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Thursday, February 05, 2009

With Bob Costas gone to MLB Network, HBO may eye Joe Buck

Eye Joe Buck? When did Brenda Vaccaro start calling the shots at HBO?

After losing Bob Costas to the MLB Network, no one at HBO Sports looked to pass the buck. Instead HBO may be looking to acquire one - Joe Buck, that is.

The history of HBO Sports provides evidence its boss, Ross Greenburg, likes to hire high profile network talent. Seven years ago he brought in Costas (“Costas Now”) and before that Bryant Gumbel (“Real Sports”).

Buck, Fox’s marquee play-by-play man (MLB, NFL) looms large as the next guy Greenburg may try to snare to fill the void left by Costas. Also, it’s no secret Buck shot a pilot for his own Fox variety show. That project was put on hold. That leaves Buck out there looking for something else to do.

It seems like HBO is a good fit. HBO Sports will move quickly on finding a show to replace “Costas Now.” The network may make an announcement as soon as Thursday.

Repoz Posted: February 05, 2009 at 06:10 AM | 45 comment(s) Login to Bookmark
Tags: announcers, media, special topics, television

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1. Tripon Posted: February 05, 2009 at 06:25 AM (#3068019)

But Joe Buck sucks at the art of talking.

2. Lassus Posted: February 05, 2009 at 06:30 AM (#3068023)

But he's pretty good at righteousness.

3. JoeHova Posted: February 05, 2009 at 06:32 AM (#3068024)

It seems like HBO is a good fit.

good fit for whom? Certainly not the people who subscribe to HBO.

4. Tulo's Fishy Mullet (mrams) Posted: February 05, 2009 at 06:38 AM (#3068027)

you canceled Deadwood, you deserve Joe Buck.

5. Jim (jimmuscomp) Posted: February 05, 2009 at 06:38 AM (#3068028)

Ick...

I wouldn't want to do anything less than listen to Joe Buck for "pleasure". When he calls a series game, I am darn near obligated to listen. When he's on the TV machine blabbing about sports as a side gig? No thanks, my ears don't deserve that kind of torture.

6. Crispix Attacks Posted: February 05, 2009 at 06:44 AM (#3068031)

Good. Hopefully he splits his time between HBO and the MLB Network; that would mean he isn't darkening the doors of channels I actually get.

7. The District Attorney Posted: February 05, 2009 at 06:51 AM (#3068036)

If this happened, Buck wouldn't be doing baseball games on Fox, right? I think so. And that's good, right? I think so.

It’s no secret Buck shot a pilot for his own Fox variety show.

I hope the variety show was heavily reliant on the "slamma lamma... DING DONG!" catchphrase.

8. 6 - 4 - 3 Posted: February 05, 2009 at 06:59 AM (#3068041)

The only thing more obnoxious than listening to Buck prattle on about god-knows what would be Kennedy/Zelasko doing the same thing.

BTW, talk about addition by subtraction--I'm so glad FOX finally got around to axing those two idiots.

9. Gonfalon Bubble Posted: February 05, 2009 at 09:46 AM (#3068067)

Joe Buck doing sports on HBO? LLLLllllllet's get ready to GRUMMMMMMMMBLLLLLLLLLLE!!!

10. Leroy Kincaid Posted: February 05, 2009 at 01:24 PM (#3068087)

If this happened, Buck wouldn't be doing baseball games on Fox, right? I think so. And that's good, right? I think so.

Maybe. But then he'd probably be replaced by Thom Brennenman.

11. tribefan Posted: February 05, 2009 at 02:09 PM (#3068103)

After The Wire ended, I hesitantly canceled HBO, now I'm not regretting that decision so much.

12. AndrewJ Posted: February 05, 2009 at 02:18 PM (#3068109)

"Everybody's talking..."

Unfortunately, that includes Mr. Buck.

13. bunyon Posted: February 05, 2009 at 02:49 PM (#3068122)

Also, it’s no secret Buck shot a pilot for his own Fox variety show. That project was put on hold.

Your mission, son, is to find that tape and terminate it. Terminate with extreme prejudice.

14. Slinger Francisco Barrios (Dr. Memory) Posted: February 05, 2009 at 03:56 PM (#3068187)

Replacing Costas doesn't seem like a very tall order to me.

Baf!

15. Shooty: Applying to be Fearless Leader

Posted: February 05, 2009 at 03:59 PM (#3068193)

Also, it’s no secret Buck shot a pilot for his own Fox variety show. That project was put on hold.

Your mission, son, is to find that tape and terminate it. Terminate with extreme prejudice.

Aw, hell no. That could be The Chevy Chase show level of awesomeness. Maybe even The Magic Hour level of fun.

16. WhoWantsTeixeiraDessert Posted: February 05, 2009 at 04:05 PM (#3068204)

We know what it's Costas, but Buck makes no cents.

Flight of the Conchords is the only good thing on HBO right now.

17. John (You Can Call Me Grandma) Murphy Posted: February 05, 2009 at 04:09 PM (#3068208)

Also, it’s no secret Buck shot a pilot for his own Fox variety show. That project was put on hold.

