So terrible. Three radio hosts from Atlanta radio station 790 the Zone mocked former Saints player Steve Gleason, 36, who suffers from ALS, in an on-air skit on June 17.
Hours after being suspended indefinitely, three radio hosts involved in the on-air skit were terminated for mocking Steve Gleason.
Steve Gleason Mocked: Three Radio Hosts Fired After ALS Joke
“We deeply regret the offensive programming that aired this morning on ‘Mayhem In The AM’ on 790 The Zone, related to former New Orleans Saints player Steve Gleason and his battle with ALS,” Rick Mack, 790 The Zone senior vice president and general manager, said in a prepared statement. “We suspended the three individuals involved immediately following their comments and have since terminated their employment. 790 The Zone, our owners, sponsors and partners in no way endorse or support this kind of content. We sincerely apologize to Mr. Gleason, his family and all those touched by ALS.”
The Falcons also issued a statement on the matter. They said:
"The Falcons are disappointed in the comments made about former Saints player Steve Gleason on a local Atlanta radio station Monday morning. The content concerning Mr. Gleason was completely inappropriate and is not representative of the views of the Falcons organization, nor does it represent the way we conduct our business on and off the field. To single out Steve the way he was this morning is totally lacking in taste and discretion.”
One host, Nick Cellini, offered his apologies before being fired. He tweeted, “My apologies to everyone. It was a stupid attempt at humor that backfired. Emphasis on stupid.”
Steve Gleason Mocked After Writing ‘Monday Morning Quarterback’
On June 17, Steve wrote the “Monday Morning Quarterback” (with his eyes), detailing what it’s like to live with ALS, a disease of the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord that control voluntary muscle movement. The former Saints player says it took him four hours to write the 4,500-word piece. Following the release of his piece, three Mayhem in the AM hosts for 790 the Zone in Atlanta took to the air and performed a skit mocking Steve.
According to an LSU message board, the radio hosts did this 3 minute joke, where they pretended that Steve Gleason called in and they asked him questions. Most of his responses were in the form of a knock knock joke and at one point, he says he doesn’t know if he will be alive next Thursday.
Poking fun of someone who has ALS is so terrible and disgusting. We’re glad to hear that the hosts involved were punished.
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