FOX Sports’ Joe Buck channeled his inner Demi Lovato on Thursday to explain his comments regarding the military flyover Sunday before the Green Bay Packers-Tampa Bay Buccaneers game at Raymond James Stadium.
Buck and announcer Troy Aikman were caught on an open mic making fun of the flyover, and as video of the moment went viral, the broadcasters found themselves defending their patriotism.
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On the latest episode of his Daddy Issues podcast, Buck explained the motivation for his comments. According to SI.com, Buck said he and Aikman were actually making fun of something said a day earlier by an unnamed member of the broadcast crew.
“That person will get found out because that specific shot of that flyover, which I personally thought was old and a tape that they were running out of our truck as furthering our conversation that we were having internally, I thought that was on tape, but it was actually live, but it wasn’t a Fox shot. They know whose shot that was and therefore they kind of know where our audio was going at that moment. It wasn’t going on TV. It was well before our game. So I see this, and Troy in the microphone is repeating something that he heard the night before from an unnamed person on our crew. This person happens to be very far left and said, ‘Well, under Biden-Harris, you know that’s not going to happen,’ and Troy was repeating that watching the flyover.
“So they clipped that as if he’s saying that and as if he’s a Harris-Biden fan. But he’s repeating something that somebody said the night before, which is unbelievable. If you know Troy at all, he was being 100 percent sarcastic. Repeating for the person in the truck to hear, like ‘Ha, ha, ha.’ And then I go into a 1950s voice, like, ‘There’s your hard-earned tax dollars at work,’ or whatever.
“Again, repeating parts of conversations to our crew and they clipped that and then run a headline that Troy Aikman and Joe Buck bash flyovers, which it had nothing to do with any of that. It was a political conversation amongst our group that somebody clipped and sold for the exact reason that we’re doing this. And it stirs people up. And words get weaponized. And then people have to weigh in. ‘Oh, well, screw those guys. They don’t like the military.’ WHAT?!”
According to a video clip posted on Twitter by Defector Media, Buck and Aikman were unaware their microphones were hot when they discussed the flyover. For the Win reports four A-10 aircraft buzzed a nearly-empty Raymond James Stadium, sparking the exchange between the announcers.
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.”
On Tuesday night, Aikman tweeted an explanation the back-and-forth.
I love a flyover but It was odd to see one over a mostly empty stadium but 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.
As for the game itself, it was all Buccaneers. Quarterback Tom Brady threw for a pair of touchdowns, including his first of the season to tight end Rob Gronkowski, leading Tampa Bay to a 38-10 win.
It was Aaron Rodgers’ worst game of the season. The Packers QB completed just 16 of 35 passes for 160 yards, with no touchdowns and two interceptions.
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