ESPN’s Bomani Jones has never been shy about calling out ignorant or just plain lazy commentary. On Wednesday, he pointed to Baltimore’s newest offensive lineman and said that if he can’t be more creative in his criticism of former teammates, he may just be the next big thing in talk radio in the Steel City.
During a virtual media sessios, Alejandro Villanueva said that he thought it would be more fun to block in Baltimore, where the team relies on a more run-centered offense.
“I’m assuming it’s not as fun for the wide receivers,” he said. “They’re not making the catches. They’re making the TikToks and they’re having fun on their social media.”
The line was a not-so-subtle shot at former teammate Juju Smith-Schuster, who made news by posting videos of himself dancing on opponents’ midfield logos before away games.
Jones said the commentary was lazy and well-worn territory.
At least one Pittsburgh radio personality strongly disagreed. Mark Madden called Bomani Jones “a less talented, less paid version of Jemele Hill” during his afternoon show on 105.9 the X. He added that he has muted Jones on Twitter.
Plenty of listeners pointed out to Madden that Jones has a history of Alejandro Villanueva. When the entire NFL took a knee in protest of then-President Donald Trump calling players that kneel during the anthem “sons of bitches,” the Steelers elected to stay in the locker room during the anthem. Villanueva, who served in the Army Rangers and played football at West Point said the anthem meant too much to him to miss it. He chose to stand in the tunnel, where he could be seen by television cameras.
Bomani Jones criticized the move as rehearsed and whether intentional or not, an excuse for fans to shame Villanueva’s teammates.
Bomani knows about bad radio, he had the least successful national radio show in ESPN’s history, then he somehow landed a TV show called high noon, which also got terrible ratings and got cancelled. Maybe he should sit this one out.
Bomani Jones calling out lazy takes? Has that fraud looked in the mirror?
Nobody has fallen upward more than Bomani.