Joe Buck Should Follow Madden Out The Door

Syracuse Universitys S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications Gala
With the news of John Madden's retirement from NBC, I immediately started thinking about who's next. Actually, it got me to thinking who should be next.

And that's Joe Buck.

The fact of the matter is that the young Buck (not that Young Buck) has failed to live up to his father Jack. The late, great elder Buck was not only the voice of a generation of Cardinals fans, but he was also the voice of a national audience. And no matter your team affiliation, you loved Jack Buck.

As for Joe, well, not so much.

First of all, he sounds like he is the be-all, end-all and all-knowing in football and baseball, even though he has only been doing football for a handful of years.

When he does football games, he sounds awkward and out of place, and it does not help his sound that he has been out shined by the insights of color analyst Troy Aikman. I feel as if more fans would acknowledge this if Aikman had a better play-by-play guy (Al Michaels?) or if Buck decided not to show up one day.

As for Buck's baseball coverage, that is where he should be at his best. It's in his blood. It's in his soul. He should have learned from his daddy, for if not for Jack Buck, I am unsure whether or not Joe would have his foot in the door. And maybe that is where he gets his pompous, know-it-all attitude from.

Then there's Buck and his coverage of the Grand Old Game and how he is so over-the-top he as he attempts to delikver"fair and balanced" coverage. Buck goes out of his way to make himself appeal to both sides of the equation, and it is hard to take him seriously knowing his Cardinals homerism. I say bring on the homerism ... didn't your momma ever tell you don't change for nobody? Maybe working with Tim McCarver is hindering his ability not to suck. Or maybe that's the worst broadcast combo out there.

Anyway, Buck acts like is above the game. And really, that shouldn't fly with anyone. It doesn't fly with me. Remember in July 2008 when he said he didn't care about the game he gets paid millions to call once a week.

I do ... and so does Daily Motion. Run the video:




And as much as I like bachlorettes, I don't like to watch The Bachlorette on TV ... especially over a ball game. (Well, that probably explains why I'm single). In the end, you don't have to throw me millions to broadcast a baseball game. Heck, I might do it for free if you pay for my travel expenses.

So, Joe, see that door John Madden just walked out of? Follow him, and don't let the door hit ya on the backside on your way out.

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