Buccigross was raised in Indiana, Pennsylvania, before moving to Steubenville, Ohio, at age 11. He played basketball at, and graduated from, Steubenville Catholic Central High School.[3] Buccigross graduated from Heidelberg College where he majored in communications and theater arts.[3]
From 2001 to 2010, Buccigross authored a weekly NHL column for ESPN.com; he continues to contribute written pieces to the site periodically.[11][12][13]
Beginning with the 2012 NHL Playoffs, Buccigross began hosting the #Bucciovertimechallenge on Twitter, asking users to guess the player (one for each team) who would score the game-winning goal for every overtime game throughout the course of the playoffs. Selected winners receive a branded item from his online store. As of the 2024 playoffs, the challenge is still active.[14]
Despite initial reports to the contrary, Buccigross was not included in a mass layoff of on-air ESPN employees that included most of the network's hockey staff in April 2017; his contract was set to expire in the summer of that year.[15]
Broadcasting style
Buccigross described himself in a 2006 column: "I'm 6-foot-4, 192 pounds. Mizuno MP33 irons. Big Run-DMC fan. Love chicken parm. Once played golf with Ray Bourque and tried to intentionally three putt from 30 feet so I could say I shot a 77 playing golf with Ray Bourque. Instead, the slippery downhill putt went in and I shot a 75 not playing golf with Brett Lindros."[16] One of his catch-phrases is "nahmally good", which is a play on "normally good", and he refers to painful experiences by claiming, "Oh, Knights of Columbus that hurts!" Also, on occasion, he uses a Pittsburgh English or Pittsburghese accent, in his announcements of Pittsburgh sports. Another fun catch-phrase of Buccigross is associated with NBA star James Harden, exclaiming, "And a woo woo woo!" every time Harden scores a basket—a tip of the hat to Jeffrey Osborne's 1986 smash hit, "You Should Be Mine."
Book
Buccigross signed a book deal in the spring of 2006 with Middle Atlantic Press to write the life story of former NHL player and current NHL analyst Keith Jones. The book's title is Jonesy: Put Your Head Down And Skate. The Improbable NHL Career of Keith Jones. The book was released on October 2, 2007.[4]
Personal life
Buccigross married his wife Melissa in 1987; they divorced prior to March 2017.[13][17] Buccigross and his ex-wife have three adult children: Brett, Malorie, and Jack.[3][13]
In 2017, former ESPN analyst Adrienne Lawrence filed a lawsuit alleging that Buccigross sexually harassed her.[18] In December 2019, the lawsuit was settled for undisclosed terms.[19]
Buccigross is a member of the advisory board for You Can Play, a campaign dedicated to fighting homophobia in sports.[20]
