Anyone who has cracked open a live microphone to an audience of any size understands the feeling it provides. People are waiting to hear what defines your unique personality. What makes you different. What makes you someone they can connect with through a shared experience. In today’s era, authenticity wins. Fake or contrived no longer leads to lasting appeal. The challenge for talent is deciding how authentic to be and how much of yourself you’re willing to share with the audience. Long ago, Jason Myrtetus made a promise not just to himself, but to every audience that listened when he opened the microphone.
“I’ve never been one of those kids that always wanted to get into radio. It was never on my radar. It happened by accident. When I moved into spoken word from rock radio, if I was going to have an tenure of a career or success, it had to be through being authentic and real,” explained Myrtetus. “I couldn’t go on and play a character that wasn’t genuine. I vowed early in my career that I would be authentic to I am as a person, and I would be transparent about my life.”
For more than 25 years, that promise has remained constant. It created a window that allowed listeners to understand who he was while giving them an opportunity to connect with him on a deeper level.
In December 2024, that approach led to a journey no one saw coming.
After nearly 18 months of difficult health symptoms with no answers, a trip to the emergency room changed Myrtetus’ life forever.
“It was that trip to the ER where I had to come clean with my wife, myself, and I started to be a bit transparent that something was off with doing the daily Flyers podcast I was doing,” said Myrtetus.
A Unexpected Journey
That ER visit was followed by a colonoscopy that found a cancerous tumor in his colon. The diagnosis stunned Myrtetus because it meant facing a road he never anticipated. However, he faced an important decision. How authentic would he be about his fight with cancer for the devoted audience he had built?
“I looked back and thought I’ve always been authentic. Maybe I could turn this into something good,” noted Myrtetus. “Maybe I can get people to not do what I did and ignore it, or be afraid of a colonoscopy like I did. Give this awful disease a good purpose. Knowing that I could help people prevent it, or lend someone dealing with it some support and letting them know they’re not alone.”
When he was diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer, Myrtetus immediately shifted into fight-or-flight mode. His treatment included 10 months of chemotherapy and radiation followed by surgery to remove the cancerous tumor from his colon. That process involved 16 chemotherapy treatments, followed by a month off. He then underwent 28 oral chemotherapy and radiation treatments, with scans and tests in between.
Thankfully, that process brought Myrtetus to NED (no evidence of disease), allowing him to avoid surgery to remove part of his colon at that point. While he initially preferred not to undergo the procedure, a recurrence months later ultimately made surgery unavoidable.
Following months of difficult and painful recovery, Myrtetus said he felt better than he had in years. He continued regular follow-up appointments that included blood work and CT scans of his chest. However, earlier this year, his CEA (carcinoembryonic antigen) levels increased, and a CT scan revealed several lung nodules had grown in size.
“With the rising CEA number, we waited six weeks to have another CT scan on July 10 with blood work and a meeting with my oncologist. The nodules continued to grow, but my CEA level went from 47 to 858,” explained Myrtetus. “That was confirmation that I’m now at stage four of colorectal cancer metastatic to the lungs with a prognosis of six months to two years.”
A New Battle
The news was devastating, but Myrtetus refused to let it define his day. Shortly after receiving the diagnosis, he still had a podcast to record: The Eagles Squad Show with Harry Mayes, Marc Farzetta and Louie DiBiase.
“I told them right away about what I had just heard prior to air. There was an audible gasp. It was emotional. Show starts at noon, and I was ready to do the show. They asked why I wanted to do the show. Why wouldn’t I do the show,” explained Myrtetus. “I love doing what I do for a living. I feel good. So, why would I let this take anything away from me.”
The Eagles Squad Show went on as scheduled, but Myrtetus wasn’t ready to publicly share his latest prognosis. Instead, he spent two weeks processing the news with his wife and three children. He also sought professional therapy and leaned on a trusted group of supporters who had helped him through the first stage of his cancer journey.
“I’ve come to terms with my mortality through all of this. But when you hear six months to two years, it’s tough,” said Myrtetus. “I had to process everything to deliver a message to the audience in a way where I could use the right words and get through it.”
