Vikings Request Joe Buck Removed From Booth

Purple Reign

Purple Reign

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#1
#1
I am not a Vikings fan, but I am a huge Dante Culpepper fan. So in listening to the commentary of Joe Buck on the Vikings-Packers game this past Sunday, I detected a little prejudice against the Vikings long before his stupid comments of Randy Moss.

Joe Buck to me is the most non-objective national broadcaster in sports as far as I am concerned. And he has a way of doing it, without being so obvious. Basically lack of praise for the team or player he does not like and his gushing sucking up to the team or player he does like (i.e. Randy Moss vs Brett Favre). When Favre threw that ill-advised shovel pass across the line of scrimmage, Buck made absolutely nothing of it but laughed. That was the most stupid play that I have ever seen a Hall of Famer make, AND I LIKE BRETT FAVRE AND DON'T LIKE MOSS VERY MUCH.

In the 2002 National League Championship Series between the Giants and Cardinals, it was clear who Buck was rooting for, the Cardinals. And I know that he is human, but if you can't temper your feelings on the national level, get out of the booth.

READ ON!!


Fox denies Vikings request to pull Buck from booth

Associated Press

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. -- Fox Sports turned down Minnesota Vikings owner Red McCombs' request to remove play-by-play announcer Joe Buck from Sunday's divisional playoff game at Philadelphia over his sharp criticism of wide receiver Randy Moss.




After Moss caught a touchdown pass in last weekend's win at Green Bay, the wide receiver celebrated in the end zone by pretending to pull down his pants and moon the Packers fans before briefly wiggling his back side against the goalpost. Buck immediately called it a "disgusting act."




McCombs said that statement was out of line. A two-sentence news release issued by the team said McCombs felt Buck's comments "suggested a prejudice that surpassed objective reporting."




Dan Bell, a Fox spokesman, said the network has "no intention whatsoever" of removing Buck.




"We hope Mr. McCombs enjoys Joe's play-by-play call Sunday, because he'll be in the booth," Bell said.




McCombs, whose office is in San Antonio, was not immediately available for further comment.




Buck, during an interview on Sporting News Radio earlier this week, stood by his criticism.




"I have nothing against Randy Moss," Buck said. "I don't even know the guy. I just know that with the history that he's had, and coming off that game at Washington, it was just stunning to see that."




Moss drew plenty of negative scrutiny the week before for walking off the field in frustration while his teammates lined up for an onside kick with 2 seconds left in a 21-18 loss to the Redskins.
 
Purple Reign

Purple Reign

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#4
#4
My Turn: Barry leaves a Bad Taste
By Joe Buck - SportingNews




I knew there was a good chance you would not read this column after finding out its topic, but I'll try to make a point anyway: A nation of sports fans is disregarding what Barry Bonds continues to accomplish in a San Francisco Giants uniform.

believe Bonds needs Dr. Phil as much as he needs pitchers in the National League to pitch to him. It is hard for me to put myself in his shoes, but if I were in them, I would wonder why nobody cared that I reached the 700-home run plateau. As I watched the highlight of that monumental moment, I wondered if Bonds was going to hug the home plate umpire after he finished his trot -- because nobody else was there to enjoy the moment with him.


When Mark McGwire broke the single-season home run record, I got to interview him after the game and made the childish mistake of hugging him before a national television audience. So far, it has been the only Ahmad Rashad-Michael Jordan moment of my short career. If you remember that night, the only people who did not hug Mark were an usher working in the upper deck and Liza Minnelli's ex-husband David Gest. (Try as I might, I just cannot get him interested in sports.)

Anyway, when criticism came my way, that was my justification for the hug. I consider Mark a friend, and I was genuinely excited for what he had done. The pressure on him was immense, and for the most part he held up -- with only a few minor media blowups along the way. I couldn't blame him for those. There were not many moments when he was left alone to enjoy that incredible season. The public sentiment was with him as well. People liked what he stood for. Fans felt the same way about Sammy Sosa. Mark and Sammy were loved by their teammates, and they had a great sense of what they were doing for the popularity of the game. With Bonds, it is not that way.

I believe there are three reasons that few people outside of San Francisco really care what Barry Bonds does. First, Bonds is a solo act. He is a one-man wrecking crew and the most valuable player in the league, but people can sense he is not a well-liked guy, even in his own clubhouse. He might be a better person than most think, but we will never know. Barry evidently made up his mind long ago that he did not need any help from the media to live life in the big leagues. That is well within his rights. But when you make that choice, you cannot expect those same people to paint a rosy picture about your amazing athletic ability or, more important, give you the benefit of the doubt.

The second reason is the public's skepticism regarding Bonds' possible use of performance-enhancing drugs. That accusation is unfortunate but understandable. It is hard to ignore the transformation his body has undergone over the past 10 years. Having a new hat size the same as Mr. Met's can lead to questions. His body keeps getting bigger, and age does not appear to be a factor as his bat seems to get quicker every year. It is totally wrong to say that he is guilty of anything before the final chapter is written, but there is no doubt that his association with BALCO has damaged his reputation forever.

Finally, there is no doubt that playing on the West Coast costs Bonds national media exposure. By the time his highlights make SportsCenter, it is old footage. In this era of Al Gore's Internet, that is not acceptable. There is no doubt this man is one of the greatest players in the history of sports. However, the package that is Barry Bonds seems sour or spoiled. Seven hundred home runs is amazing. Babe Ruth is next, and then the all-time record held by the classy Hank Aaron. The nights over the next season or two leading to Barry's official crowning as baseball's heavyweight champ will be fun, but imagine what they could be if not for his perceived arrogance.
 
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