Anonymous sources say Buck was upset over the "All That Maz" tribute number for Bill Mazeroski and Bob Fosse.

18. The Essex Snead Posted: February 05, 2009 at 04:09 PM (#3068209)

Maybe they'll hire Buck to replace Lampley on their boxing broadcasts, and have JB do those gigs in the middle of the ring.

19. Gamingboy Posted: February 05, 2009 at 04:32 PM (#3068242)

At least Costas likes sports and seems to care about what is going on. Joe Buck? He only cares if someone is doing something stupid (especially in Football) or if the cast of "Bones" or "Lie to Me" happen to be sitting in the seats. Oh, or if a game-winning hit happens, in which case it is like he just got a IV full of drama.

20. Moloka'i Three-Finger Brown (Declino DeShields) Posted: February 05, 2009 at 04:48 PM (#3068261)

Buck's internal monologue is probably the most predictable among all national broadcasters.

"Romero sets. And sets and sets and sets, this is so boring. The two-two. Pitch the damn ball already. Fouled back. $%#*%*$%!!!111!!! They'll do it again."

21. Zac Schmitt Posted: February 05, 2009 at 06:41 PM (#3068386)

not that i don't have some problems with maddon/michaels, i can't tell you how upset i am that this year cards/steelers fans got two people who are actually, you know, alive to call the exciting plays in their super bowl. bucks pathetic non-call of eli's scramble/tyree's catch is one of the most bittersweet moments of my sports watching life.

22. tribefan Posted: February 05, 2009 at 06:55 PM (#3068405)

not that i don't have some problems with maddon/michaels

"This is an amaaaaazing turn of events! Amaaaaaazing! What an amaaaaaaaazing end to the first half!"

23. Zac Schmitt Posted: February 05, 2009 at 07:49 PM (#3068463)

"This is an amaaaaazing turn of events! Amaaaaaazing! What an amaaaaaaaazing end to the first half!"

even michaels repeating that over and over again woulda beat what buck actually said.

24. Dewey, Steven Wright Wannabe and Soupuss Posted: February 05, 2009 at 07:54 PM (#3068465)

Flight of the Conchords is the only good thing on HBO right now.

"Big Love" is decent. But yeah, they've hit a lull in terms of good programming.

bucks pathetic non-call of eli's scramble/tyree's catch is one of the most bittersweet moments of my sports watching life.

I watched the White Sox win their first postseason series since 1917 in the 2005 ALDS. I had to listen to Chris Berman talk about how awesome the Red Sox were and how sad it was that they weren't advancing.

And then Joe Buck announced the World Series. Ugh.

25. Zac Schmitt Posted: February 05, 2009 at 07:58 PM (#3068467)

I watched the White Sox win their first postseason series since 1917 in the 2005 ALDS. I had to listen to Chris Berman talk about how awesome the Red Sox were and how sad it was that they weren't advancing.

i feel for you, i really do. and damn, berman really did that? i always felt like there were times that the media in general/espn specifically would have preferred the red sox winning, but i tended to keep my trap shut in fear that it was really only my immature, bitter yankee fan talking. and of course berman doing it once does not a media-wide conspiracy make, but still, it's pretty low.

was it 2001 that buck/mccarver started the world series together? i can't remember now which years specifically costas did it for nbc, but wow, was he a lot better.

26. karkface killah Posted: February 05, 2009 at 08:07 PM (#3068472)

Aw, hell no. That could be The Chevy Chase show level of awesomeness. Maybe even The Magic Hour level of fun.

Can't remember where I saw it, but there were a few episodes floating around the Web recently. Premise of the show: Buck rides around in a taxi (the driver is sidekick) that picks up celebrities/sports personalities for brief interviews. HBO had a promo vehicle like this a few years back.

Fantastic television all around.

27. Dewey, Steven Wright Wannabe and Soupuss Posted: February 05, 2009 at 08:15 PM (#3068482)

damn, berman really did that?

Oh yeah. He treated the '05 ALDS like a coda to the '04 championship season. The White Sox didn't even register on his radar.

28. Zac Schmitt Posted: February 05, 2009 at 08:34 PM (#3068508)

i know sports writers always say they root for the best storyline, but in what way was the white sox possibly winning the world series for the first time in 88 years not a great storyline? i could never understand the sympathy the red sox got when both chicago teams were even more long suffering. i used to like to point out to people that, yeah, it sucked for red sox fans that they hadn't won since 1918, but that they should keep in mind the team the red sox beat that year.

29. Slinger Francisco Barrios (Dr. Memory) Posted: February 05, 2009 at 08:39 PM (#3068524)

Buck rides around in a taxi (the driver is sidekick) that picks up celebrities/sports personalities for brief interviews.

"Haha, that guy over there smoking a cigarette he picked up from the gutter looks just like Jim Leyritz. Hey, cigarette guy, come on over here! Did you know you look just like Jim Leyritz?"

"Yeah, look like."

30. John (You Can Call Me Grandma) Murphy Posted: February 05, 2009 at 08:49 PM (#3068539)

i know sports writers always say they root for the best storyline, but in what way was the white sox possibly winning the world series for the first time in 88 years not a great storyline?

