Media Notes

Buck Has Taken Criticism For Show's Debut, But Viewership Numbers Were High

In St. Louis, Dan Caesar writes Joe Buck has "taken the heat this week, first from foul-mouthed, venom-spewing comedian Artie Lange on Monday that mangled the debut" of HBO's "Joe Buck Live," then from critics who "thought the show was lame otherwise." But the "bottom line is that the viewership numbers were high." Meanwhile, Fox Sports VP/Communications Dan Bell said that the HBO incident "doesn't tarnish" Buck's image at Fox. Bell: "Absolutely not. Not only is he one of the premier broadcast talents in America, he's one of the classiest professionals in the entire business" (ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH, 6/19). In Albany, Pete Dougherty writes "JBL" "nearly lost its lifeline after one episode." Dougherty: "Play with fire, get your fingers burned" (Albany TIMES UNION, 6/19). In N.Y., Phil Mushnick writes from the moment HBO booked Lange, the show was "headed as low as it aimed." Lange "vandalized Monday's debut with vulgar put-downs and slanders," but he was "only doing what he does" (N.Y. POST, 6/19).

UNDER REVIEW: SI's Mark Bechtel reviews MLB Network's "The Pen," which "follows the Phillies' relief corps." Instead of "burrowing in and giving a slice of life in the bullpen, the show focuses on broader, character-driven arcs, with mixed results." The occasional "fly-on-the-wall moments, such as the spring training discussion ... about the last cut: former starter J.A. Happ or journeyman Gary Majewski," are "much more compelling" (SI, 6/22 issue).

NICE PROBLEM TO HAVE: ESPN/ABC NBA analyst Jeff Van Gundy said of calling the NBA Finals in which his brother, Magic coach Stan Van Gundy, was coaching, "I'm glad I was able to do it, because it meant Stan was in the Finals. I'd [love] to do it again next year, and the year after that, for that matter." Jeff Van Gundy added during the middle three games of the Finals, which were all decided by eight or fewer points, it was "difficult coming down the stretch because I was trying to say what I was seeing but I was nervous about the outcome" of the games (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 6/19).