Hall of Fame broadcaster Joe Buck has faced his fair share of criticism throughout his career, particularly in the age of social media. As someone who spent years in the national spotlight calling some of the biggest games in sports, Buck knows all too well the toll that constant scrutiny can take on even the most seasoned professionals.
During a recent appearance on The Michael Kay Show, Buck was asked about the backlash legendary broadcaster Bob Costas has been facing during this postseason. Buck didn’t shy away from sharing his own experiences with public criticism and how it deeply affected him, especially in the early stages of his career.
“Forever, I was the only guy doing national baseball during the social media era, and I’ve taken my lumps. And it wore me out,” Buck confessed. “I could sit here and say, ‘Oh, that stuff didn’t bother me,’ but it did. It bothered me. And I don’t know how, if you’re a human being who cares about what other people think and do, and you try to be a good person and do a good job, how you could just ignore it.”
Buck opened up about the personal impact of some of the more hurtful comments he received over the years. Critics often questioned his success, attributing it to nepotism due to his famous father, legendary sportscaster Jack Buck. Others accused him of bias, claiming he favored certain teams, which is a common jab aimed at national broadcasters.
“As silly as some of that stuff is, it gets annoying. And it just takes some of the fun out of it,” Buck explained. “People would say, ‘You’re lucky you had a famous dad,’ or ‘You hate my team,’ and those things just stack up. When people ask me, ‘Do you miss doing national baseball?’ Yeah, on one hand, sure… but there’s the other side of the coin where the constant criticism just wears you down. I get it—fans care, and that’s the good side of it. But for Bob [Costas] or anyone going through that, you either tune it out or it consumes you.”
The weight of the criticism even began to affect Buck’s performance during live broadcasts. He admitted that the pressure from negative comments had a direct impact on some of his most significant calls.
“It affected my calls,” Buck revealed. “In 2006, at the end of the World Series, I was so beaten down by all the talk: ‘Oh, he’s from St. Louis, the Cardinals are gonna win the World Series, he’s biased.’ People were saying, ‘How is the St. Louis guy doing this?’ It was nonstop, and I can honestly say that I wasn’t myself during that moment. When you do these games, you’re supposed to block everything out, but when it’s death by a thousand cuts, it starts to get in your head.”
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Despite the challenges, Buck remains one of the most respected and accomplished broadcasters in the industry, though he’s now stepped away from calling national baseball games. His transparency about how public opinion influenced him sheds light on the mental and emotional strain that can accompany high-profile roles.
Today, Buck is in a different phase of his career, focusing on NFL broadcasts and other projects. He reflected on how the criticism he faced early on shaped his journey and emphasized that, for anyone in his position, the key is learning to block out the noise and stay focused on the task at hand.
“These days, I’m not doing it,” Buck said about national baseball. “But I understand what people like Bob [Costas] are going through. You either do the job and tune out the negativity, or you let it get to you. It’s tough, but you have to keep pushing forward.”
For Buck, standing in front of millions of fans every night is bound to come with some negativity, but his body of work speaks for itself. While he acknowledges the toll that criticism took on him, most would agree that Buck remains one of the best in the business, a true professional who continues to leave his mark on the sports broadcasting world.
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