Veteran play-by-play announcer Joe Buck has revealed that he turned down the opportunity to call MLB postseason games from ESPN last fall.

Longtime broadcaster, who joined the network in 2022 primarily as the voice of The decision was revealed during a recent appearance at Sports Media with Richard Dietsch podcast.

ESPN, which previously had a major rights package including playoff baseball before renegotiating a lighter slate of regular season games, approached Buck for season-opening duties.

However, the scheduling proved incompatible with his NFL commitments.

“As you and I sit here right now on April 10, I don’t even know who got to the postseason,” Buck said. “I assume ESPN has a game, maybe they don’t… Well, there you go – NBC has the wild card, so I’m not going to do that.”

He added, “It was on the discussion table last year if it was something I wanted to do.” “When ESPN played its games early on, it was poorly timed.”

Joe Buck reveals he’s stopped calling MLB postseason games for ESPN https://t.co/0Ldz8NT5Lg

– Awful Announcement (@awfulaannouncement) 13 April 2026

Joe Buck says he turned down ESPN’s offer to call MLB postseason games

The 56-year-old, who has won a record 24 World Series during his career, said he no longer feels the need to pursue that chapter of his broadcasting career.

Buck added, “And believe me, I’m the luckiest man in the world; I wrote a book about it, that I got to do any of it.” “But I feel like it’s really a chapter in my life, it’s an itch that doesn’t need to be scratched anymore. I’ve done all that.”

There was a mixed reaction from fans on this news on social media.

“I wish he had the same mentality for football,” one fan wrote, possibly hinting that he hopes that changes. He Bend down too.

“Thank God,” said another. “The man is unbearable.”

Still, others consider Buck’s contributions to MLB irreplaceable.

“This really hurts my soul. I understand where Joe is coming from, but still,” one person lamented.

Another reacted to the news: “Shame. He was loved by the fans in baseball.”

Over the years, Joe Buck has been the voice behind some of sports’ most memorable moments, from World Series games to Super Bowls.

However, this high-profile position also made him the target of criticism, which intensified with the advent of social media. Countless memes emerge every year about fans buying expensive playoff tickets so they can avoid hearing the Bucks.

And while she found the whole affair annoying, she also took it to heart. Although he suggests ignoring comments on social media to other people in his field, Joe admits he hasn’t always heeded his own advice. Mainly because he was a leading figure during the rise of internet trolls.

“Always, I was the only guy playing national baseball during the social media era, and I got my socks off. And it exhausted me,” Buck said in an interview. michael’s show. “I can sit here and say, ‘Oh, that thing didn’t bother me.’ It upset me.”

“If you’re a human being who cares about what other people think and do, and you try to be a good person and you try to do a good job, and then you read how worthless you are or ‘You’re lucky you had a famous dad’ and ‘You hate my team’ and all that other stuff,” he lamented.

Kylie Kelce, on her husband Jason Kelce’s late night flop, they call it late nightDiscussed the reasons behind Philadelphia fans’ dislike of Joe Buck.

“I was raised in a household where I was taught to dislike Joe Buck,” he said.

“My dad taught me this,” Kylie continued. “I recognized very well the pattern in which it always seemed [Buck] Was cheering for the other team.”

When the former Eagles center asked if he had any specific examples of the Bucks being biased, he replied, “Absolutely not.”

Buck is the son of famous sportscaster Jack Buck.

Rusty Weis is a lifelong fan of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Dallas Cowboys and Xavier Musketeers. He has been writing professionally… More about Rusty Weiss

Manchester United, Liverpool and Manchester City have been linked with an interest in FC Porto teenager Oscar Pietuszewski in recent weeks. The Portuguese club now appear ready to take quick action to protect their position.

The Polish winger has scored two goals for the club, including a remarkable strike against Benfica that quickly went viral after he dribbled past Nicolas Otamendi. Since then, His profile has grown rapidly Throughout Europe.

Reports linking Pituszewski to clubs such as Manchester United, Liverpool and Manchester City emerged shortly after the Benfica performance. Now Porto are preparing their response.

A new contract is coming out

The player’s current contract runs until January 2029. This period was the maximum allowed because Oskar Pietuszewski was still a minor when he signed.

