Sports radio legend Tony Bruno is at war with Deadspin after the site published a piece on Wednesday with the headline “‘NBA Players Can’t Read’ Proclaims Idiot on Radio”. Bruno went off on Thursday night during his show on Sports Map Radio, mixing an explanation with a few insults for Deadspin and writer Thomas LaForgia.
“I was surprised that Deadspin is still a thing because I thought they went out of business,” Bruno said. “I don’t care what they do, but when you’re gonna come after me with some slipshod hack writer, who’s not even a journalist, who’s only job is to go and do hit pieces on people, I’m not going to have someone try to ruin my life and my reputation. They are incompetent and they are criminals.”
Bruno, who pulls double duty for both Sports Map Radio and SiriusXM, is emphatic that Deadspin’s headline misrepresents what he actually said. In a rant about NBA players boycotting games on Wednesday, Bruno went in on LeBron James and the league at large. After a break, he can be heard saying “most of these guys can’t even read, for god’s sake.”
All of this happened on SiriusXM’s Dan Patrick Radio. The channel did not have Bruno on air on Thursday.
Robin Austin, Bruno’s executive producer, noted the comments that Deadspin referenced were part of a commentary that started before the end of the previous segment. In context, it is clear that Bruno was being flippant and not as malicious as Deadspin portrays. She also said that she and Bruno had spoken with the show’s lawyer.
“I will do everything in my power to make sure Deadspin is taken care of and brought to justice,” Bruno added.
It doesn’t seem that Bruno disagrees with the gist of how Deadspin described the segment. He takes issue with LaForgia and his editors putting the phrase “NBA Players Can’t Read” in quotation marks in the headline, making it appear as if that is an exact quote from Bruno.
“Maybe this schmuck doesn’t know what quotation marks mean. Quotation marks mean it is what somebody said. You put that as your headline, of course that’s going to get people to come on and read the story,” Bruno shouted, calling Deadspin a “clickbait, dirtbag site”.
If Bruno or his lawyers have reached out directly to Deadspin is unknown. As of Friday morning, LaForgia’s column is still online.
Is everybody taking crazy pills? Tony Bruno is great! Any person familiar with his work knows his irreverent style, rambling wit and extraordinary knowledge. Perhaps a disclaimer was required. Sensitive people, self important monitors of media looking to get their feelings hurt…don’t listen. Sports is a fun escape, Tony is among the best and doesn’t pull punches. Shame SiriusXM…
He’s a clown. I’m against cancel culture- but very few people will miss him. He used to be better, but turned into a bitter old man.