Joe Buck Reflects on a Memorable Gaffe
Joe Buck and Brooks Koepka have had their share of memorable moments, including an incident involving Koepka’s wife, Jena Sims, that left Buck feeling a bit “sick.”
During a recent appearance on the “Justin Time Podcast” with Justin Kutcher, Buck, now 56, looked back on a notable mistake from the 2006 NLCS. Kutcher apologized to him for that blunder, prompting Buck to reminisce about the experience.
“You did your best,” Buck acknowledged. “Mistakes happen, and I’m no stranger to them myself. I’m not proud of every word I say, and honestly, there’s a lot I say that could be better.” He went on to express that the pressure in broadcasting is immense, with little room for error.
Reflecting on a particular moment during the 2017 US Open, Buck recalled mistakenly referring to Jena Sims as someone else during the coverage. He mentioned that he often deals with name mix-ups, and this incident was no exception.
“It happened to me with Brooks too. I got his girlfriend’s name wrong once. It was an error I won’t forget,” he shared. “At that time, I felt embarrassed. I was getting cues from our producers, and it was right before we signed off.”
Interestingly, Buck added that the following year, after Koepka’s second consecutive US Open win, he got it right when announcing. And that was, perhaps, a small relief.
In a light-hearted moment, Buck noted, “Now, Koepka and Jena are celebrating again at the US Open.” It seems there’s good humor about the mishap over time.
Sims, who married Koepka in 2022, later spoke about the incident, suggesting that she had indeed forgiven Buck. “He got my name right this week, so I appreciated that; honestly, it didn’t bother me as much as people might think,” she said in a conversation relayed through reports.
It’s interesting that Buck mentioned he spoke with Koepka recently, recalling a baseball game they both attended. Unfortunately, Sims couldn’t join them that day due to work commitments.
Koepka’s latest significant victory came at the 2023 PGA Championship, just as he and Sims welcomed their first child, adding another happy chapter to their story.
