MoviesNewsTalk
Joe Buck is a prominent sports broadcaster and play by play announcer whose career has been long standing with many viewers tuning in for every major sporting event. Buck's professional career began at a young age making him one of the more notable commentators in professional sports history.
A central topic of discussion in recent months is his relationship with the Philadelphia area sports fans which resulted from him working different major games over the span of his career. This dynamic has made an interesting case study that dives into fan culture and perceptions. These discussions have given life to all viewers from the different regions in how to view personalities in the field of sports and the roles they all have in different aspects of the broadcast.
The Philadelphia fan base was very direct in expressing their dislike for his style of play by play. The basis for this comes from their perspective that it seems he favors the other team or at times shows no emotion when key moves occur on the local team side. Fans were vocal on online outlets and many found an identity in expressing these ideas which made for an ongoing point of discussion that would not cease.
Viewers who side with Philadelphia are aware that Buck previously worked for St. Louis a fact that gives credence to him favoring others over the Philadelphia area teams. The fact that Buck is an announcer for national events adds a layer of pressure that would see him be objective as opposed to being a home team announcer. He is also known to favor less enthusiastic style of commentary than other announcers which has created further division.
A main factor of the dislike began during the 2002 NFC championship with an example used as having a tone that is more monotone. It also included enthusiasm for a score by an opposing team which gave clear division to the local views of the teams they were loyal too. Also the mention of how a style was adapted because of a particular announcer (Pat Summerall) was part of why this perception developed for many viewers from the Philadelphia area.
Buck recently appeared on "They Call It Late Night" with Jason Kelce on ESPN to understand his role as a hated announcer within that space. He expressed how aware he is with his lack of favor among those viewers and tried to show what the disconnect is within that fan culture. Buck wanted the chance to present himself and his own reasons that have lead the city to feel the way they do which he hoped to have the outcome of gaining fans by changing opinions and winning over the crowd by the end of the night.
past events played out such as a time where he got off Twitter after comments made regarding a Phillies vs Red Sox game from fans. He stated the fan backlash had sent him to therapy in search for how he should handle those moments. During the discussion he shared reasons and thought processes into why he chooses certain aspects of the broadcast but this was not accepted and seen more as bias instead of his own process for calling sports.
Several views on his style come into consideration when exploring fan points and opinions. Different viewers share their specific stories regarding their perception as to why Joe Buck was seen in a specific light. Some felt that some comments given with Hall of Famer Troy Aikman were also a dig toward Philadelphia because they were an acknowledgement to the fame the players have in other regions, with local teams left out of that discussion.
It wasn't always an agreement though as other viewpoints claimed that "when Joe Buck calls a game, it is known it's a big game" showcasing that it's a big event instead of personal opinion with commentary being a focus. His presence also creates a feeling of importance that goes hand in hand with the overall presentation. Others were vocal about having animosity for other commentators that may show similar or opposing forms of broadcasting styles.
Kylie Kelce weighed in and shared her fathers viewpoint which influenced her initial perception of Buck’s style to always cheer for the opposing team. However, after meeting him her previous views became challenged. She was caught off guard and said that she was more annoyed by how likable he was while meeting him.
Kylie added she was not necessarily a fan of having a segment of the show after her but understood the humor she creates for the show with it being “Kylie’s Corner”. Though she isn't looking for attention she appreciates the format for highlighting key personalities on shows such as her own husband's while using light humor to connect to each topic.
A key factor of television broadcasting is all about how viewers see and connect to the individuals on screen and the tone in which that message is delivered. The importance of making viewers feel represented in what they are watching may be the forefront as a lot of personalities such as Joe Buck are analyzed.