After 25 years in the booth together, Joe Buck and Troy Aikman might be headed towards a breakup. Joe Buck recently signed a new six-year extension with ESPN that is worth more than $100 million. The idea was that Aikman’s contract would be worked out shortly after that, but Aikman says ESPN hasn’t presented him with any offers, and he will now head to free agency after this year’s Super Bowl.
Front Office Sports even reported this week that Buck and Aikman got into a verbal altercation before this week’s Monday Night Football broadcast. Things eventually calmed down, Buck and Aikman called the game together, and viewers would never have known they’d gotten into a spat before the game. But tension has been building for a while, and every booth might get shaken up as a result.
I didn’t get to write about this yesterday because I was traveling, but I’ve talked to several people over the last few days who have direct knowledge of the situation (think: agents, media executives, etc.). So for today’s newsletter, I’m going to recap what I learned during those conversations, including what Aikman is actually mad about, why ESPN is okay with breaking up the Buck-Aikman partnership, where Aikman might be headed next, and who could take his spot on MNF.
Here’s what I have been told…
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