Comedian Artie Lange Takes Over "Joe Buck Live" Premiere

Lange Dominates Last Night's "Joe Buck Live" Premiere On HBO

Comedian Artie Lange "hijacked" last night's premiere of "Joe Buck Live" on HBO from free agent QB Brett Favre, which is "not the way the premiere ... was supposed to go," according to Richard Sandomir of the N.Y. TIMES. The second half of the show included a panel featuring Lange, actor Paul Rudd and Jason Sudeikis of NBC's "SNL," but the "latter two need not have shown up for this ... was Lange staging a hostile takeover." Lange's "scatological, homophobic, insult act was delivered with a sort of blithe and gleeful explosiveness that threw Buck a bit." As Lange was "popping off," Buck said he was "thinking, 'How much longer do we have in the segment?' I thought that spending time on a treadmill felt long, but that was eight or nine minutes turned into an eternity. But it's cable. You can get away with it." Buck said after Lange left the stage after the segment, he asked Buck, "Was I good? Was that great?" Buck: "That's what he believed he was brought here to do. ... It's an unfortunate thing that happened. But it's live. If it were taped, nobody would have seen it." HBO Sports President Ross Greenburg: "Live television is all about risk-reward. We knew all about Artie Lange when he was booked." Sandomir writes Lange's performance "will be compared -- for the attention it has created -- to last year's confrontation over blogging on 'Costas Now' between" author Buzz Bissinger and former Deadspin.com Editor Will Leitch (NYTIMES.com, 6/16). Buck after the show said that he was "aware of Lange's comedy 'but I didn't think it would go to that degree.'" Buck added, "I don't want it to ruin what I think was a really good show. For whatever happened, live is live. There were things said at the end that I am not [a] fan of but people can judge what Artie said however they want. … He came out and did his thing. I can't blame him for that but I wish it was a notch lower." Greenburg said that the Lange segment "made him uncomfortable at times, but he hoped the Favre interview would be the story that carried the day." Lange this morning on Sirius XM Radio's "The Howard Stern Show" claimed that Greenburg "told him if Rudd and Sudeikis were boring, he should 'go crazy'" (SI.com, 6/16).

CONTENTIOUS APPEARANCE: USA TODAY's Michael McCarthy writes the show was a "train wreck." Lange "unleashed a barrage of obscene and homophobic jokes" about Buck and Cowboys QB Tony Romo, while calling singer Jessica Simpson, Romo's girlfriend, "a 'fat chick' who resembles" late comedian Chris Farley. But McCarthy writes controversy is "not a bad thing in the TV business, especially when networks are trying to get viewers to try out new shows" (USA TODAY, 6/16). After Lange went on his obscenity-laden rant about hating the Cowboys and Romo, Buck said, "You talk about scrambling for a segue. I just pulled a hamstring looking for some sort of segue." Lange replied, "I want to be working construction by next Thursday." Buck: "You're on your way." Lange: "So are you." Sudeikis noted, "You know the show's on HBO, right?" Lange: "That's right, no one's watching." Lange later began to tell a story about Buck's father, late Baseball HOFer Jack Buck, with Buck asking, "Is this going to take awhile?" Lange: "Sorry to ruin your ... great show." Buck: "I appreciate the apology, because you have." Buck ended the show by saying, "I want to thank all of our guests: Brett Favre, to the guys that are on-stage, including the guy who just ended my show after one try" ("Joe Buck Live," HBO, 6/15).

Writer Says Buck Could Benefit From Lange's Tirade By Manufacturing It Into A Controversy

ATTRACTING ATTENTION: DEADSPIN.com's Tommy Craggs writes Lange’s tirade on the show was “exactly what it wanted” -- something that “could be manufactured into a controversy, and something about which Joe Buck could be virtuous.” Buck was “merely pretending to be offended on behalf of this sort of audience” (DEADSPIN.com, 6/16). SPORTINGNEWS.com’s Dan Shanoff: “If it wasn't Buck's own show, I am sure he would be outraged. It was certainly more tasteless than a Randy Moss end-zone pantomime of a mooning. And, just like Bob Costas a year ago, Buck and his producers had to know what he was going to get: Buzz. … Buck knew exactly what he was doing” (SPORTINGNEWS.com, 6/16). In N.Y., Olivia Smith writes Lange “managed to steal the show from Buck’s big-get,” Favre, and “whether the awkward but attention-snaring start will be good or bad for Buck remains to be seen” (NYDAILYNEWS.com, 6/16). THE BIG LEAD: “HBO should be thankful for Artie Lange’s explosion last night on the debut of Joe Buck Live.” Prior to Lange’s outburst, it was a “comedy show that wasn’t funny, and an obviously nervous host who was stiff and rigid.” Lange “did hijack the show,” but it “wasn’t a bad thing” (THEBIGLEAD.com, 6/16).

TWITTER RESPONSE: Blogger Ken Fang wrote, “IMO, Artie saved a lackluster show that made marginal news to that point.” Watkins Glen Int’l Senior Dir of Sales & Marketing Paul Hemingway wrote, “Without Artie Lange, NO ONE is talking about the Joe Buck Show this AM. Buck fancies himself a comedian, too bad, he's just a sportscaster.” NPR national reporter Mike Pesca: “When asked about Artie Lange afterward Buck vacillated between 'hey its live' and -what a jerk.” SI.com’s Richard Deitsch: “Artie is a huge baseball fan, and no doubt loves Jack B. But part of AL's gig is attack humor, and the second Joe bit, it was on.” ESPN.com’s Bill Simmons: “Ladies and gentlemen, the Joe Buck ‘Artie Lange is ruining my show and my career might never recover!’ Face. I'm so happy.” ESPN.com’s Amy Nelson: “Artie Lang is absolutely killing Joe Buck online right now...brutal.” The Big Lead: “if joe had a set of balls, he'd invite artie on each show. once the vid goes viral, people will definitely want to see the next episode” (TWITTER.com, 6/16).

Buck Discusses Steroids In Sports During Debut Episode

BACK TO OUR REGULARLY-SCHEDULED PROGRAM: The closing segment of the show, called "I Refuse To Hyperventilate," featured Buck expressing his opinions on several topics, including steroids. Buck: "I'm probably like you on the topic of steroids in baseball: interested, disappointed and a little worn out. Yes, if given the choice of the game with steroids and HGH or the game without, I would take without. I think we all would, maybe even those juicing right now. But the drugs aren't going away. There will always be Victor Contes lurking at gyms and stadiums near you, people finding new ways to cheat and make money staying a step ahead of those in charge of holding the testing cup in a bathroom stall, hoping that the athlete in question has great aim” (“Joe Buck Live,” HBO, 6/15). AWFUL ANNOUNCING's Brian Powell wrote, "Two quick suggestions ... 1) Get rid of the cheesy telescope bits. Not funny. 2) Keep the panels to two guests. With three, someone always gets left out." Powell: "It certainly wasn't a bad first show, but definitely needs to be tightened up" (AWFULANNOUNCING.com, 6/15).