The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show: Sunday Hang – December 14, 2025

Episode Overview

In this lively and humorous "Sunday Hang" installment, Clay Travis and Buck Sexton blend their trademark banter and sharp analysis of the week’s current news with a hefty dose of friendly ribbing and personal anecdotes. This episode centers around Buck's triumph in a much-anticipated tennis serve challenge, listener and celebrity reactions, Clay’s reflections on book publishing in the age of AI, and the ever-simmering debate about media bias—particularly toward Donald Trump. Throughout, Clay and Buck’s tone is lighthearted, irreverent, and occasionally self-deprecating, making for an entertaining yet thoughtful listen.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

Buck Sexton’s Tennis Serve Challenge

• Buck celebrates crushing the 100 mph tennis serve mark, reaching 103 mph.

  • He details the journey, his wife Carrie’s cinematography of the event (“we see the 103, she is on the court with your son in the baby carriage” – Clay Travis [04:12]), and the mixed reactions from friends and listeners.
  • Quote: “103 miles an hour, my friends... It was a beautiful day on the court.” – Buck Sexton [02:53]

• Shout-outs and Doubters

  • Clay applauds Carrie Sexton’s filming, humorously noting Buck’s son will “have even more respect for his dad’s natural raw athleticism” when he’s older [04:12].
  • Buck: “I struck a blow for all the middle-aged guys with elastic waistbands and New Balance sneakers out there.” [04:48]
  • They poke fun at “haters and doubters,” especially Clay’s wife Laura, who, according to Clay, still hasn't acknowledged Buck's feat [05:54].

• Messages from Friends, Listeners, and Tennis Celebrities

  • Carol Markowitz: “I know one thing. You do not bet against Buck Sexton... I bet on Buck and I won, of course.” [06:20]
  • John Isner (pro tennis player, fastest serve on record): "Everything about it was quite honestly perfect. Wow. That’s like maybe the greatest praise that anybody’s gotten for anything on the show in four plus years.” – John Isner via Clay Travis [07:45]
  • Ben Ferguson (radio host): “Welcome to the 100 Mile Club... I knew what a stellar athlete you were... Congratulations. We still have hills to climb. 108 is the next one.” [24:50]
  • Chris Knowles (Newsmax): “That is a rocket of a serve... Not that I ever doubted you, but I mean, power and precision, all while maintaining your boyish good looks and charms.” [26:01]
  • Michael Berry chimes in, humorously calling for “peace on the airwaves” and commending Buck’s technique [21:22].

Notable Moment:
Buck jokingly sets his sights even higher, musing, “Maybe I’m gonna get 110... I’m not making any promises. That 110 is really fast.” [25:39]

Clay’s Book Release and Reflections on Books in a Digital Age

• Clay Travis Completes Signing of 500 More Copies of “Balls”

  • Clay details the effort behind book promotion and signing ("I just signed. You guys are great... They have got them. They are shipping them out. I signed them all here on camera." [08:47])
  • Commentary on the challenges of selling a book in an era dominated by short-form content [10:30].

• The Importance of Reading Books in the Age of AI

  • Buck laments the decline of long-form reading: “It’s harder and harder to get people to say, 'I’m going to spend 12 hours, eight hours' [reading].”
  • Clay weighs in: “There is a depth of knowledge that comes from reading that does not come from watching videos or certainly clicking on tweets.” [11:23]
  • Discussion shifts to the dangers of AI-generated content, misinformation, and the loss of original thought, referencing over 50% of online articles being AI-written, and the case of Robby Starbuck being maligned by AI-generated libel [12:40].

Media Bias, Double Standards, and Trump Coverage

• Karine Jean-Pierre’s Book Tour Comments
  • Clay and Buck react to Karine Jean-Pierre’s claim that the media is “not tough enough on Trump,” with Buck and Clay vehemently disagreeing.
  • Clay: “Trump has been the most attacked by media president in any of our lives.” [15:37]
  • Buck contextualizes: “There has been... this belief... that Republican presidents better watch themselves because [the media] took one presidency down and they could do it again.” [16:25]
  • They argue media power to "end presidencies" has faded after failed attempts to bring down Trump via the Russia collusion narrative and impeachments [17:52].

Listener Interactions and Running Gags

• Alcatraz Swim Challenge for Clay

  • Multiple listeners and Buck goad Clay to attempt swimming from Alcatraz to shore, paralleling Buck’s completed tennis challenge.
  • Clay jokes, “My concern is not the swim, it’s the sharks... there’s too many people who would exalt, and I don’t want to make, maybe, I don’t have to be unhappy about me still being alive.” [23:51]
  • Buck, ever deadpan, vows to be in the launch boat “to make sure that Clay is safe... When the sharks get close, I’m not going to do anything about it, but I’m going to say, Clay, there’s a shark.” [26:28]

• Book, Media, and Tennis-Related Humor

  • Clay is asked by a listener if his next book will be named “Boobs”—“That might be too immature for even me... although the fatter I get I could... it could just be Clay’s boobs.” [20:36]
  • Both riff on dietary regimens, with Buck admitting to sneaking Shake Shack while Clay maintains his daily smoothie [20:52].

Notable Quotes

• Buck Sexton on Middle-Aged Athleticism:
  “I struck a blow for all the middle-aged guys with elastic waistbands and New Balance sneakers out there... People think we can’t relive our glory days... No, my friends, no, we can still do it.” [04:48]

• Carol Markowitz on Betting on Buck:
  “I don’t need to know anything else other than Buck Sexton was doing it. I bet on Buck and I won, of course.” [06:20]

• Clay Travis on Book Writing in the AI Era:
  “There is a depth of knowledge that comes from reading that does not come from watching videos or certainly clicking on tweets... Where are the actual original thoughts or arguments going to come from in an AI era? I’m legitimately concerned about it.” [11:23–12:40]

• Buck Sexton on Media Power:
  “The myth of invincibility for the media and their, their power to end a presidency is gone.” [17:52]

Memorable Timestamps

• 02:53: Buck begins his tennis serve victory story.
• 04:12: Clay credits Carrie’s video and jokes about Buck’s son’s future pride.
• 06:20: Carol Markowitz voice message ("You do not bet against Buck Sexton").
• 07:45: John Isner, pro tennis tour, sends congratulations.
• 08:47: Clay on signing another 500 copies of his book “Balls.”
• 10:30–12:40: Clay and Buck discuss the importance of reading and the threat of AI-generated content.
• 15:16: Karine Jean-Pierre’s media double standard claim—cut and reaction.
• 20:32: Listener joke about Clay writing a book called “Boobs.”
• 21:22: Michael Berry’s peace-on-the-airwaves message.
• 23:51: Listener goads Clay into swimming from Alcatraz; Clay jokes about sharks.
• 24:50: Ben Ferguson (radio host) voice message congratulating Buck.
• 26:28: Chris Knowles on Buck’s serve, with Buck teasing the launch boat for Clay’s swim.

Overall Tone & Style

The episode skillfully blends sharp conservative commentary, good-natured competition, audience engagement, and self-aware humor. Clay and Buck’s camaraderie shines through their playful needling, while their reflections on books, media, and technology add substance and topical relevance. Listeners are treated to a show that is as much a hangout among friends as it is a news and culture program.

Useful For:
Listeners who want a fun, personality-driven take on the week’s news and culture stories; fans of inside-show running gags and long-form, smart-but-casual radio banter.

Key Takeaway:
Even in the age of algorithms, AI, and shrinking attention spans, Clay and Buck demonstrate that personality, depth, and a sense of humor are the enduring traits that make a program—and its hosts—memorable.