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Mike Missanelli Apologizes, Returns To The Fanatic

“Although he began the apology by highlighting “the temper of people of my culture,” Missanelli quickly pointed out his DNA is no excuse for the incident.”

Brandon Contes

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After nearly two weeks off, Mike Missanelli was back on-air for 97.5 The Fanatic Monday afternoon and began the show with an emotional apology. 

The popular radio host had been absent since NBC Sports Philadelphia showed him throwing his headphones and shouting at producer Tyrone Johnson off-mic last month. Missanelli directly addressed the May 26 temper tantrum, which stemmed from an argument over a viral video of a white woman calling police on an African American male for requesting she put her dog on a leash.

“Rightfully, I was excoriated in the public forum and would like to say that I’m ashamed about it,” Missanelli said near the start of his Monday afternoon show. “I suffer sometimes from a thing I like to call Sicilian DNA. It’s a condition where, at times, my temper, and the temper of people of my culture, are triggers for this temper and they get really sensitive and need to be put back in the shop and fixed.”

Although he began the apology by highlighting “the temper of people of my culture,” Missanelli quickly pointed out his DNA is no excuse for the incident. 

“I can’t blame what happened last Tuesday on DNA. This was 100% on me,” Missanelli explained. “My tirade was wrong and embarrassing and would have been considered foolish and immature for an eight-year-old, much less for a grown man like myself.”

The headphone throwing incident was immature, but it also didn’t seem like an action worthy of a two-week absence. We don’t know exactly what Missanelli said off-mic to his colleagues, but The Fanatic afternoon host seemed genuinely upset over the tirade. As he apologized to Tyrone Johnson, Natalie Egenolf and the listeners, Missanelli was on the verge of tears, which you can see thanks to Crossing Broad posting a video of the show’s NBC Sports Philadelphia simulcast. 

“And the worst part is that I hurt people who are close to my heart, so I need to take this time to sincerely apologize to my good friend Tyrone Johnson, who has been more help to me on this show than you can imagine, and also my colleague Natalie Egenolf who was caught in the wake of the verbal diarrhea that I used and should never have been subject to the salty language I used that day,” an emotional Missanelli said. “You guys are both extremely important to me and I would go to the wall for both of you. I’m deeply sorry I put you in such an awkward position. And I also want to apologize to the people who were listening and watching that day and how I made you guys all feel uncomfortable.”

Neither The Fanatic nor Beasley Media ever acknowledged the almost two week long layoff as a suspension. The first day he was off-air following the incident, Missanelli told Crossing Broad’s Kyle Scott he was taking vacation time and The Fanatic afternoon host reiterated that claim during his Monday show. 

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Sports Radio News

Former 670 The Score Host Tommy Williams Has Died

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Photo of Tommy Williams
Courtesy: Lakeshore Public Media

Tommy Williams, who was heard for a decade on 670 The Score, died on Wednesday at the age of 66.

Williams began his broadcasting career in his hometown of Gary, Indiana in 1982 at WLTH before moving on to The Score. In 2003, Williams became the PA Announcer for the Gary Southshore RailCats of the American Association where he had his signature call to get the attention of the fans, “People, People, People.”

A story in The Times of Northwest Indiana said, “The longtime RailCats public address announcer and Lakeshore Public Media sports journalist was known for broadcasting countless games, interviewing countless athletes and covering Region sports at all levels. The Gary native and co-host of “Prep Sports Report,” “Prep Football Report,” and “Lakeshore PBS Scoreboard” often signed off shows saying, “Gary, Indiana, you know I love you.”

“The cadence he had in his voice echoed across the Region in a way we may never see again. He was widely known and widely loved,” Tom Maloney, vice president of radio operations at Lakeshore Public Media told the paper.

“He’d want to be remembered as the voice of Lakeshore sports,” his Regionally Speaking co-host and producer Dee Dotson told The Times. “Most people will remember him for covering prep sports all the way up to semi-pros. He’ll be remembered for treating each of his subjects like they were world champions. His depth of knowledge of sports at all levels is commendable. He was a walking encyclopedia of stats.” 

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Sports Radio News

Compass Media Networks Promotes Three Members to Oversee Play-by-Play Sports Platform

“It is our pleasure to give these three talented executives their day in the sun, knowing that they will continue to work incredibly hard to carry on this tradition of excellence.”

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Logo for Compass Media Networks

Compass Media Networks has announced the promotions of three long-standing executives, Robert Blum, Tyler Brewer, and Chris Kleiber, who will collectively oversee the content creation, production, and distribution of the company’s play-by-play sports platform.

“For over 16 years, Compass Media Networks has set a standard of excellence for national play-by-play sports with Chris, Rob, and Tyler playing a vital part in our success,” said Peter Kosann, CEO/Founder of Compass Media Networks. “It is our pleasure to give these three talented executives their day in the sun, knowing that they will continue to work incredibly hard to carry on this tradition of excellence.”

Robet Blum has been appointed Vice President & General Manager of Sports and will also continue to serve as Vice President of Affiliate Sales for News-Talk and Sports. Tyler Brewer has been appointed Executive Producer – Sports Programming. And Chris Kleiber has been appointed Senior Producer – Sports Programming.

Compass Media Networks broadcasts annually over 100 play-by-play sporting events involving college men’s basketball and football (including the Big Ten Tournament and the Big Ten Championship Game), NFL 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. Sunday Doubleheaders, and complete coverage of the Dallas Cowboys and Las Vegas Raiders. The broadcasts are distributed across hundreds of terrestrial sports, news-talk and music stations as well as digital distribution platforms such as SiriusXM, Verizon Mobile, and the Varsity App.

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Charley Steiner Injured; Tim Neverett to Handle Dodgers Radio Play-by-Play

“This will be the first Opening Day that I will have missed since 1976, when I wore a younger man’s clothes.”

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photo of Charley Steiner
Courtesy: Los Angeles Dodgers

As the Los Angeles Dodgers get set to take on the St. Louis Cardinals in their first home game on Thursday, team play-by-play voice Charley Steiner has revealed he will not be doing games at the beginning of the season due to a severe back injury.

Through the Dodgers, Steiner posted a statement which said, “Over the winter, I landed on the Injured List with three compound fractures in my back. (I don’t recommend it.) With the start of the baseball season upon us, the Dodgers are ready to go – but I’m not. This will be the first Opening Day that I will have missed since 1976, when I wore a younger man’s clothes. I look forward to returning to the mic later this season. In the meantime, go Dodgers!”

TrueBlueLA.com reports Tim Neverett will handle play-by-play duties while Steiner recovers. Neverett called the first two regular season games with Rick Monday as the Dodgers started the season in South Korea. Neverett and Monday did not travel with the team, however, they called those games in a studio back home.

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