If ever a firing was warranted this is it.
The hosts and producers of The Zone 790’s “Mayhem in the AM” in Atlanta were fired Monday afternoon hours after they decided to make fun of Steve Gleason, a former Saints player who suffers from ALS. Here is the audio:
Gleason has tried to raise awareness for the whole disease, and that included writing a 4,500 word piece for Sports Illustrated that came out this morning. He accomplished this with eye tracking technology and he explained the affect the disease has on your body.
“It’s a terminal disease with an average lifespan of two to five years post-diagnosis, and scientists don’t know what causes it,” Gleason wrote. “ALS prevents your brain from talking to your muscles. As a result, muscles die. As a result, every 90 minutes people die. I am a person.”
Most people think this is sad, but some others thought it was funny and paid the price after the station was hit with immediate complaints over the segment. All three hosts (Nick Cellini, Steak Shapiro and Chris Dimino), apologized on Twitter for the “stupid” decision, but that did not appease his bosses.
“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,” the Atlanta Falcons said in a statement. “To single out Steve the way he was this morning is totally lacking in taste and discretion.”