With this, we would officially like to nominate Detroit WXYT radio host Mike Valenti for Keith Olberman’s nightly “Worst Person in the World” segment. Why? He felt it was appropriate to read out jokes instant messaged in to his sports talk show, the Sports Inferno, about Corey Smith after the former Lion defensive end was deemed lost at sea.
(From left, Mike Valenti and Sports Inferno co-host Terry Foster.)
According to the DETROIT FREE PRESS, Valenti has acted quickly to apologize for reading out one instant message that cracked a joke about Smith and another about the capsized boat that eventually claimed the lives of Smith, Raiders linebacker Marquis Cooper and former South Florida football player Will Bleakley. Of course, Valenti only apologized after the Lions team president, Tom Lewand raised his disgust about Valenti’s comments on Wednesday.
Here’s Valenti’s official on-the-air apology:
“… (reading the jokes was) a very, very, very stupid decision on my part, probably the dumbest, most reprehensible decision I’ve made in my radio career. I just offer you my sincerest apologies. It was completely ridiculous to put it on the air, and again, it comes to me. The only thing I can promise you, as my listeners: It won’t happen again. Otherwise, I’ll tell you right now, I don’t deserve to be around.”
He’s right, if it happens again he doesn’t deserve to be around. Then again, it’s clear that he’s going to get the chance to make those mistakes again, because WXYT has no plans to further punsh Valenti.
“We fully agree that the comment was absolutely inappropriate,” said Debbie Kenyon, the station’s market manager. Asked whether Valenti would face further discipline, Kenyon said: “I think I’ve said enough. We’ve addressed the issue with Mike the way we feel is best. The on-air apology is pretty big. We don’t do that very often.”
Really? You sure you’ve said enough, considering the fact that one of your lead radio hosts read out a lewd joke about a professional athlete in your city who was tragically lost at sea, slipping away to his own demise in icy water? A small apology covers that? That’s incredible job security. How can we get that during this economic recession?
(This man has incredible job security.)
For what it’s worth, Lewand’s apology seemed much more appropriate in tone, and sincerity, and he doesn’t even work for WXYT; he apoligized because the station is the flagship radio home of the Lions.
“There was some reading of jokes and some incredibly inappropriate comments that were made, and on behalf of our organization, I feel obligated to apologize to the Smith family on behalf of our flagship station,” Lewand said. “It’s not something we’ll condone. It’s not something the Detroit Lions organization wants to be a part of, and I’m hopeful that they’ll take appropriate steps to ensure that it doesn’t happen again.”
Step No. 1: Someone notify Olbermann. We’ve got his “Worst Person in the World” right here.
3:15 pm on March 5th, 2009
What exactly was said?
3:20 pm on March 5th, 2009
But it must have helped the ratings a bit.
3:30 pm on March 5th, 2009
what a jackass
3:41 pm on March 5th, 2009
he's a jim rome want ta be without Jim's class or professionalism. Try's to pretend he's a New York mobster yet he comes from Albany and attended MSU (nice journalism dept.)
3:45 pm on March 5th, 2009
I think your next article should be on common sense and education for football players. Maybe if there were a combination of both, “accidents” like this wouldn’t occur.
4:02 pm on March 5th, 2009
There's nothing about a tragedy that radio jocks can't find comedy about it.
5:04 pm on March 5th, 2009
Bah .. To get to the worst person in the world you first have to go thru about 10,000 bankers.
5:13 pm on March 5th, 2009
Kudos to Brooks on not printing what was said.
6:03 pm on March 5th, 2009
Amazing - just over a month ago an entire Detroit sports station (WDFN) was wiped out because of cutbacks, yet Valenti gets to keep his job. Whether or not you were a fan of the station, DFN would have handled Corey Smith's story with class and dignity.
12:44 am on March 6th, 2009
I listen to Valenti and Foster almost daily and Mike Valenti is nothing but classy when on air. Plus all he did was read an un-funny joke that was written by a dumb reader. He was just a middleman. If he didnt read it terry foster would have read it.
12:46 am on March 6th, 2009
and in case you were wondering the joke, i dont know exactly but it had something to do with how a 250 lb football player weighted 300 after he swallowed water or something.
12:48 am on March 6th, 2009
I am really sick of SBB.com making fun of the city of Detroit. What do you have on Detroit Brooks?
1:34 am on March 6th, 2009
90% of all sports radio talk hosts are either d-bags, hacks or wannabes. What comes out of their mouths has no more bearing on society than a bear fart in the woods.
11:12 am on March 6th, 2009
So what was the joke? How can we appreciate the joke.
9:36 am on March 7th, 2009
Lame e-mail jokes about dead players read on-air…This is the kind of crap I have to listen to all day on DFN. 24 hours of Detroit sports has got to be very difficult to come up with anything worthy for all the talking heads at DFN but jokes about dead people???
12:42 am on December 23rd, 2011
the joke is that this radio station is still on the air. i know actual radio personalities. this station doesn’t have personalities, all they do is answer the phone to have some dingbat tell you what he thought about a game he didn’t watch.