Athletic story on the Aikman/Buck drama

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ESPN executives had observed the tension over the first four years with Buck and Aikman. The two had cycled through five “Monday Night” producers and directors before finally feeling comfortable with the tandem of ESPN lifer Steve Ackles and Artie Kempner, a former Fox colleague.

Sources briefed on Buck’s point of view claim that Aikman’s barking orders for replays he desired made situations untenable for the production staff, while sources with knowledge of Aikman’s perspective believe that Buck is a master of manipulating to get what he wants.

There had been an off-air unease between the duo through the first five weeks of this season, intensified by the fact ESPN chose Buck over Aikman for a new contract.

According to the recollection of sources with direct knowledge of the encounter at SoFi Stadium, Buck initiated the conversation by saying to Aikman, “You are not going to f—ing talk to me?”

Aikman, according to sources aware of his thinking, felt Buck wanted to force a public backlash to appear as the good guy. As the discussion went on, Buck defended himself by saying, “I’m not the reason you don’t have a contract.”

The 59-year-old Aikman, who sources said had long harbored feelings that Buck was behind the incessant producer and director turnover during their “Monday Night” tenure, shot back, “I just never thought you’d do it to me.”

Buck, 57, responded, “They got rid of them because you were screaming at them.”

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Fox’s No. 2 game analyst, Greg Olsen, is widely considered by people inside the sports-media industry to be the favorite to replace Aikman on “Monday Night Football,” though ESPN could try to convince Peyton and/or Eli Manning, Travis and/or Jason Kelce or may hold out the possibility of using Kirk Herbstreit, though he just re-signed an NFL deal with Prime Video.

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Upon arriving at ESPN, they handled their new employer differently. Buck was in contact with top executives, doing extra assignments, like “Good Morning America” and “Sports Jeopardy,” and focusing on lining up his next contract. Aikman would do his job well and go home, banking that everything would work out as it had for the most part during his Hall of Fame playing and successful business careers.

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In the summer of 2025, three years after Aikman departed from Fox, the network held a retirement party for its studio analyst Jimmy Johnson at the luxurious Terranea Resort in Rancho Palos Verdes.

When Aikman signed with ESPN, he left Fox in flames, his relationship with the network in tatters, with strained communication at the end a core issue.

Still, for the beloved Johnson, Fox Sports executives let bygones be bygones, and Brad Zager, now the network’s president, invited Aikman, Johnson’s three-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback, to make a surprise appearance.

Aikman took the stage in front of his old Fox teammates to a standing ovation. He grew a little emotional, offering some nice words about his old network before adding, according to three sources present:

“In case anyone is wondering, the grass isn’t always greener.”

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