Last night during the Yankees-Astros playoff game, Atlanta sports radio personality Mike Bell took exception with ESPN for utilizing female baseball analyst Jessica Mendoza on the broadcast. Bell complained on Twitter about Mendoza being in a high profile position, and referred to her as “Tits McGee”, a reference from the Will Ferrell movie “Anchorman”.
It didn’t take long for the comment to spread like wildfire on social media, and Bell eventually deleted the tweet and apologized, after arguing with people for a lengthy period of time.
Now his poor judgment has led to further problems, as his employer 92.9 The Game in Atlanta, has made the decision to suspend him.
According to a source, Bell’s shift today is being covered by John Michaels, and he pre-taped a segment apologizing for his comments. Bell said “I didn’t get it, but I get it now. There is no place for that kind of stuff on my show. I will be more mindful. I hope I can be a better talk show host and better person. This has been an eye-opening experience.”
Program Director Terry Foxx has yet to comment on the length of the suspension. Once details emerge we will pass them along.
Jason Barrett is the President and Founder of Barrett Media since the company was created in September 2015. Prior to its arrival, JB served as a sports radio programmer, launching brands such as 95.7 The Game in San Francisco, and 101 ESPN in St. Louis. He also spent time programming SportsTalk 950 in Philadelphia, 590 The Fan KFNS in St. Louis, and ESPN 1340/1390 in Poughkeepsie, NY. Jason also worked on-air and behind the scenes in local radio at 101.5 WPDH, WTBQ 1110AM, and WPYX 106.5. He also spent two years on the national stage, producing radio shows for ESPN Radio in Bristol, CT. Among them included the Dan Patrick Show, and GameNight.
You can find JB on Twitter @SportsRadioPD. He’s also reachable by email at Jason@BarrettMedia.com.
