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Many Minnesota sports fans, however, despise Buck. Why? Because of one fateful call back during the 2004-05 NFL playoffs. The Minnesota Vikings were playing the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field, a game the purple won 31-17.

Jan. 9, 2005: Joe Buck calls infamous Randy Moss moon at Lambeau

During that memorable postseason contest, Randy Moss caught a 34-yard 4th quarter touchdown pass that put the Vikings up by two touchdowns. After Moss scored, he went behind the end zone and, in a now infamous scene from a historic Vikings/Packers rivalry, pretended to pull his pants down and moon the Lambeau crowd.

A young Joe Buck called that game and he could not believe what his eyes were watching, bemoaning to the entire nation what “a disgusting act” Randy Moss was committing on live TV during his celebration. Buck, Troy Aikman, Cris Collinsworth were all in the booth.

On this day in 2005: “That is a disgusting act by Randy Moss.” — Joe Buck

pic.twitter.com/bYKbzSBMJL

— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) January 9, 2021

Collinsworth: “…as [Randy Moss] shoots the moon to the fans here in Green Bay”

Buck: “That is a disgusting act by Randy Moss and it’s unfortunate that we had it on our air live. That is disgusting by Randy Moss.”

Aikman: “Well… let’s get back to the play. Randy Moss, I don’t even think that was called in the huddle…”

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Buck Now Regrets His “Disgusting Act” Call

Kevin Clark, who works for ESPN, has his own show called “This is Football”, had Joe Buck on recently and shared a clip of their conversation on X (formerly Twitter). In the clip, Clark asks Buck about one call he wishes he could have back. His response: You guessed it.

We ask every guest what play they'd like to have back. The call Joe Buck wants back? Easy. The Randy Moss "That's a disgusting act" call against the Packers.
"The more time that goes on the more I think 'man I can't believe that ever came out of my mouth.'" WATCH: pic.twitter.com/1k5n0TH45m

— Kevin Clark (@bykevinclark) January 24, 2024

“The Randy Moss call, for sure, with the ‘that’s disgusting’.” …. “My wife, Michelle, does the pregame show. Of all the people on that pregame show, prior to even to our rival because he hasn’t been there since we got there, the nicest human being to my wife was Randy [Moss].”

“The more time goes on, the more I think, ‘man, I can’t believe that even came out of my mouth’, you know? I never live in ‘I wish I could take that back’ or ‘delete it’ or whatever. But I can’t live like that. Like, I have to be willing to accept a step on the wrong tile, if I’m also gonna accept, you know, when things went great and I made the call that I love to hear when it comes on.

“But when I hear that call, I’m like ‘ugh’… you know. Like, that was was too far, I think. And it was not calculated, You never know what you’re gonna see when you go into a stadium. I think knowing more of the back story, after the fact, about the fans and whatever you know, doing that to the team bus, I understand it more than I did in that moment. It’s not anything that keeps me up at night but I think knowing more information now, that was one that I I would probably pull back a little bit on.”

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Can We Forgive Joe Buck?

Having called an extensive number of games, Joe Buck reflects on a specific moment in which he admits not being fully aware of the entire backstory at the time, which includes Packers fans mooning the Vikings bus when they roll into Lambeau every year.

Now equipped with the complete context, and with a willingness to acknowledge his mistake, Joe Buck may be deserving of forgiveness, although a small grudge might linger. A very passive aggressive one, of course.

“Don’t throw stones when you drink at work.” I thought everyone had heard that saying but Joe Buck has proven me wrong. The same guy who called the iconic “Moss moon” touchdown celebration a “disgusting act” revealed during a podcast with Colin Cowherd that he has been known to knock back — wait for it — ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES while he calls football and baseball games.

“I’ll say this. We have had that glass of bourbon in the booth,” Buck said. “Although it’s not bourbon, it’s tequila, splash of Grand Marnier and grapefruit juice.”

via NY Post

So bourbon is allowed on set and tequila isn’t? Even if that is a stupid rule, because who wouldn’t prefer a freshly stirred perfectly mixed margarita over whatever you do with good bourbon, why does Buck have to push the limit? Being allowed to drink at work isn’t good enough? You have to hide illegal liquor in the legal liquor bottle? That is a disgusting act.

Do you get to drink at work?

While the rest of us are forced to be at work sober, void of any alcohol until happy hour, Joe Buck finds it necessary to drink while he gets paid millions of dollars to call professional sporting events. Rough life.

Don’t blame this on Troy Aikman. This is a Joe Buck problem. As he admitted, Aikman isn’t the first former superstar to fall victim to Buck’s alcoholic peer pressure. He preyed on John Smoltz first.

Buck noted that his chemistry with Aikman developed more slowly than with John Smoltz, with whom he calls baseball games. During those baseball games, Buck said, he would get a runner to grab “the biggest beer the stadium sold,” which he would gradually drink throughout the game.

“I had it sitting there and I would sip it from time to time to remind myself to relax and have fun. I’m just doing a game,” Buck said. “And I brought that over to football, but because Troy is a man of finer tastes, beer somehow became tequila, Grand Marnier and grapefruit juice.

via NY Post

Disgusting.

Throwing stones

Normally, I’m not someone to judge people for their obvious wrongdoings. But Buck is well-known for nearly ruining the career of Randy Moss for a clean and honest touchdown celebration in Green Bay so many years ago.

Buck claims he doesn’t drink in the booth anymore and you can believe whatever you choose to. But one thing is for sure, there’s no way he should have been throwing stones at Moss back then, when he was probably was half in the bag up in the booth.

On this day in 2005: “That is a disgusting act by Randy Moss.” — Joe Buck

pic.twitter.com/bYKbzSBMJL

— NFL Update (@MySportsUpdate) January 9, 2021

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan