NFL on Fox announcers Joe Buck and Troy Aikman got political and mocked a military flyover after the National Anthem on a hot mic during an NFL game.
The comments, which did not go on air during the live broadcast of the Packers-Buccaneers broadcast, can be heard below:
For those who cannot hear / see the video:
BUCK: Welcome to Big Noon Saturday!
AIKMAN: That’s a lot of jet fuel just to do a little flyover.
BUCK: That’s your hard-earned money and your tax dollars at work!
AIKMAN: That stuff ain’t happening with [a] Kamala-Biden ticket. I’ll tell you that right now, partner.
Many took exception to these comments, including country singer John Rich.
Others disagreed.
Our Take…
This isn’t the first intersection of the NFL and politics – this year has seen a precipitous dip in ratings for all sports becoming “woke.”
We get that stadiums are at 25% capacity during these times. We also get that many complain about the militarization of sports. So reasonable people can disagree about the inefficiency and costly nature of using the military at these events. It’s clearly theater meant to positively market service in the U.S. military.
However, I am sure military families, and other patriotic Americans appreciate it as a gesture and as a constant reminder to “never forget” those lost in the perils of service.
But the buffoonery isn’t about the use of government resources. It’s the conduct of these two yahoos. The buffoonery here is both the mocking nature of Buck & Aikman’s respective statements and the political tone they both struck.
You’re not just two guys having a beer watching a game, boys. You’re there to call the game. While you may believe that your unvarnished opinions are for your intended audience of one, you are wired to a national broadcast. Save your personal political commentary for after the game.
More importantly, by doing this, you have effectively alienated half the nation. Of course, Buck and Aikman are entitled to their personal opinions. But now many have an additional reason for hating Buck and Aikman outside of their awful announcing. It’s another example of an unforced error that could have been avoided.
