Joe Buck is ‘calling’ Twitter videos, including former KCTV reporter’s epic dart shot
It’s not just athletes and coaches who have been sidelined by the sports stoppage due to the coronavirus.
Announcers also are having to find creative ways to fill their time, and Fox Sports’ Joe Buck had an idea to raise money for charity while also connecting with fans.
“While we’re all quarantined right now without any sports, I’d love to get some practice reps in,” Buck tweeted Sunday. “Send me videos of what you’re doing at home and I’ll work on my play-by-play. Seriously!”
In another tweet he wrote: “If your video gets posted you have to pledge to donate to a cause during this quarantine. Even if it’s a dollar. Send something! I’m pledging to the St. Louis Community Fund. I’ll do some this week!”
One of the first videos Buck narrated was submitted by former KCTV-5 sports reporter Tom Martin. It was a dart shot from an extreme angle.
Buck’s call: “He’s got it! A bull’s-eye! Tom Martin has stunned himself and the world. Go crazy folks, go crazy.”
The last part is a nod to Buck’s father, Jack Buck, who made that call on Ozzie Smith’s walk-off home run in Game 5 of the 1985 National League Championship Series. The slow-motion replay was a nice touch.
Martin, who is Director of Brand Strategy for Let It Fly Media, said he’s been working from home for a week and decided to take Buck up on his offer.
“I was already trying to figure out things to do inside, so I had the dartboard for a while and saw the tweet, and just decided how am I going to get it to where like you can see the board in the video, but also see me throw it,” Martin said
‘That’s why I put it off to the side and like the weird angle like that. Thank God for the wide angle on the iPhone 11 so you can catch it all. I just tagged him in it, said I’d make a donation, and the Fox Sports people sent me a direct message yesterday.”
Martin said he donated $100 to the United Way of Greater Kansas City’s COVID-19 relief fund. You can donate here.
With so many people working from home and maybe a little more attuned to Twitter, Martin has heard from a number of people via text and Twitter.
That darts shot may seem like something Martin has done in the past. He went sidearm ala Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
“That was my second take. I totally hit the wood on the actual dartboard and nearly took out like my wall, and a frame beneath it. It is a framed picture of the World Series by the Astros so I think people would have enjoyed that,” Martin quipped. “I’m actually surprised no one’s been roasting me online because you can see that and my Astros pillow in the video. ...
“I’m moving out of here in a couple months. I’m glad I can keep the security deposit because nothing took apart the wall, but second take and I got lucky.”
Here are a couple of other videos Buck narrated:
