Joe Buck Reveals Wife Initially Thought He Was a “Smug A–hole”

ESPN’s lead NFL play-by-play announcer, Joe Buck, shared yesterday that his wife, Michelle Beisner-Buck, initially had a less-than-favorable impression of him before their first date.

During an appearance on “The Pivot” podcast, Buck explained that Beisner, a features reporter for ESPN, was introduced to him by a mutual friend, Rich Eisen. Beisner reportedly resisted the setup, telling Eisen, “Please don’t tell me it’s Joe Buck [who wants my number],” after seeing him in a national car rental commercial. “She saw me on a national car rental commercial and thought I looked like a smug a–hole,” Buck said. He added that he initially had a similar impression of her, recalling he thought to himself, “I think I’m gonna stalk that person,” after spotting her at Mile High Stadium.

Their first date took place in St. Louis, where Beisner was covering a Rams game and Buck was working. Buck recounted that Beisner insisted on separate transportation to dinner “in case I was either a psycho or awful,” but he ultimately insisted on picking her up. He stated, “I swear to God I knew before the appetizers were put down that I was going to marry her… She just was different, and it was the greatest decision I have made as an adult.” The couple, who married in 2014, now have twin sons, Wyatt and Blake, born in 2018. Buck was previously married to Ann Archambault Buck, with whom he shares two daughters, Trudy and Natalie.

Buck also noted that Beisner “kind of reopened my eyes to getting married” after his first marriage ended in divorce in 2011. This revelation offers a glimpse into the personal lives of two prominent figures in sports broadcasting, and highlights how unexpected connections can blossom. For more information on the couple’s career paths, see ESPN’s website and USA Today Sports.

Beisner reshared a clip of the podcast moment on Instagram, where Eisen confirmed the story with a simple, “Can confirm.”