Back in 2022, Troy Aikman walked away from Fox after two decades and took his voice to ESPN. At the time, many thought it was just a big career move. But now the Dallas Cowboys legend is opening up about what the old place felt like compared to ESPN.

While talking to Richard Deitsch on the Sports Media with Richard Deitsch podcast, Aikman explained why the jump came with such a sharp contrast. He did not hold back. He said Fox felt very small and simple compared to ESPN.

“ESPN is a conglomerate. It’s like the U.S. government. There are people on top of people, and there’s so much content, and everything that goes into that, I can’t even imagine. So, ESPN is far more corporate than what I experienced at Fox Sports.”

Then, when the conversation shifted to Fox, Aikman painted a picture of a place that ran on direct calls and quick answers. And he pulled back the curtain on why it felt that way.

“At Fox, it was really more of a mom-and-pop operation because of David Hill and Ed Gorin. They were boots on the ground from day one, and they were the decision-makers, and whenever talent, or anyone for that matter, had an issue or a question, or a suggestion. You went directly to David Hill or Ed Gorin, and then after they stepped down, then you had Eric Shanks and Brad Zager, and they became those people.”

After that, the picture became even clearer. However, Fox still had to deal with the hole Aikman and Joe Buck left behind. The broadcast booth had to be rebuilt fast. So the network looked within and pushed Kevin Burkhardt into the top seat. He had been preparing for that spot for years.

Later, Tom Brady also joined. However, before Brady, Joe Davis stepped in. He called big games like the last matchup of the 2020 NLCS, so the stage was not new to him.

But the most surprising twist came from Aikman himself. Back in 2022, during an appearance on Sportsradio 96.7, he said something no one saw coming. He explained that Fox never even made a final offer. Instead, they just congratulated him on his move to ESPN after forcing his exit.

Troy Aikman blames the lack of communication for his Fox exit

Troy Aikman did not hide his feelings when he and Joe Buck joined Andrew Marchand and John Ourand back in 2022. The longtime Fox duo talked about their unexpected jump to ESPN’s Monday Night Football booth. And even though Aikman praised ESPN, he still admitted that the way things ended at Fox left a mark.

“The reason that I’m no longer at Fox is mostly due to a lack of communication. Which is ironic since we’re in the communications business. But, that’s the way that it is.”

After that moment, Aikman shifted into a long and warm tribute about working with Buck again. But Marchand brought the focus right back to Fox. He simply wanted to know what Aikman meant by “lack of communication.” And that push opened the door for an even sharper answer.

“I never had a conversation with Eric Shanks until he called to congratulate me on the ESPN contract,” Aikman said of Fox Sports’ CEO and executive producer.

“I asked him specifically for some comments that I had heard that circulated and got back to me and he refused to answer those questions. Joe had asked him the same questions as to ‘How did we get here?’ And he refused to answer those questions as well.”

That response summed up his frustration clearly.