Joe Buck is setting the record straight on the comments he and Troy Aikman made about the military flyover at the Green Bay Packers vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers game this past Sunday. The 51-year old Fox Sports broadcaster talked about the controversy on his and Oliver Hudson’s podcast, Daddy Issues, saying the entire ordeal is “ridiculous.” It was reported Buck and Aikman made the comments on a hot mic, but Buck said that was not the case.
“There’s so many different aspects to this,” Buck said. “It would be laughable if it wasn’t so frustrating.” Buck then jokingly said that it happened because he’s “trying to drive more traffic” to the podcast. He then said he hadn’t talked about it publicly up until that point because he didn’t want to give the story “more life.” Buck then clarified the report that the comments were made on a hot mic.
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“Here’s what people don’t get. They said that this was a hot mic; it wasn’t,” Buck explained. “This was before our rehearsal. But that doesn’t matter in the reporting of it because the reporting of it is from websites that pick up a piece of audio that was clipped by somebody along the chain.” Buck went on to say he and Aikman were rehearsing and joking around “to let the pressure out” before the start of the live broadcast.
The Emmy Award-winning broadcaster then noted that they have the ability to talk to the production crew and other colleagues with headsets but Buck and Aikman’s microphones are the only ones that are on. He then mentioned that the crew had dinner the night before and talked about politics. When it comes to Buck’s political views he considers himself in the “center,” but some members of the crew are either on the left or right. And as for the video of the flyover with their comments, Buck said he thought it was old footage considering they weren’t covering the national anthem. It was a live shot, but Buck said that video doesn’t belong to Fox. He went on to explain the comments Aikman made about the flyover.
“Troy in the microphone is repeating something he heard the night before from an unnamed person on our crew saying, ‘This person happens to be very far left — ‘Oh, well, under Biden and Harris, that’s not going to happen,’” Buck stated. “And Troy was repeating that, watching the flyover. So they clipped that as he’s saying that and if he’s like a Biden-Harris fan… He was being 100% sarcastic repeating something that somebody said the night before!” Buck also explained his tax dollars comment and said he was being sarcastic.
On Wednesday, Aikman told his side of the story on Twitter. “I love a flyover but It was odd to see one over a mostly empty stadium,” Aikman wrote. “I am an unwavering patriot that loves this country, has always respected our flag, supported the men and women in the armed forces as well as those in uniform who serve & protect and for anyone to suggest otherwise doesn’t know me, my beliefs or what I have stood for my entire life.”
