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Bob Costas Was Mistaken For Michael J Fox At Muhammad Ali’s Funeral

“Costas told Greenberg that he was at Muhammad Ali’s funeral in 2016 in Louisville. There, boxing promoter Don King, had a brief moment where he forgot he was talking to Costas and thought it was a famous actor.”

Ricky Keeler

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This week, the listeners to Greeny on ESPN Radio were treated to some of the top voices in broadcasting as part of Legendary Broadcasters Week. On Wednesday, Mike Greenberg was joined by Bob Costas, a person who has always been Greenberg’s idol since he started in the business. As he has said in the past, if Greenberg was “called a poor man’s Bob Costas”, he views it as “an extraordinary compliment.” 

Costas told Greenberg that he was at Muhammad Ali’s funeral in 2016 in Louisville. There, boxing promoter Don King, had a brief moment where he forgot he was talking to Costas and thought it was a famous actor. 

“It is such an occasion that they have to hold it in the arena where Louisville plays their basketball games,” Costas recounted. “For an hour or so, people are gathering and talking in small clusters when in comes Don King in a full Don King getup,

“He greets each person with a short, biographical sketch so he says, ‘Mike Tyson, once the most feared man in the ring’, ‘Sugar Ray Leonard, not a mark on him, still as beautiful as a child’ and he turns to me and goes ‘Michael J. Fox’. Katie Couric goes very gently, ‘Don, it’s Bob Costas’. King is so shameless without missing a beat he says ‘Bob Costas, greatest commentator in the world’.” 

In fact, before Costas told that story, Greenberg began the interview with Costas by talking about how his researcher on the show, Paul Hembekides, has thought that Greenberg was older than Costas and how Costas is very spry, which led to him telling the King story.

Of course, one of the things Costas is known for is calling baseball for NBC and most recently, MLB Network. Greenberg asked him what was the event in sports history that he would most like to broadcast and Costas brought up an event he would like to go back and confirm that it actually happened. 

“One thought that comes to mind is Jackie Robinson’s first game, but what happened in the game was not eventful. What pops into my head just to be able to verify it, I think I would have liked to be at Wrigley Field in 1932 to decide for myself whether or not Babe Ruth really called his shot or was he just motioning towards the Cubs dugout.”

Greenberg mentioned on the show this week that many other broadcasters have wanted to join him on the show, so the legendary broadcasters week could continue into another week. So, it is safe to say these great stories could continue from some of the top voices in the industry. 

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Joe Buck: Minneapolis Miracle ‘Easily the Most Exciting Singular Moment’ of Career

“It was easily the most exciting, singular moment that I’ve ever been a part of calling games for now 30 years on the network level.”

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Joe Buck
Courtesy: Brian Bowen Smith, Disney General Entertainment

Joe Buck has what could be labeled as a sometimes contentious relationship with Minnesota Vikings fans. However, he believes a moment including the franchise is one of the finest moments of his storied career.

During an appearance on SKOR North’s Purple Daily, Buck told Phil Mackey and Judd Zulgad the “Minneapolis Miracle” — Stefon Diggs’ 2018 game-winning touchdown catch against the New Orleans Saints in the NFC Divisional Round — is one of the biggest moments of his broadcasting legacy.

“People ask me ‘What’s your favorite call of your career?’ They go, ‘What’s your favorite baseball call? What’s your favorite football (call)?’ That’s always my favorite football call. Because it’s a walk-off moment. You don’t really get that very often in football compared to baseball, obviously,” Buck said.

“If you do, it’s usually the kicker which, in that moment, I think the instinct for Diggs was unbelievable because he made that catch. And you’re thinking okay, ‘They got a shot of the game-winning field goal’. And he turns around, and nobody’s there. It was right down in front of us in this incredible, great stadium, with the best view we could possibly have. Your natural instinct is to go ‘Okay, get out of bounds’ and he spins around, nobody’s there. And he goes down the sideline, and they walk off with the win. I mean, it was easily the most exciting, singular moment that I’ve ever been a part of calling games for now 30 years on the network level.”

Joe Buck was asked about his relationship with Vikings fans. During a playoff game in 2004, Buck called Vikings wide receiver Randy Moss’ touchdown celebration a “disgusting act” as he pretended to moon Green Bay Packers fans. He claimed it was “unfortunate that we had that on our air live”.

The comments have been criticized for nearly two decades, with Buck admitting he went too far.

“I hear that back and it kind of gives me a little bit of a jolt because I’m like, ‘Man, I can’t believe that that’s what came out of my mouth’, but I have to live with that. And I’m not saying that I regret it, but it feels a little over the top.”

Joe Buck added that his wife — Michelle Beisner-Buck — preceded him at ESPN, and said Moss was the colleague that treated her the most, with Buck saying Moss “and I have become really good friends. And I don’t think Randy cares about it. So, you know, I guess I’ll just move on and hopefully everybody else can too.”

