Joe Buck took to Twitter on Thursday to clear up a few things.
Buck made waves this week for his appearance on SiriusXM’s “Andy Cohen Live,” during which the longtime play-by-play announcer discussed the possibility of piping in crowd noise and putting virtual fans in the stands for NFL broadcasts this season.
On Thursday, after some confusion regarding the specifics of his comments, Buck explained the importance of artificial crowd noise while also clarifying that FOX is “working on” the concept of virtual fans.
According to Buck, nothing is etched in stone as TV networks, like FOX, grapple with the uncertainty surrounding sports amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Amazing the headline doesn’t match what I said. Didn’t think that happened at places like SI. I’ve been saying for over a month, including on HBO in April, that some ambient crowd noise under a broadcast is a simple, necessary tool to normalize the viewing experience at home…. https://t.co/6JY11ZcGZU
— Joe Buck (@Buck) May 14, 2020
There is no “traditional” take on this topic. It’s new territory. Hoping stadiums are full and all is normal. If not, then it’s a blank canvas. All networks will try to make it look and sound as normal as possible. It could lead to unprecedented, thrilling access. Who knows?
— Joe Buck (@Buck) May 14, 2020
But Crowd reactions are an enormous piece of the TV puzzle. All reactions by a crowd are valuable and to be used – as far as I know. I use it as much as I can and still keep my job. Big moments like the Minn. Miracle are MADE on tv because of the crowd noise.
— Joe Buck (@Buck) May 14, 2020
It doesn’t have to be over the top. But something has to be there. Contrary to the misleading headline at SI and other places – I said FOX is WORKING on virtual fans. They are working everyday on ANYTHING to make our shows the best on TV. That’s exciting to me, and I am thankful
— Joe Buck (@Buck) May 14, 2020
Some ideas will work and some won’t. That’s the nature of WORKING on something. It’s uncharted water. It could be a very exciting time in network TV coverage. I can’t wait to see how it all plays out. Praying for a SAFE return to a stadium near you for all involved.
— Joe Buck (@Buck) May 14, 2020
This ran in the LA Times last week. It’s ALL a work in progress. pic.twitter.com/ugv437cSkf
— Joe Buck (@Buck) May 14, 2020
More from LAST WEEK in the LA Times from the great @LATimesfarmer pic.twitter.com/QAq8NXtJxC
— Joe Buck (@Buck) May 14, 2020
The idea of fake crowd noise — whether piped into actual stadiums or just game broadcasts — seems weird. The idea of virtual fans seems even weirder.
But, as Buck noted, these are unprecedented times, which call for unprecedented measures. And the reality is games might be even more awkward with no underlying crowd presence whatsoever, so maybe we should get a little crazy. If it doesn’t work, it doesn’t work.
Nevertheless, it’s important to note everything is a work in progress at this point. It’s so hard to project day to day, let alone week to week or month to month, that we can’t say for sure what the sports landscape will look like when the NFL season is scheduled to kick off in September.
