This is Joe Buck.
He’s the lead play-by-play announcer for NFL games on Fox. That means he’s considered the best announcer on that network. I beg to differ.
Joe has a very annoying verbal crutch: he says “Pass is… caught!” at least 30 times a game. It’s usually a stall, with the pregnant pause after “is” until he can determine if the pass is complete or incomplete. If you think I’m exaggerating about the 30 times, I can assure you I’m not. That’s probably a lowball figure. Watch the Saints-Rams game tomorrow and count them for yourself. But please don’t make it a drinking game. It you have a drink every time Joe Buck says “pass is… caught!” like folks used to do with the phrase “Hi Bob!” on the old Bob Newhart Show, you’ll be drunker than a monkey’s uncle before halftime.
We all have our own verbal crutches. Like… you know… um… er…. But when you’re getting paid millions of dollars to call a game, it seems like you should un-learn those bad habits. My wife thinks I’m making a mountain out of a molehill – “what else is he supposed to say when a pass is caught?” How about these:
- Pass is completed.
- [Quarterback name]’s pass is hauled in at the 40.
- Pass over the middle… [Receiver] makes the catch.
- [Quarterback] to [Receiver]… complete for a first down.
- [Receiver] makes the grab.
- [Quarterback] throws down the sideline…. great catch by [Receiver].
- Screen pass to [Receiver]… with blockers in front of him.
- [Quarterback] connects with [Receiver].
- [Quarterback] finds [Receiver] who was wide open over the middle.
- Short throw into the flat… a great diving catch.
- A laser into coverage… complete for a big third down conversion.
Sorry, Joe. Don’t worry, this post is…. over!
I seriously detest Joe Buck. He sounds bored calling a game unless something major is happening and even then it sounds like he had to be bothered to call the action.
But pertinent to your post: As Phil Manning once told me in an aircheck session: You can say the same thing a million different ways.
Phil wasn’t wrong.
Phil was correct… mix it up. Thanks for reading, Matt.
Thanks for pointing this out, I thought I was the only one who noticed the “pass is caught” repetition. In addition, Troy Aikman uses the word “job” after nearly every play. “Great job by…” “He really does a good job.” “That was an excellent job of…”
Thanks for your comment, Tommy. I hadn’t noticed Troy’s verbal tic, but now I’m sure every time he says it, it will be… caught by my ears.