Save THE MARK MADDEN SHOW!
Mark Madden, former WCW announcer and Pittsburgh radio personality for the past ten+ years, has been removed from the highest rated sports talk radio show, THE MARK MADDEN SHOW. This blog has been created to show support for Mr. Madden and provide information about the injustices of ESPN and Pittsburgh News Writers.
Background
Last Thursday, Mr. Madden made a comment about Senator Ted Kennedy, who was recently diagnosed with a brain tumor. Mr. Madden, acting as his usual crass self, said, "I'm very disappointed to hear that Senator Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts is near death because of a brain tumor. I always hoped Senator Kennedy would live long enough to be assassinated. I wonder if he got a card from the Kopechnes." Mr. Madden later apologized on the show. Pittsburgh Post Gazette Sports Writer and classic old man Pirates lover, Bob Smizik, had an article in the Friday edition that went over Mr. Madden's "Outrageous" comments and called for the station to fire him. Thanks to Bob's article, the station suspended Mr. Madden on Monday, and then removed him from the air permanently on Tuesday because of the comment.
The fact is, Smizik used his column in the Post-Gazette to fuel the fire in his personal vendetta against Mr. Madden. Anybody who listens to Mr. Madden's show on a daily basis knows that since the begining of his show in Pittsburgh, Mr. Madden has brought the character of a wrestling superstar to the Pittsburgh airwaves. His character has not only made him #1 in Pittsburgh time and time again, but he's used it to question the greatness of some Pittsburgh sports legends that no one else has the guts to question, such as Willie Stargell, Myron Cope, Franco Harris, Jerome Bettis, and most recently, 'Whines Hard' (Hines Ward). If you listen to the show (which it's obvious that the people who are upset about the comment don't) you know that Mr. Madden thrives on these off-color comments. This most recent comment about Ted Kennedy is not only a comment that his faithful listeners would rarely take exception to, but is no worse than some other comments by radio shock jocks on the day of this announcement. For example, talk show host Michael Savage dedicated the majority of his show to it by calling Senator Kennedy senile, conducting an in-depth interview and discussion about the death of Mary Jo Kopechne, and playing songs by the "Dead Kennedys".
The fact is, Smizik used his column in the Post-Gazette to fuel the fire in his personal vendetta against Mr. Madden. Anybody who listens to Mr. Madden's show on a daily basis knows that since the begining of his show in Pittsburgh, Mr. Madden has brought the character of a wrestling superstar to the Pittsburgh airwaves. His character has not only made him #1 in Pittsburgh time and time again, but he's used it to question the greatness of some Pittsburgh sports legends that no one else has the guts to question, such as Willie Stargell, Myron Cope, Franco Harris, Jerome Bettis, and most recently, 'Whines Hard' (Hines Ward). If you listen to the show (which it's obvious that the people who are upset about the comment don't) you know that Mr. Madden thrives on these off-color comments. This most recent comment about Ted Kennedy is not only a comment that his faithful listeners would rarely take exception to, but is no worse than some other comments by radio shock jocks on the day of this announcement. For example, talk show host Michael Savage dedicated the majority of his show to it by calling Senator Kennedy senile, conducting an in-depth interview and discussion about the death of Mary Jo Kopechne, and playing songs by the "Dead Kennedys".
Tell ESPN to bring Mark Back!
Pittsburgh is about to lose the only sports radio host/broadcaster/writer that will speak his own mind. The true "voice of the new generation of sports talk radio listeners," Mr. Madden is the only one who sets the facts straight about the Steelers and Pens. He also knows that the less he goes over the Pirates, the more his listeners stay tuned in, unlike the columnists for the PG and Trib who are in the back pocket of the Pirates' owners.
I call on all the fans to email the ESPN Radio brass and tell them to bring back Mark Madden to the Pittsburgh airwaves. Better yet, email the other stations in Pittsburgh to hire Madden. FM Talk 104.7, who is Pittsburgh's home of Michael Savage, would love to have the additional controversy and ratings on the FM dial for the evening rush hour time slot.
Feel free to leave your comments to express other ways that we can get our fix of Mark Madden in Pittsburgh!
I call on all the fans to email the ESPN Radio brass and tell them to bring back Mark Madden to the Pittsburgh airwaves. Better yet, email the other stations in Pittsburgh to hire Madden. FM Talk 104.7, who is Pittsburgh's home of Michael Savage, would love to have the additional controversy and ratings on the FM dial for the evening rush hour time slot.
Feel free to leave your comments to express other ways that we can get our fix of Mark Madden in Pittsburgh!
12 comments:
Sir,
I found your hyperlink from the Mondesi's House webpage. Ever since I moved to Florida, tuning into Mr. Madden in the afternoons on the "Internets" has helped me every time I feel homesick. I am encouraging all of my friends to contact ESPN Radio and voice their displeasure at the ousting of Mr. 8.7.
SO FREAKING TRUE!
I LOVE THIS GUY. He is a nut sometimes, but always fun to here, and one of the only guys on radio who actually knows and gives a damn about the Pens.
Bring him back.
Dear Bob Smizik,
Congrats on getting Madden fired.
You are a knob.
And I hope you get into a car with Ted Kennedy on any given bridge in Pittsburgh....soon.
1250ESPN is in big trouble. The guys that attempted to replace Mr. Madden yesterday (Mack and Crow) were about as exciting to listen to as water dripping. Say goodbye to your audience and your ad revenues. Madden made sarcastic comments every day -- why such an outrage over this one? Smizik is an idiot, and he will hopefully get his one day.
No disrepect to Ellis Cannon, but the Super Genius would sound pretty good in the 6-8 spoy on FM 104.7. As a matter of fact I say get rid of Hannity's last hour and put Mark on 5-8.
You want to save Madden, how about buying him a copy of the South Beach Diet and a lifetime supply of Lipitor!
Good riddance to this cowardly bully!
Im going to miss the best Pens talk in the city. Now we all will have to hear boring Steelers talk 365 days a year cause that's what yinz like. Hopefully he's back on the air soon dominating the ratings. WOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
The WEAE website posted the comment below for a direct contact to the station GM.
If you would like to talk to Mike Thompson, GM of 1250 ESPN, you can call him at 412-244-4549.
Mark, Big Fan, Big Fan. Heres hoping that you get on a real station. Those of you out there who think that Mack and Crow are bad, try listening to my local ESPN down here in Norfolk VA. It's Terrible, Terrible, Horrible. Bring Back Mr. 8.7! I would like his take on the series. Go Pens............
ESPN Radio still hasn't sufficiently filled the slot vacated by Mr. 8.7. They suck for letting him go.
So what's next for MF'ers and fans of Mr. Friday Afternoon?
www.MrFridayAfternoon.com
havent listened since day after!!! called Thompson, said it was a last straw deal, ESPN looking to fire their most successful "pgh" personality for a while. But why, we all (MF'ers) got MM's style,what do think made him such a ratings grabber...Damn this sucks...G'luck Mark, hope to hear u again real soon...JP
Why the hell The X ever hired this asshole, I will never understand He IS NOT funny or even smart, but a misogynistic, short, fat, balding man with an ego(and IQ) the size of his XXXXXL waist. Like the writer from ESPN noted when they kicked his sorry ass to the curb, "he needs to be controversial to have any listeners". Letting Alan Cox go was their first mistake and hiring this idiot probably their last since noone listens to hear him, just the hockey games and any OTHER dj. Bring it Marky, I ain't afraid of no poof!
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