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The pressure of October

Sporting News, The, Nov 1, 2004 by Joe Buck

How do I love thee? Let me count the days. For 3 1/2 weeks, I am torn between two loves. The baseball playoffs and the NFL season in full swing make me bounce like Tigger on greenies, and I love every minute of it. In the second week of October, I called games for eight different teams in four cities, in two sports.

One might think I have a full staff to help keep things straight, but that would be wrong. How do I do it? It's as easy as black, blue and pastels. It's all about the threads. The trick is to keep one shirt clean and to send one out the minute you get to the next hotel. There are two suits involved, one extra pair of slacks for a change of pace (or in case of a spill) and ties galore.

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The tie is the crucial element to looking different every time you set up that day's "key matchup." Same suit, same shirt every other day, different neckwear. I know it's hard to believe, but I used to go to a little prep school where they made you wear a tie every day. On at least 100 mornings, my Slurpee-stained tie was the last piece of clothing I would put on. I developed a sort of seventh sense giving me the ability to make the tie just the right length, with a knot just the right size, as I ran into the school just before attendance was taken. Some days I would be a little late (I still hold the tardy record I set during my senior year), but it was never the tie that slowed me down. It probably was that last bit of calculus I was finishing over a bowl of Count Chocula. (By the way, since the day I left high school, the only time calculus has been a problem for me is during dental visits.)

Anyway, back then I always wondered what the purpose of a tie was. I mean, really--what does it do, except serve as a part-time napkin, eyeglass cleaner or nighttime rope? Well, little did I know then that it is the tie that makes the old look new again. How many blue shirts do you own? Dark suits? We all have the same junk. Do yourself a favor, drop a little cash, and go shopping for ties. Those guys behind the counter will be more than happy to help, but don't let them go nuts. Ties are not cheap, and the better brands really cut down on the whole "Hide a stain and use it as Kleenex" idea.

The days of the network blazer are over. It used to be like going to a parochial school with a uniform for those guys in the '70s. Except for the canary yellow Monday Night Football jackets made famous by Howard Cosell and Dandy Don Meredith, it was a blue coat with a really smart patch with three letters on it. These guys were making millions, yet they had to dress like Captain Stubing. That is the real value of ESPN Classic for me. Check out those duds. Those guys could pack all they needed for a seven-game series in their wallets.

Now, there is pressure to look your best. I call it the James Brown effect. Have you ever noticed the way that guy dresses? He looks like he is ready to shoot a cologne commercial every time he's on camera. He puts the heat on the rest of us. The fact that he sits next to Terry Bradshaw makes him look even better. It's just not fair. What I want to know is, do those guys on the set wear pants? I have to stand up when I am on; they don't. I'll bet those studio guys sit there in silk shorts and tall dress socks under the desk. The ESPN overnight guys? Forget it. I see pajama bottoms with slippers, or maybe even footies.

I have to pack and travel and try to look presentable. I have to go to the tie rack and wear pants. Boy, it's tough to be me.

Joe Buck is FOX Sports' lead play-by-play announcer for the NFL and MLB. You also can hear him as a guest on Sporting News Radio.

The pressure of October

Sporting News, The, Nov 1, 2004 by Joe Buck

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