The inevitable Saturday evening live the sketch should be a lot of fun. But maybe not as entertaining as the real thing.
As the dysfunction between Troy Aikman and Joe Buck continues to smolder, Andrew Marchand of The Athletic provided the the clearest and most complete details but about what happened, in a lengthy article that delves into the nooks and crannies of a 25-year relationship gone bad.
There are a lot of them and it’s worth reading them all. For these purposes, here are the facts that seem most significant to us.
First, Marchand reports that before Monday night’s Week 5 game in Los Angeles between the Bills and Rams, ESPN president Jimmy Pitaro “had a tense hour-long conversation” with Aikman. According to the report, Aikman and Pitaro “discussed the breakup” between Aikman and Buck, “and whether there is a future for the duo.”
“Could you still work with Joe?” Pitaro asked Aikman. Aikman said he could.
But then came the verbal altercation between Buck and Aikman, with Buck telling Aikman (according to Marchand), “You’re not going to fucking talk to me?”
Marchand reports that Aikman believed Buck hoped to lure Aikman into a backlash that would leave Buck looking like “the good guy.”
During their exchange, Buck allegedly told Aikman, “I’m not the reason you don’t have a contract. » Aikman allegedly suggested that Buck manipulated the constant turnover in the ranks of Monday Night Football producers and directors, telling Buck, “I never thought you would do this to me.” (At one point, Aikman allegedly told Buck more clearly, according to Dylan Byers of Puck“You fucked me up!“)
Buck said of former producers and directors: “They got rid of them because you were yelling at them.”
The hard feelings, according to Marchand, stemmed from Aikman’s perception that Buck and ESPN had secretly agreed to a new contract “in early spring” while Aikman had to wait. That said, Marchand points out that Aikman agreed to leave Fox for ESPN at a time when it was unclear whether Buck would be able to follow him through Monday night.
It’s unclear exactly when Buck and ESPN reached their deal. In mid-April, Buck spoke as if he didn’t have a new contract. An August report from Front Office Sports gave the clear impression that neither Buck nor Aikman had a new contract and that their mutual agency (CAA) could possibly do so. approach negotiations as a comprehensive agreement.
And while, as John Ourand of Puck As Aikman’s camp reported, at one point seeking a raise from $18 million per year to $30 million (thanks to Tom Brady’s high-end $37.5 million annual salary), Marchand reports that Aikman was ultimately willing to accept the same 18 percent raise Buck received. ESPN did it.
As Marchand explains, ESPN has now chosen not to negotiate with Aikman because: (1) it does not want to invest further in a relationship gone bad; (2) the network is generally in cost reduction mode (except when it is not); and (3) ESPN believes “there is depth in the NFL game analyst market.”
Aikman’s secondary role with the Dolphins, according to Marchand, is not a factor in ESPN’s reluctance to pursue it. However, Aikman reportedly admitted that he should have informed Pitaro of his intention to work for the Dolphins before jumping into creating an obvious conflict of interest.
From ESPN’s perspective, negotiations are simply “on hold.” Marchand reports that ESPN has no plans in place for a post-Aikman stand Monday night. Given that ESPN believes “there is depth in the NFL game analyst market,” does it need it? ESPN likely realizes that if it makes the decision after Super Bowl LXI to move on from Aikman, his seat will be easily filled.
Through it all, Buck and Aikman share close quarters for three hours or more every Monday evening. Many people study every word spoken and every glimpse of facial expressions and body language for evidence of a possible on-air fight to come.
For now, Aikman sees the writing on the wall. He said this week that there was a “50-50 chance“he won’t be working in television next year. His public comments about the possibility of working for the Cowboys (which he now he says he regrets) make it clear that he is available and ready to explore a full-time football role with one of the NFL’s 32 franchises.
Regardless, it’s unprecedented to have a prime-time broadcast team beset by such public acrimony. On the one hand, this tarnishes ESPN’s first-ever Super Bowl season. On the other hand, it adds another layer of reality television to the ultimate reality television show that is the NFL.
Gn sports