Because sports writers, like other journalists, are liars. They root the most for what they're biased for. For whatever reason, the ChiSox are not sexy enough for the sports media.

31. Zac Schmitt Posted: February 05, 2009 at 08:50 PM (#3068545)

For whatever reason, the ChiSox are not sexy enough for the sports media.

i'd love to sit down and get their take on this. huge media market, long tradition, passionate fans, haven't won since a notorious scandal (which is much more legitimate than made up curses.) sounds like a helluva story to me.

32. tribefan Posted: February 05, 2009 at 09:00 PM (#3068561)

there's no white sox nation, duh

33. villageidiom Posted: February 05, 2009 at 09:06 PM (#3068576)

i could never understand the sympathy the red sox got when both chicago teams were even more long suffering.

In the 1000m speedskating events in the Olympics, why did Dan Jansen get so much sympathy, but Nick Thometz didn't?

34. John (You Can Call Me Grandma) Murphy Posted: February 05, 2009 at 09:08 PM (#3068583)

sounds like a helluva story to me.

Of course it's a helluva story. However, that's just not enough, unfortunately.

35. Dewey, Steven Wright Wannabe and Soupuss Posted: February 05, 2009 at 09:11 PM (#3068588)

there's no white sox nation, duh

You joke, but you've probably hit pretty close to the truth. The White Sox's fan base is pretty regional - they don't get the national support that the Yankees, Red Sox, and Cubs do. That means their story gets buried.

Maybe the President can spread the gospel.

36. villageidiom Posted: February 05, 2009 at 09:18 PM (#3068601)

i'd love to sit down and get their take on this. huge media market, long tradition, passionate fans

Boston outdrew them in 70% of seasons since 1940 - in a much smaller ballpark, in a much smaller city. That's not to say White Sox fans aren't passionate; rather, it suggests they're not as similar as you think.

37. flournoy Posted: February 05, 2009 at 09:19 PM (#3068602)

i know sports writers always say they root for the best storyline, but in what way was the white sox possibly winning the world series for the first time in 88 years not a great storyline?

Sample conversation that I've had too many times:

Idiot: You're a baseball fan, huh? Do you root for the Yankees?
Me: No, I hate the Yankees.
Idiot: Oh, so you're a Red Sox fan?
Me: No, I hate the Red Sox.
Idiot: *bewildered*

38. Dewey, Steven Wright Wannabe and Soupuss Posted: February 05, 2009 at 09:21 PM (#3068603)

Boston outdrew them in 70% of seasons since 1940 - in a much smaller ballpark, in a much smaller city.

Of course, Chicago's a two-team town, and Boston isn't.

39. scotto Posted: February 05, 2009 at 09:33 PM (#3068624)

Of course, Chicago's a two-team town, and Boston isn't.

Of course, until 1953 Boston WAS a two-team town, and has never had the population that Chicago has.

40. Charlie O Posted: February 05, 2009 at 09:46 PM (#3068650)

Why were Rome and Deadwood terminated? Ratings? Too expensive?

I enjoy Big Love. Flight of the Conchords does nothing for me. Joe Buck would do even less.

41. Dewey, Steven Wright Wannabe and Soupuss Posted: February 05, 2009 at 09:58 PM (#3068673)

Why were Rome and Deadwood terminated? Ratings? Too expensive?

Too expensive, both of them. I don't know if they even track ratings for the pay channels.

The fact that "Rome" and "Deadwood" were too expensive makes me nervous that they won't do "A Song of Ice and Fire" well.

42. Gamingboy Posted: February 05, 2009 at 10:30 PM (#3068725)

The history-based mini-series' HBO runs out once or twice a year are pretty good too:

John Adams was all sorts of good, and Hanks/Spielberg have their pseudo-followup (don't you dare call it a sequel) miniseries to Band of Brothers coming out later this year: The Pacific.

43. "Soiled Hands" Zoid Posted: February 05, 2009 at 11:51 PM (#3068834)

I have ridiculous expectations for "A Song of Ice and Fire" on HBO. For its quality, anyway. I'm still not convinced that it will ever make it on air and I fear that it will be very difficult for it extend beyond three seasons if HBO does air it. Deadwood was damn near perfect and they had to end it after 3 seasons despite the network presumably raking in the dough from The Sopranos. I expect a similar career path for ASOIAF.

If there's anybody on here with even a slight inclination towards enjoying science fiction or fantasy, do not hesitate to check out the first novel A Game of Thrones in George RR Martin's tremendous series. I'm an experienced fantasy nerd and it's my favorite series by a long shot. It's also the most accessible fantasy series for those who do not care for the genre. Definitely not kiddie stuff.

44. Crispix Attacks Posted: February 06, 2009 at 12:04 AM (#3068845)

"Carnivale" certainly looked expensive. Why was it NOT terminated?

45. robinred

Posted: February 06, 2009 at 03:13 AM (#3069012)

it’s no secret Buck shot a pilot for his own Fox variety show.

It was to me. Really? No kidding? A Joe Buck-hosted variety show?

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With Bob Costas gone to MLB Network, HBO may eye Joe Buck

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