Super Bowl viewers may pull out their hair during the broadcast thanks to the announcers who are covering the game. Joe Buck is divisive regardless of the sport he calls. And Troy Aikman’s penchant for spouting off football takes makes him an occasional target for controversy, too.

As the two join forces in a way that’s predestined to anger some people, it’s time to ask which of the two announcers is more controversial and loathed by the masses.

How is Joe Buck controversial? 

Neither announcer has done anything truly reprehensible. In a way, the hatred of Aikman and Buck comes from pettiness ingrained in sports fans everywhere. Hating on Buck has become a rite of passage to many fans. With the rise of social media, his detractors have only grown louder.

People think Buck tends to downplay major plays with his tone. Whether he is calling a game-winning touchdown drive or Game 7 of the World Series, his even-keeled delivery borderlines on indifference. Buck tends to let the moment play out on its own and let the viewers take care of excitement.

On top of everything, some people think Buck is against their team. Whether it’s the Los Angeles Dodgers or San Francisco Giants, viewers tend to see Buck actively rooting against their team. No matter what Buck does, people will criticize him. This propelled him to the top of many most-hated commentator rankings. There may another contender, however. 

How is Troy Aikman controversial?

Aikman is in a different category than Buck. He has the added privilege and baggage of a football career before his broadcasting career. Those who loved Aikman as a player usually like him as a broadcaster; those who hated him as a player often hate him as an announcer.

Aikman can shoot from the hip, which can be good or bad depending on who’s listening. Despite this, he may have burned bridges with Cowboys fans. Speaking about Jerry Jones, the former quarterback implied that the controversial Cowboys owner is a big factor in the team’s recent failures.

While he was a part of the Cowboys’ success in the early ’90s, Aikman believes Jones has gotten worse over the years. This type of comment could make the Cowboys’ faithful turn their backs on him.

Aikman is outspoken about many things. When he gets a microphone in his hands it means he can rub people the wrong way. During the beginning of the 2019 season, reports Sports Illustrated, he made headlines for calling the NFL’s officiating “nauseating” based on the ways referees were inserting themselves into the game’s narrative with excessive calls. 

Who is more controversial? 

Buck will always have the top spot compared to almost any other NFL broadcaster. The fact that he seems to embrace the hatred does not help. Buck isn’t controversial in the same sense as more egregious examples. But hating him has become a game that everyone can join in on. 

Aikman can spit off hot takes and get under the skin of people, but he doesn’t have the cult following of hatred Buck does, nor is he likely to ever reach this level. Several people on TV may try to reach the Joe Buck pantheon, but none can sew dissent quite like he can.

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