Everyone knows it doesn't take any kind of talent to work in sports talk radio. Most of the
hacks working on the airwaves around the country got to where they are by being obnoxious,
offensive, and by watching ESPN and re-gurgitating what they read in their local newspapers.
And when you have those precious qualities, coupled with being an absolute moron, then the
result is a situation that happened in Atlanta.
Steak Shapiro, Chis Dimino, and Nick Cellini have been suspended by their bosses at 790 The
Zone for a completely offensive skit they produced about Steve Gleason, a folk hero in New
Orleans and former member of the Saints. Gleason is dying from ALS. He is a symbol of heart,
character, and courage.
The aforementioned hosts somehow thought they could get a cheap laugh out of their audience
by mocking Gleason with a skit that they actually took time to plan, produce, and execute. This
is beyond mind-boggling. This is beyond offensive. This is downright despicable. I know all about
"shock value" and creating a buzz, but this crosses the line by a country mile.
ALS victims have, courtesy of a device used after their motor skills degenerate. We saw this
with O.J. Brigance, a former player with the Baltimore Ravens afflicted with the same disease
as Gleason. Brigance was shown on CBS giving the Ravens a speech with the help of a
computerized device after the team won the Super Bowl. It was a heart-wrenching moment.
Shapiro, who only got his position because he helped found the station (plus, his father invested heavily in it) has been untouchable at the station. He has so far declined to comment on the skit about Gleason. Not unusual. Shapiro is not exactly a stand-up guy. Cellini road the coattails of his
brother, Nick, a longtime former anchor with CNN, and has about as much talent as a thumb tack.
Dimino is the most talented of the three and definitely has the most common sense of the trio.
It's hard to believe, he got caught up in doing a skit of this poor taste, but when your station
is struggling in the ratings, pressure does strange things to a person's thought process.
790 The Zone might reside in a big-time market, but the station along with their hosts are
small-time. They once employed Sandra Golden, whose best talent, is stabbing others in the
back to get ahead, and watching SportsCenter for hours to get all her information so she can
at least sound like she knows what she's talking about behind her fake, made-for-radio laugh.
It's been said that bad publicity is better than no publicity at all. 790 The Zone hasn't been
getting a lot of attention since 680 The Fan overtook them in the ratings. Their act lost its
fizzle a long time ago, kind of like a bottle of Soda sitting without its cap for a couple of days.
790 The Zone is weak--and despicable. For them to actually think about mocking a player
who is dying because of ALS is beyond comprehension. Was the extra buzz or national
attention really worth it?
Shapiro, Dimino, and Cellini should all be fired immediately. Gleason has more character,
integrity, and intelligence in his right pinkie, than those three stooges have combined. And
that's what they are: Three big stooges.
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