ESPN legend Joe Buck broke down in tears over criticism of his broadcasting skills – ‘it was devastating to read that’

JOE Buck has opened up about how criticism has impacted his esteemed broadcasting career.

The 56-year-old is the son of former MLB broadcaster, Jack Buck.

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Joe Buck still recalls criticism from early in his career[/caption]

ABC

Buck has gone on to have a successful career in the baseball, football, and golf[/caption]

Speaking on the Breaking In podcast with Chicago Bears reporter Kevin Fishbain, he has admitted that one negative comment from early in his career has stuck with him.

An article by Dan Caesar of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch nearly derailed the then-21-year-old’s broadcasting career.

“I cried,” Buck said. “I was still living with my mom and dad as I was waiting for an apartment that I was trying to move into, and I remember reading that and crying.”

“That’s how immature I was. But it was devastating to read that. It wasn’t unfair, there was one reason why I was doing it, and he was right.”

Buck’s father had worked primarily as an announcer for the St. Louis Cardinals.

Caesar shared his fears that the now-legendary broadcaster had landed his first full-time gig solely because of nepotisim.

“If you’re playing in a newspaper to people reading it, of course, you’re gonna find an audience there,” said Buck.

“Like, ‘Oh, we know how this kid got his job.’ No other 21-year-olds are doing this. And the reason is, I was my dad’s son.”

Buck took particular exception to these comments as the article came before he had a chance to broadcast a game.

“You’ve given me no chance to broadcast before you’re ripping me to shreds,” he recalled.

He ultimately had the last laugh as he has gone on to have an incredibly successful career.

Buck started as a play-by-play commentator for the Louisville Bats, a minor league affiliate of the Cardinals.

He has since forged a career across several sports.

At 25 years old, he became the youngest person to announce a regular slate on the NFL as he joined Fox.

Just two years later, he became Fox’s lead play-by-play announcer for the MLB.

During this period, he partnered Tim McCarver, who had previously worked with his father.

While Buck spent much of the ’90s focusing solely on baseball, he returned to broadcasting the NFL in 2001 as an occasional replacement for Curt Menefee.

After 18 years with Fox, he jumped ships to join ESPN as they won the rights to Monday Night Football.

While Buck admits he got his big break because of his father, it is not what has made his broadcasts so legendary.

He claims that he resolved his differences with Caesar over lunch as they went on to forge a positive relationship.