Imagine being labeled a 'smug jerk' before your first date—and by the person you're about to meet! That’s exactly what happened to Joe Buck, ESPN’s top NFL play-by-play broadcaster, when he first crossed paths with his now-wife, Michelle Beisner-Buck. But here’s where it gets intriguing: despite her initial reluctance, their story turned into one of the most heartwarming romances in sports media.
During a candid appearance on The Pivot podcast, Buck revealed that his friend and fellow ESPN broadcaster, Rich Eisen, played matchmaker—though it wasn’t smooth sailing from the start. Michelle, a features reporter for ESPN, had seen Buck in a national car rental commercial and thought, ‘This guy looks like a smug jerk.’ Buck, surprisingly, admitted he felt the same way about himself!
‘When I saw her, she was working for the NFL Network, standing against a wall at Mile High Stadium,’ Buck recalled. ‘I thought, ‘I’m going to stalk that person,’ and I did.’ But Michelle wasn’t exactly thrilled when Eisen tried to set them up. ‘Please don’t tell me it’s Joe Buck [who wants my number],’ she said, still skeptical from the commercial.
Their first date was a dinner in St. Louis, where Michelle was covering a Rams game and Buck was working. And this is the part most people miss: Michelle insisted on riding separately to the dinner, just in case Buck turned out to be ‘either a psycho or awful.’ She wanted an escape route! But Buck wasn’t having it. ‘No, I’m gonna pick you up,’ he insisted.
By the time the appetizers arrived, Buck knew he was going to marry her. ‘She was just different,’ he said. ‘It was the greatest decision I’ve made as an adult.’ Fast forward to today, and the couple has 7-year-old twin sons, Wyatt and Blake. Buck joked that he proposed in his signature play-by-play voice, and Michelle reshared a clip of the moment on Instagram, where Eisen cheekily commented, ‘Can confirm.’
But here’s where it gets controversial: Buck, who was married for 19 years before divorcing in 2011, never thought he’d tie the knot again. ‘It’s probably the last thing I thought I was going to do again, and the first thing I’m glad I did,’ he admitted. Michelle, he said, ‘reopened my eyes to getting married.’
Their story raises a thought-provoking question: Can love truly change your perspective on life’s biggest decisions? And is it ever too late to find ‘the one’? Let us know what you think in the comments—do you believe in second chances at love, or is Buck’s story just a rare exception?
From a rocky first impression to a lifelong partnership, Joe and Michelle’s journey is a testament to the power of persistence, self-awareness, and, of course, a little matchmaking magic. Their story isn’t just about romance—it’s about overcoming preconceptions and finding joy in unexpected places. So, the next time you judge someone based on a first impression, remember: even a ‘smug jerk’ can turn out to be your soulmate.
