Fox Sports commentators Troy Aikman and Joe Buck have found themselves in hot water after a hot-mic captured them mocking a military flyov...
Fox Sports commentators Troy Aikman and Joe Buck have found themselves in hot water after a hot-mic captured them mocking a military flyover during an NFL broadcast.
Aikman and Buck were preparing to cover Sunday night's showdown between the Green Bay Packers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers when Pentagon jets that took to the sky over the latter team's Raymond James Stadium.
The pair were apparently unaware that they were being recorded when they ridiculed the ceremonial pre-kickoff display - calling it a wasteful ploy pushed by Republicans.
'That's a lot of jet fuel just to do a little flyover,' Aikman was heard saying in footage released by Defector Media.
'That's your hard-earned money and your tax dollars at work!' Buck quipped in response.
Fox Sports commentators Joe Buck and Troy Aikman found themselves in hot water after a hot-mic captured them mocking a military flyover during an NFL broadcast on Sunday night
Aikman and Buck were preparing to cover Sunday night's showdown between the Green Bay Packers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers when Pentagon jets that took to the sky over the latter team's Raymond James Stadium (pictured)
Aikman then implied that the spectacle is a Republican practice, saying: 'That stuff ain't happening with [a] Kamala-Biden ticket. I'll tell you that right now, partner.'
Under fire from critics after the footage emerged, Aikman insisted that he did not mean to disparage the armed forces.
He noted that only a small number of fans were there to witness the flyover at Raymond James Stadium, which is limited to 25 percent capacity due to the coronavirus pandemic.
'I love a flyover but it was odd to see one over a mostly empty stadium,' the former Dallas Cowboys quarterback wrote on Twitter.
'But I am an unwavering patriot that loves this country, has always respected our flag, supported the men and women in the armed forces as well as those in uniform who serve & protect and for anyone to suggest otherwise doesn't know me, my beliefs or what I have stood for my entire life.'
Under fire from critics after the footage emerged, Aikman insisted that he did not mean to disparage the armed forces in a pair of tweets on Tuesday (pictured)
Aikman noted that only a small number of fans were there to witness the flyover at Raymond James Stadium, which is limited to 25 percent capacity due to the coronavirus pandemic
Buck has not yet addressed the controversy publicly, and Fox Sports did not immediately return DailyMail.com's request for comment.
The military classifies flyovers as training exercises for pilots and has often argued that they help with recruitment.
'Flyovers are conducted at no additional cost to the taxpayer and serve as training and meet proficiency requirements for our pilots,' Navy spokesman Lt Rob Reinheimer told CNN.
Aikman and Buck are seen discussing Sunday night's match-up on Fox Sports
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