Joe Buck and Troy Aikman questioned the need for military flyovers on hot mics before the Green Bay Packers-Tampa Bay Buccaneers game.
Aikman: 'That's a lot of jet fuel just to do a little flyover...'
Buck (with emphasis): 'That is your hard earned money and tax dollars at work!'
Aikman: 'That stuff ain't happening with Kamala/Biden ticket. I will tell you that right now partner'
Sounds like Aikman gave an endorsement. Just remember when the NFL runs ad campaigns and on-field messages urging voter participation the virtue signal remains aimed at a targeted audience and clearly against the current president.
Yahoo Sports loved it with the following headline...
'Troy Aikman and Joe Buck Perfectly Slam Flyovers Amid COVID-19 Pandemic On Hot Mic'
The article referred to a Washington Post piece earlier this year that had the cost of ceremonial flyovers being at least $60,000 per hour.
But who cashes the checks? Usually the National Football League and its organizations, or universities at the college level. The NFL even did propaganda pieces in 2019 noting the tradition of flyovers and the need to salute all past, present and future military personnel daily. The league will also do its annual Salute to Service campaign for five weeks during November. It is more the cost of the ticket or cost of television rights passed down to the consumer as much as tax dollars.
It must also be noted that Aikman previously contributed to the campaigns of George W. Bush, John McCain and Mitt Romney.
FOX's highest paid announcers clearly knew they were live, but perhaps Buck should take a cautionary tale from contemporary Thom Brennaman, who lost his gigs for something said on a hot mic.
Buck is currently on his annual run of between NFL and MLB postseason telecasts, which could result in him being on-air an impressive 11 out of 12 days, with Aikman on-air for four games in an eight-day period. More impressive when one considers travel, production meetings and the pregame preparation involved.
That said, Joe Davis really got positive marks from his Sunday night call of Game 7 of the National League Championship Series - at least judged on social media. Joe Buck has plenty of detractors for a PBP1.
On both Sunday's telecast as well as Monday evenings telecast of Kansas City Chiefs-Buffalo Bills, Aikman was obsessed on-air about attending the Pro Day of quarterback Josh Allen at the University of Wyoming, saying he threw the ball farther than anyone else he had even seen, at least 80 yards.
Not to diminish Allen's skills, which were not on full display on a rainy night in Orchard Park, but Laramie, Wyo. does sit at 7,220 feet above sea level, says so on the football field. Aikman might still be able to unleash at least a 60-yard throw on the WYO campus with a good tail wind.