Last Tuesday, Myrtetus revealed his prognosis on the Flyers Daily podcast.
“When I got to the day, I was supposed to have an interview taped for Wednesday’s episode of the podcast. It fell through because of scheduling. So, I decided to do it here,” noted Myrtetus. “I didn’t plan it or write anything down. I just opened up the microphone and spoke from my heart.”
Earning The Next Shift
Myrtetus leans on his life as an athlete in approaching this battle. He played hockey from age 4 until 50 and coached the sport for two decades, including many years with his son’s youth hockey team. Hockey shaped the foundation of how he approaches life.
The sport teaches that no shift on the ice is given; every shift is earned. Winning doesn’t always happen, but learning from defeat is essential to future success. Myrtetus won plenty during his playing career, but the lessons from losing have become the fuel for his fight against cancer.
“As an athlete, I liked winning. Winning is very fleeting to me. It’s only good for a moment. Losing is a visceral reaction, and I don’t like losing,” said Myrtetus. “I’m not afraid to die, we all do it. What keeps me fighting is my kids. I’m probably never going to be a grandfather. I never knew either of mine. I want to grow old with my wife. That was a promise I can’t keep. The biggest fear for me is I don’t want to leave them.”
Support for Myrtetus has been overwhelming since he first shared his diagnosis. From that initial announcement to revealing his latest prognosis, he believes the encouragement he’s received has reinforced his decision to remain authentic and use his journey to help others.
“The responses I’ve received, it’s humbling. In our divided world today, especially on social media. This entire journey has renewed my faith in humanity. There are still a lot of really good people out there,” said Myrtetus. “They give me strength like you wouldn’t believe. It’s important. I gave this a purpose, and I feel I’m helping people and they’re helping me.”
As he enters this next stage of his battle, Myrtetus has no plans to change his outlook. He intends to fight for every second of life he can earn while living in the present and appreciating that tomorrow is never guaranteed. He joked that he now enjoys moving slower than a snail, embracing every moment and savoring every experience life has to offer.
Supporting The Battle
More than 25 years ago, Jason Myrtetus made a simple promise to himself. If he was going to sit behind a microphone, he would never pretend to be someone he wasn’t. He would be honest, transparent, and real.
Today, that promise means more than it ever has.
Every podcast, every radio appearance and every conversation is no longer just about hockey. It’s about showing up, embracing each day and reminding people that even in life’s darkest moments, authenticity can create connection, purpose and hope.
The audience that once tuned in for Flyers analysis now returns for something even more meaningful: to stand beside a broadcaster who refuses to stop living while he’s still here.
“Live every day because nothing is a guarantee,” noted Myrtetus. “Don’t ask how you can help, just help. Hubris has pride, and it’s hard to ask for help. Just be a good citizen, and be good to people. Understand there’s a lot of people fighting, it’s affecting a lot of people. Be there for them.”
Myrtetus can’t control what tomorrow brings. None of us can. But every time he opens the microphone, he continues to keep the promise he made all those years ago. In doing so, he’s proving that the most powerful voice in broadcasting isn’t always the loudest. Sometimes, it’s simply the most honest.
If you would like to support Jason Myrtetus’ and his family, any donation is welcome via this GoFundMe page.
To schedule a colonoscopy in your area, click here. For more information on Hockey Fights Cancer, click here.
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John Mamola is Barrett Media’s sports editor and daily sports columnist. He brings over two decades of experience (Chicago, Tampa/St Petersburg) in the broadcast industry with expertise in brand management, sales, promotions, producing, imaging, hosting, talent coaching, talent development, web development, social media strategy and design, video production, creative writing, partnership building, communication/networking with a long track record of growth and success. He is a five-time recognized top 20 program director in a major market via Barrett Medi’s Top 20 series and has been honored internally multiple times as station/brand of the year (Tampa, FL) and employee of the month (Tampa, FL) by iHeartMedia. Connect with John by email at John@BarrettMedia.com.