast partner, and ESPN's Tony Kornheiser asked Buck about his new show. Kornheiser: "You and Tim have worked together for years and now you have your own hot new show. I have been working with Wilbon for years. Who do I have to sleep with to get my own hot new show?" Buck: "You want another freakin' show? How much can you do? The world is calling timeout. Let it go for a little while and say no, Tony" ("PTI," ESPN, 6/12).