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Anthony Lima: 97.1 The Fan in Columbus Does ‘Homer Radio’

“Down in Columbus on 97-point homer or whatever they are, all they did every day with Beau (Bishop) and all those guys, every day was ‘We’re not gonna lose.'”

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Anthony Lima

Ohio State suffered its third consecutive defeat to Michigan on Saturday. 92.3 The Fan morning co-host Anthony Lima argues Buckeye fans in the Ohio capital have been told what they want to hear by 97.1 The Fan.

During The Ken Carman Show with Anthony Lima Monday, Lima turned his anger about the Buckeyes’ third consecutive loss to their chief rival into a rant about the “homer radio” provided by 97.1 The Fan to its Columbus audience.

“I was the only guy in the state of Ohio (saying Ryan Day wasn’t capable of beating Michigan),” Lima said. “Down in Columbus on 97-point homer or whatever they are, all they did every day with Beau (Bishop) and all those guys, every day was ‘We’re not gonna lose. We’re never gonna lose to Michigan. My god, Ryan Day picked up right where (Urban Meyer) left off. He’s just gonna take this to the next level.’ On the homer radio down there, that’s what they did, and you didn’t see it coming.”

Lima’s co-host, Ken Carman, laughed and covered his mouth in surprise during Lima’s rant.

“This is the man I wanted,” Carman joked after Lima concluded. “I’m glad I got him. I’m glad he pulled that out. He’s mad. You are unhinged.”

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Bob Fescoe: Scott Hanson Doing NFL RedZone Outside During Evacuation ‘Would Have Been Spectacular’

“We don’t know what’s going on here, but you’ve got to protect Scott Hanson at all costs, don’t you?”

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Scott Hanson
Courtesy: Kirby Lee, USA TODAY Sports

On Sunday’s edition of NFL RedZone, longtime host Scott Hanson announced during the fourth quarter of the matchup between the Philadelphia Eagles and Buffalo Bills that personnel inside of the studios needed to evacuate the premises. Outlining a scenario that never occurred during his broadcast career, Hanson explained that viewers could hear the alarm blaring over the top of his right shoulder and that the control room left the most competitive game on the screen. Before leaving the studios, he expressed that while they did not know the nature of the emergency, everyone was remaining calm and following protocols.

“So to be continued, hopefully, although this game is in the fourth quarter,” Hanson said. “I will come back and give you a live update if and when I am able to. Thank you for your understanding and your patience, and here is 3rd-and-13 for the Buffalo Bills.”

On Monday morning, 610 Sports Radio co-host Josh Klingler mentioned the emergency and how people who were watching RedZone were witnessing something brand new on the program. Fescoe, who was watching another game in the process, had the program on a different television on mute and had no idea it was happening. Yet he did look up several times and realized that the Eagles-Bills game had not moved from the screen, leading him to think about what could be going on.

“He’s a pro – Scott Hanson – he’s done this thing for a while,” Klingler said. “And so I guess the production facility in New York or New Jersey took over for a little bit.”

Fescoe was amazed at how Hanson’s statement on the air ended in repeating the down and distance within the game rather than leaving the studios immediately upon his explanation. The dedication to the craft he displayed reminded Klingler of when 610 Sports Radio broadcast from a stairwell in the midst of a tornado. Despite the ambiguous emergency, NFL RedZone remained on the air and presented viewers with a game that was in the critical stages, and those involved in the program were eventually able to re-enter the studios.

“We don’t know what’s going on here, but you’ve got to protect Scott Hanson at all costs, don’t you?,” Fescoe said. “He is, other than the football personnel people, the players and the coaches; he’s like one of the most famous NFL people right now that everybody knows.”

“I’m surprised they didn’t go, ‘Well, we’re going to keep one person in the studio in Scott Hanson, and the rest of them need to evacuate, but we’re going to keep this thing on the air,’” Klingler replied.

An on-air contributor for the program articulated that a viable backup plan for the program could have been to take Hanson’s phone and put it against the screen so he could continue to commentate to the audience. The production could then take a remote outside to switch between the games so fans would not miss the pivotal witching hour, which Hanson has long affirmed is where wins and losses are often decided. In order to see the games for himself, he could use NFL Sunday Ticket on YouTube and YouTube TV, although Fescoe believes that Hanson would have cursed out the service for limiting the amount of games he can watch in multi-view mode.

“But people would watch that; that would be entertaining,” Fescoe said. “I think the one thing that we did learn through COVID is that the media doesn’t have to take themselves seriously when it comes to this production stuff. Throw a headset on a guy in a hotel room and call it a day. Hanson outside doing games off his phone would have been epic. It would have been spectacular.”

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