JOE Buck has revealed his retirement decision after sharing that he broke down in tears over criticism of his broadcast career.
The 56-year-old ESPN star is the current voice of Monday Night Football.
This week, Buck appeared on Barstool Sports’ hit podcast Pardon My Take with hosts Dan “Big Cat” Katz and PFT Commenter, whose actual name is Eric Sollenberger.
The veteran broadcaster spoke about the start of the NFL.
But during the interview, Katz asked Buck how many years he has left in his field.
“Big Cat” also noted that it would be a major loss for football whenever he calls it quits.
Luckily for NFL fans, it appears that Buck won’t be leaving
“I don’t know. 10 years, 12 years, 15 years?” Buck answered.
“I’m not gonna do the ‘man makes plans and God laughs.’
“I have no idea, I could get hit by a bus getting out of here.”
Buck is the son of former MLB broadcaster Jack Buck.
Joe has been a top sportscaster for 30-plus years.
And he’s been a No. 1 NFL announcer for over two decades as he’s worked alongside his current ESPN partner, Troy Aikman, for most of it.
Buck’s retirement decision comes after revealing that one negative comment from early in his career made him break down in tears.
An article by Dan Caesar of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch nearly shattered the then-21-year-old’s broadcasting career.
“I cried,” Buck said on the Breaking In podcast with Chicago Bears reporter Kevin Fishbain.
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“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.”
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Buck can have the last laugh, as he’s one of the highest-paid announcers.
And he will have the chance to get back to broadcasting the Super Bowl.
ESPN and ABC are set to televise Super Bowl 61 in 2027, marking the first big game simulcast between the two sister networks.
