Courtesy Houston Chronicle

(February 6, 2009) Owing to their association in and affinity with St. Louis, Bob Costas and Joe Buck (left) have had more than a passing acquaintance over the years. So there is a degree of symmetry in Thursday’s announcement that Buck will assume the HBO Sports slot vacated by Costas’ move to the MLB Network.

The format – four 90-minute specials, probably debuting in May in a town hall format setting -- represents an interesting challenge for Buck, who over the years has frequently noted that his play-by-play duties restrict his ability to delve into side issues during game broadcasts.

"You’re always fighting a time element," he said. "I’m not talking just about humor. I’m talking about All-Star time, and up to the plate steps Barry Bonds. There are nine million ways you can talk about Barry Bonds … but you fight diving into topics like that because on the next pitch the next guy could line out or pop up, and you’re stuck.

"When you do play-by-play, you have to be true to the game, so there are topics you don’t want to bring up. This gives me an opportunity to maybe get some things off my chest and do so in my own way."

Buck said he filmed a pilot for a Saturday late-night show for the Fox network, but the project died when the parties could not agree on the show’s format. He will continue his baseball and football duties with Fox Sports and said he took the HBO side job with the blessings of network executives.