However, the situation will change when he turns 18 on May 20. At that time, Porto would be able to negotiate a longer contract.

After the first reports of Premier League interest emerged, Porto have already begun preparing a new contract for the 17-year-old winger. according to to ballThe club wants to extend Pietuszewski’s deal when he turns 18 at the end of the season.

The Portuguese club are already planning to extend the deal until June 2031. And such a move would show how seriously Porto are taking the growing interest in the player.

Pietuszewski only arrived in the winter transfer window, but his impact has been immediate.

Current release clause is ‘not scary’

The player’s €60 million (£52 million) release clause is not necessarily seen as a major hurdle.

The Portuguese newspaper reported that this figure does not scare off some European “sharks” who are already monitoring the development of the winger.

Given his age and early impact in Portugal, hopefully many top clubs can find that valuation manageable. This remains true if his progress continues. As former Poland international and former Polish FA president Zbigniew Boniek said, he wouldn’t be surprised To see Oscar Pietuszewski play in England one day.

Still, Porto’s intentions are clear. The club sees Pietuszewski as a long-term project and wants to secure his future before market pressures increase further.

rapid growth in portugal

The winger’s rise has been rapid since arriving from Jagiellonia on a deal worth €8m (£6.9m) plus €2m (£1.7m) in bonuses. Despite being only 17 years old, he has already featured regularly under manager Francesco Farioli.

This season in Liga Portugal he has played seven matches and accumulated 351 minutes. During that time he scored two goals and provided one assist, while registering seven shots with four on target.

His performances coupled with his age and ability explain why clubs such as Manchester United, Liverpool and Manchester City are now paying close attention.

However, Porto are trying to stay one step ahead by locking him down to a long-term contract before the interest grows even stronger.

Can Nick and Joey Bosa finally end up on the same sideline? This could be the year it actually happens. The San Francisco 49ers have already made a splash in NFL free agency, locking up future Hall of Fame wideout Mike Evans on a three-year deal. They’ve also added some depth, but there’s still work to be done—especially on defense.

One position that suddenly looks thin is edge rusher. With Bryce Huff calling it a career this week, the position opposite Nick Bosa was dealt a blow. So why not keep it in the family? Joey Bosa is still sitting on the free-agent market.

However, there is one reason teams are hesitant—availability. Injuries have been a frequent hindrance, and Bosa has never gone through a full 17-game NFL season in his career.

Fans are debating whether the Bosa brothers pass-rush duo will dominate the NFL

NFL rumors abounded this week with talk of Joey Bosa potentially signing with the 49ers. Naturally, NFL fans wasted no time in jumping into the conversation.

One fan immediately questioned whether there would even be a reunion this season, writing,“Isn’t Nick on IR?”

The other dropped a brutal take, “Wow! Now there will be enough Bosa to play all 17 games!”

An Eagles fan said in a relieved voice: “Excellent because I definitely didn’t want him in Philadelphia.”

Meanwhile, another fan liked the idea of ​​a reunion, posting, “The league actually let the San Francisco 49ers reunite the Bosa brothers… good luck to every offensive line.”

And yes, someone did a reality check: “LOL! It doesn’t matter if they both take turns getting hit or just get hit on IR together! LOL”

From a financial perspective, this move is not out of the question. San Francisco still has some wiggle room under the salary cap, especially after restructuring Nick Bosa’s contract earlier this offseason. The adjustment reportedly freed up approximately $17.2 million in cap space for the 2026 season, giving the front office enough room to at least explore a Bosa deal.

Analysts believe that border flexibility is one of the main reasons why the reunion of the Bosa brothers in the Bay Area could indeed become a reality.

Still, there’s one main reason why Joy remains on the market: durability. Recurring hamstring problems have haunted him in recent seasons, and the injury history may be why many teams are hesitant to pull the trigger in free agency.

If that happens, it would also be a rare NFL moment. Despite the long history of the league, it is unusual to see two brothers playing for the same team. One of the most recent examples came in 2020, when TJ Watt and Derek Watt shared the field with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

RELATED: 2026 NFL Mock Draft After NFL Free Agency Negotiation Window