SportsBusiness Daily — Sports Business Resources — your sports business news and information source. Learn More
Advanced
Home About Us Advertise With Us Marketplace/Classifieds College & University Program Subscribe/Trial My Account

Monday
July 7, 2008
Print This Issue


 
MOST VIEWED STORIES
View the top 20 stories
 
Recent Issues
Sports Media

Joe Buck Backs Off Comments, Declares Baseball "My Life"

Buck Says Recent Baseball
Comments Were Made In Jest
Fox Sports’ Joe Buck’s comments last week that he rarely watches baseball "backfired ... creating a bit of a firestorm that [Buck] attempted to extinguish Thursday” by calling MLB Commissioner Bud Selig, MLB Exec VP/Business Tim Brosnan, Fox Sports President Ed Goren and Fox Sports Chair & Exec Producer David Hill to apologize, according to Barry Jackson of the MIAMI HERALD. Buck said that he was joking and that the "only broader point he meant seriously … was baseball must follow through on efforts to speed up the game.” Buck added that he watches "a lot of baseball not only because ‘it’s my job to stay current,’ but also because ‘I enjoy it.’” Buck: “It was a total joke. If it didn’t come across as that, you fault the joke teller. Baseball has been my life (forever). … I said it was wrong and I’m sorry and it won’t happen again. I learned a valuable lesson. You have to be careful what you say and I was not careful” (MIAMI HERALD, 7/4). Buck also admitted that his comments were “too flippant,” and regretted that his comments “were interpreted as anything but humor.” Buck: “To me, baseball is, in some ways, other than my family and wife, my life, and it always will be. … I do watch sports. How could I not? Just for self-preservation. … I’d have to do it for my own job’s sake. There’s only so much you can read, so watching is the best way to catch up” (N.Y. TIMES, 7/4). More Buck: “What gets lost (in the controversy) is the only thing said is, ‘Bachelorette.’ The point was about length of games” (ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH, 7/5).

REAX: In Baltimore, Ray Frager wrote, “Sure, he was probably kidding about The Bachelorette … but it was not exactly the kind of attitude you might have expected from Fox’s voice of baseball” (Baltimore SUN, 7/4). But in Dayton, Kyle Nagel wrote, "As long as the guy is knowledgeable enough for his profession, why does he need to be glued to baseball games all night?" (DAYTON DAILY NEWS, 7/5).


Get A Free Trial To SportsBusiness Daily

Reader Comments

To post comments on this article, log in or register for a free trial.

Related Stories By Company Related Stories By Sport
FSN Quietly Debuts Local Web Sites
November 20, 2009 : SportsBusiness Daily

Boras, Manfred Talk About Finances Escalate
November 20, 2009 : SportsBusiness Daily

Selig: Concerns Around Economy Still Exist
November 20, 2009 : SportsBusiness Daily

Hicks Hopes To Remain Rangers Majority Owner
November 19, 2009 : SportsBusiness Daily

Selig Committed To Condensing Playoffs
November 19, 2009 : SportsBusiness Daily

Boras, Manfred Talk About Finances Escalate
November 20, 2009 : SportsBusiness Daily

Selig: Concerns Around Economy Still Exist
November 20, 2009 : SportsBusiness Daily

MasterCard Present At WS DVD Premiere
November 20, 2009 : SportsBusiness Daily

Hicks Hopes To Remain Rangers Majority Owner
November 19, 2009 : SportsBusiness Daily

Selig Committed To Condensing Playoffs
November 19, 2009 : SportsBusiness Daily

ALSO IN THIS SECTION


A Publication of Street & Smith's Sports Group.
Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement (REVISED 2009-06-23) and Privacy Policy (REVISED 2009-06-23).

© 2009 Street & Smith's Sports Group and its licensors. All rights reserved.
The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Street & Smith's Sports Group.