A clip from Monday Night Football has gone viral amid reports of a behind-the-scenes tension between longtime broadcast partners Joe Buck and Troy Aikman.
In a segment of the Monday, October 26, broadcast on ESPN, posted on X by MLF Football, the retired quarterback, 59, looked down or away for most of the time that the sports journalist, 57, spoke about the Philadelphia Eaglesahead of their game against Aikman’s former team, the Dallas Cowboys.
“Troy Aikman looks like he HATES Joe Buck. This is the most awkward broadcast ever,” wrote one fan on X.
“Yes, Troy Aikman has that look! Anyone who’s worked in a corporate setting with someone you really don’t get along with — or has been told to try and be a “team player” regardless — you understand that look!!” added another person on X.
“Troy Aikman has never made so many look 👀 offs. Made minimal eye contact with Joe Buck.” wrote a third. “And so the pot simmers on their feud and if they’ll even make it to the Super Bowl as a functional booth. ESPN has themselves to blame for creating unnecessary tension for a showcase event.”
First for Sports broke the news that Buck had extended his ESPN contract for six years and $108 million without notifying the three-time Super Bowl champion, whose contract is also up.
On October 15, the former Dallas Cowboys quarterback told KTCK radio station that he would soon be “a free agent,” according to The Athletic, before seemingly addressing Buck’s decision. “I don’t know that it’s hard to figure out kind of what’s happened.”
“People who’ve worked closely with both of them say they’ve never seen a betrayal like it,” a source told First for Sports, adding that things “nearly got physical” between the men off-camera. “It’s the biggest betrayal anyone in the industry can remember.”
However, other fans pointed out that something heavier may have been weighing on Aikman’s mind during the broadcast. The day before, sports radio personality David Moulton, who had worked as a spotter in the booth, died following a battle with cancer.
“Since 2018, David Moulton has been my right-hand man in the broadcast booth. What started as a professional relationship became a friendship I have cherished,” Aikman wrote on Instagram on Sunday, October 25.
“David was loyal, dependable and a warrior until the very end. He deserved better. My heart breaks for his family and all who loved him,” he added. “I’m grateful for the years we shared and will miss him deeply. Rest in peace big guy🙏🏼❤️”
He and Buck also paid tribute to Moulton, who was 60, during the MNF broadcast, per video posted on Instagram.
“He will not be replaced in this booth,” Buck said.
“No he will not. He was a fighter right up until the end, and … uh, sorry …” Aikman added with a shaky voice as he fought back tears. “I was just going to say, he left a hole in a lot of peoples’ hearts. Just a good man.”
At the October 26 game, which Dallas won, Aikman was also seen having a lengthy conversation with Cowboys owner and GMJerry Jones, amid rumors that he could join that organization in some capacity, per The Sun.
Read More From First for Sports
- Pat McAfee Appears to Reference Charlie Kirk After Being Mocked by University of Utah Students
- Paul Pierce’s Lawyer Claims Former NBA Star Is ‘Tapped Out’ and ‘Drowning Financially’
- Erling Haaland Shows Off Dramatic New Hairstyle Just Two Months After Shaving Off Famous Long Locks
This story Troy Aikman ‘Looks Like He Hates Joe Buck’ in Viral ‘Monday Night Football’ Clip Amid Contract Tensions first appeared on First for Sports. Follow First for Sports on Yahoo so you don’t miss what’s coming next.