Damon Amendolara is exiting morning drive at SiriusXM’s Mad Dog Sports Radio. Amendolara announced he’s departing the D.A. & Babchik program effective immediately after three years in morning drive with Mike Babchik.
What We Know: Amendolara joined SiriusXM in 2023, teaming with Mike Babchik on the network’s morning drive show. He will continue to host The SiriusXM NFL Tailgate Show on NFL Radio ahead of Sunday’s games. Amendolara signed a one-year extension last November. It is expected that SiriusXM Mad Dog Sports Radio will make an announcement regarding a new morning show on Monday afternoon. A new lineup expected to launch after Labor Day.
Before joining SiriusXM, Amendolara has been a leading voice in sports radio since 2017. He hosted The D.A. Show on the CBS Sports Radio Network, which reached an audience across 150 North American radio stations. Amendolara also has spent stints in several local markets and contributions to networks such as NFL Network, MLB Network, NFL Films, SNY, and NBC Sports Boston. He also served as the sideline reporter for Major League Soccer telecasts of the New England Revolution.
What They Said: Damon Amendolara (via SiriusXM Radio): “There are changes coming to Mad Dog Sports Radio. Unfortunately, I will not be part of the channel after those changes. Those changes will be in effect, I believe, after Labor Day. A full scope of what the changes are going to be announced by Doggy [Chris Russo] I think on Monday. So you’ll have to wait the weekend to see. I’ll have to wait the weekend to see. But I will no longer be part of the morning show here on Mad Dog Sports Radio.”
Damon Amendolara (via SiriusXM Radio): “Do not feel bad for me. I have lived an incredibly charmed life. I’ve been on both sides of this equation. I have replaced others. I’ve been part of new shows. I’ve had an incredible run of good fortune over 25 years in the business. So everything’s going to be fine. It always is.”
Damon Amendolara (via SiriusXM Radio): “I’m still part of NFL Radio on SiriusXM Channel 88. So Sunday mornings, I’ll see you throughout the football season, I’m super excited about that. As it unfolds in life, you kind of just have to have patience, and we’ll see. There’s nothing set yet. I don’t have a Monday through Friday. So, DMs are open. You can always contact me because I’m always looking for the next thing.”
Damon Amendolara (via SiriusXM Radio): “I’m not worried, and I’m not sad, and I’m not angry or frustrated. I am eternally fortunate and lucky, and it’ll continue to be just nothing but gratitude for this channel. Specifically all these great people that I got to work with.”
What Remains Unclear: SiriusXM has not named a replacement host for the morning slot yet. Additionally, it’s unclear whether Amendolara will remain in sports radio elsewhere. Currently, Amendolara hosts a number of programs on his YouTube channel which currently has over 19,000 subscribers.
What It Means: The departure ends a three-year run filled with a lot of positives. Amendolara brought over two decades of local and national sports radio experience when he joined SiriusXM in 2023. He followed the departure of Evan Cohen to ESPN Radio. While there is still questions yet to be answered on where both Amendolara and SiriusXM go from here, Babchik’s future on the show remains a storyline worth watching.
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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.