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Dynamic Duo

Joe Buck and Troy Aikman used to dabble with tequila in the booth, which explains a lot

February 16, 2021

Joe Buck and Troy Aikman are the best broadcast duo the NFL has right now. Nantz and Romo’s old dog/excitable puppy schtick has become transparent. Collinsworth/Michaels gave us the slide-in meme, but that has been good for about two whole weeks of laughs. If you actually stop and take a look under the hood, it becomes clear that Buck and Aikman’s matter-of-fact, undramatized real talk is the no. 1 football scratch track going. Full stop.

But how did they get there? How did two of formerly stiff, pompous windbags ascend to the heady heights of the sports broadcasting heap? Well, with a little help from an old friend named Jose Cuervo, of course.

First of all, shout to our buddy John Smoltz, who is implicated, if not explicitly named in Buck’s story about sending the runner to get the biggest beer in the stadium during the first inning of every postseason baseball call. It's Buck’s winning dynamic with Aikman that we’re really focusing on here, however, and apparently it all started with tequila, a splash of Grand Marnier, and grapefruit juice. “Because Troy is a man of finer tastes,” Buck explains.

That may seem like an odd gameday drink, especially at Lambeau in the dead of January, but you can’t argue with the results. The margarita/paloma tweener helped Buck and Aikman loosen the collar and find their groove over the years, eventually becoming one of the best, longest lasting duos in broadcasting. If only poor Randy Moss had given Buck the recipe sooner . . .