Joe Buck has been calling Monday Night Football with Troy Aikman for 22 years. This year, they start their 23rd season together, making them the longest broadcast partners in NFL history. As the NFL season gets started, Buck shared a few thoughts about his career, the industry, the NFL, and his new colleague Jason Kelce. Read this interview that was shared by Disney below!
Joe Buck — ESPN’s ‘Monday Night Football’ Play-By-Play Commentator — on the New NFL Season
Are you ready for some football? Joe Buck sure is.ESPN’s Monday Night Football play-by-play announcer and his broadcast partner Troy Aikman embark on their 23rd season together this Monday when the New York Jets and quarterback Aaron Rodgers take on the NFC champion San Francisco 49ers.
The duo has been together since 2002 — which makes Buck and Aikman the longest broadcast partners in NFL history. Buck has called 400 regular-season games, more than 40 playoff matchups, 18 NFC Championships and Super Bowls XXXIX, XLII, XLV, XLVIII, LI and LIV, so he’s seen a few things in pro football.
However, what does he expect from the upcoming season?
To find out, we spoke with Buck about the NFL kickoff this weekend, what makes Monday Night Football so special, and what Jason Kelce — his new ESPN colleague — can bring to Monday NFL Countdown.
You’ve worked for many networks and called many different sports. What makes Monday Night Football on ESPN different?
It is a stand-alone night. Not only is there a significant audience of fans, but everyone in the league is watching too. Add to that the history of the franchise and, for me that my dad called Monday Night Football on radio, it is special. When that theme song hits, even going into year three, I still get chills.
Culture has increasingly become more and more fragmented, but the NFL is still a cultural behemoth that connects all types of audiences. Why do you think that is and what role does Monday Night Football play in that?
Monday Night Football remains appointment television, a concept that becomes rarer by the day. No one ever says, “don’t tell me who won the MNF game because I am going to watch it next week.” There is immediate conversation surrounding the results. Also, the game represents the final word on the week that is and the first word on the upcoming week.
You have been calling games for 30 years and the industry has changed so much in that time. Has your job changed at all? Do you foresee it changing in the foreseeable future?
The casual fan is much more educated, because of fantasy football and the amount of information available. When I started in 1994, we were breaking news, providing updates on players’ season throughout the broadcast. Now that happens continuously on people’s phones – It is delivered right to them, every day. So, as a broadcaster you need to bring something new to the viewer. One area where we can is that we talk to the players and have access, so bringing that to the people at home is important. Oh, and social media too – that can keep you honest and drive you nuts.
What are you looking forward to the most about this season both as a broadcaster for ESPN and as a fan of the NFL?
The story with the NFL is any team can go worst to first. It doesn’t happen in any other sport like it does in the NFL. There will also be one or two surprise teams, like Houston was last year, that everyone is talking about late in the season. That is the beauty and what makes covering the league so fun.
Jason Kelce is joining Monday Night Countdown this season. What do you think he brings to the broadcast?
He is a superstar with an unbelievable personality. Plus, he is now part of pop culture with his brother and Taylor Swift, but he stands on his own as a Hall of Fame player. He has fun and he will bring that to the pregame, allowing everyone to play off it. And he knows A LOT about football.
