Joe Buck is calling his fifth Super Bowl, but nothing is taken for granted. At 47 years old, he still extols the virtues of basics and comfort above all else.
Legions of fans hate Joe Buck, largely for the same reason they hate the New England Patriots. A bevy of success. Buck, who became a national play-by-play broadcaster for FOX Sports at 25 years old, is on the eve of calling his fifth Super Bowl. Not yet at the age of 50, he’s taken the mic for 19 World Series.
Yet throughout Super Bowl week in Houston, Buck still found himself going over the basics. For all the years behind the microphone and in front of the national stage taught him a few critical elements; be comfortable and pace yourself.
The first part of that mantra should be no problem. Buck goes into Super Sunday next to Hall of Fame quarterback Troy Aikman, who he’s shared a booth with since becoming the top pair on FOX in 2002. The duo took over for Pat Summerall and John Madden, large shoes to fill.
Buck is thankful for Aikman and sideline reporter Erin Andrews, the on-air portion of his weekly NFL team. On Sunday, Chris Myers joins the fracas as well, with FOX looking to have all angles covered. For Buck, it’s a reason to sleep well in preparation for the country’s biggest annual event.
“It’s probably the best part of that day,” Buck said. “Once they do kick off, it’s me, it’s Troy, it’s Erin, it’s Chris. And that’s the way it’s been with the exception of Chris all year, and for years. I’ve been with Troy since 2002 so this will be our fifth Super Bowl together and our fourth where it is just he and I. We’ve gone down this road. I know where he’s going to go, he knows where I’m going to go. That familiarity and that comfort level is invaluable when you know that 120 million people are watching.”
While his team provides ample support, Buck is ultimately the proverbial eye of the storm. He will talk more than anybody else throughout the evening, narrating the most important three hours of America’s most important sport. He’s been here before, giving him the edge of experience.
Even with those memories to draw off, Buck quickly points out that things can get out of and quickly without one key component. The knowledge to breathe.
“Slow down,” Buck immediately stated. “It’s real easy to get caught up in all the momentum of the Super Bowl and then you’re going 100 miles per hour, and 100 miles per hour leads to crashes. I actually have notes on my board to slow down, take it easy, lighten up, smile. You know, just different stuff that I remind myself with because you tend to lose all that once you get in there.”
Come Sunday night, the lights of NRG Stadium will fall on two teams playing on a field below him. The eyes of a nation will be upon them, and the ears will be on Buck.