Fox Sports' Troy Aikman defends himself after comments criticizing flyover
Some hot-mic comments between Fox Sports broadcasters Troy Aikman and Joe Buck have led Aikman to respond and defend himself.
While doing the Tampa Bay Buccaneers game versus the Green Bay Packers (Bucs won 38-10) on Sunday, the pair in the booth were overheard making comments during a military flyover done before the game at Tampa’s Raymond James Stadium. Some felt the comments criticized the flyover and were political.
“That’s a lot of jet fuel just to do a little flyover,” Aikman said.
Buck in a sarcastic tone, “That’s your hard-earned money and your tax dollars at work.”
“That stuff ain’t happening with Kamala-Biden ticket, I’ll tell you that right now,” Aikman replied.
Even Joe Buck and Troy Aikman find pregame flyovers to be a little much these days: https://t.co/0IZL6GhmZy pic.twitter.com/G4EpB3SYtN
— Defector (@DefectorMedia) October 19, 2020
The stadium is allowing only a limited number of fans - 25% capacity - in the stands.
“I love a flyover but it was odd to see one over a mostly empty stadium,” Aikman wrote on Twitter.
“But I am an unwavering patriot that loves this country, has always respected our flag, supported the men and women in the armed forces as well as those in uniform who serve & protect and for anyone to suggest otherwise doesn’t know me, my beliefs or what I have stood for my entire life.”
I love a flyover but It was odd to see one over a mostly empty stadium but I am an unwavering patriot that loves this country, has always respected our flag, supported the men and women in the armed forces as well as those in uniform who serve & protect and for anyone to suggest
— Troy Aikman (@TroyAikman) October 20, 2020
otherwise doesn’t know me, my beliefs or what I have stood for my entire life.??
— Troy Aikman (@TroyAikman) October 20, 2020
“Flyovers are conducted at no additional cost to the taxpayer and serve as training and meet proficiency requirements for our pilots,” Navy spokesman Lt. Rob Reinheimer told CNN.
Frank Carnevale is the TribLive multimedia editor. He started at the Trib in 2016 and has been part of several news organizations, including the Providence Journal and Orlando Sentinel. He can be reached at fcarnevale@triblive.com.
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