As it's noon on the East Coast and everyone's already pipped in on this, just a couple quick thoughts on the Joe Buck-Artie Lange brouhaha from last night. On the off-chance you haven't watched the OT portion yet, have at it. Headphones...
#1 - Anyone who's been listening to Stern for the last couple weeks could have seen this coming a mile away. Artie's been in serious self-hate mode ever since getting clean off Subutex. He's been taking angry shots at in-studio celebrities and strippers for weeks, Joe Buck was prime meat.
#2 - I didn't watch the rest of the program but by all accounts it sounds like this SAVED the show. Today everyone and their mother is talking about Joe Buck Live. Had it just been another boring interview segment about the intersection of sports and entertainment, we would have collectively shrugged our shoulders by now.
#3 - Say what you will about Artie's material (of which even I'm not always a fan) but that was a game-changing performance for him. Despite what Howard loves to boast, the Stern Show is nestled in an entertainment pocket that only some folks are aware of. Artie's popularity is big, no doubt, but it's always been with the caveat that the mainstream don't really know him other than "that guy from MADTV and Norm MacDonald's movie." Now he's the talk of the entire nation. His agent is doing backflips this morning. So is his publisher, who just released his book (great read, btw) on paperback and has another one coming.
#4 - Did Braylon Edwards call Jason Sudeikis this morning to offer him his condolences?
On the Stern Show this morning, Gary said they've reached out to Buck to see if he'll come on the show tomorrow. If Joe's smart, he will. It's the best thing his show's got going for it. On the meantime, here's some more choice thoughts on last night:
- Joe Buck's Phony Outrage Over Joe Buck's Show - Deadspin
- HBO wasn't pleased with Mr. Lange...Awful Announcing
- Joe Buck Is Not A Talk Show Host, But He Is A Fine Accessory In Seaside Decorating...The Sporting Blog