Days after HBO mercifully cut the cord on “Joe Buck Live”, USA Today’s Michael McCarthy reports Buck has signed a 4 year extension to continue torturing the American public as Fox Sports’ lead voice on MLB and NFL telecasts.
Fox Sports president Ed Goren confirmed the deal, saying: “We’re thrilled to have the voice of Fox Sports and one of the best broadcasters in the business with us for the next four years.”
The renewal will keep the 40-year-old Buck on the microphone through 2014. The network’s MLB and NFL TV rights run through 2013 and 2014, respectively. Buck says he’s also talking to Fox Sports chief David Hill about developing a show similar to Joe Buck Live, which was cancelled Monday by HBO Sports after only three episodes. The proposed show could air on Fox or a cable network like FX.
With the possible exceptions of Charles Perez, Magic Johnson and Richard Bey, I can’t think of anyone more deserving of hosting a cable talk show than Mr. Buck. And if he could get a post-suicide attempt Artie Lange to make his television return on the debut episode, it could be a rating bonanza for whichever NewsCorp outlet the program is dumped on.