Sports talk-shot host punches his boss, boss resigns

Of course, the host was fired, but it sounds like he got in a good one.


Radio station boss resigns after workplace fight

ST. LOUIS (AP) — A fist fight at a St. Louis radio station has led to the resignation of the sports-talk station's president.

Grand Slam Sports president Don Marshall was hospitalized last week after a fight with KFNS-AM morning host Brian McKenna, who was arrested by police but has not been charged with a crime as city prosecutors continue to review the case.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch (bit.ly/1nBwfkH ) reports that Marshall resigned on Thursday as the company's president and managing partner. Grand Slam Sports owns two local AM stations.

The fight came after a talk-show host at KXFN-AM, the company's other station, criticized McKenna, who was fired after the workplace confrontation.

 

I didn't realize hot air could throw punches.

This is another reason why I refuse to listen to any sports talk. People think you have to pick a side and argue relentlessly for your point of view. Everything is politicized. I really don't care if it makes a difference whether LeBron wears a headband or not, nor do I want to argue with someone about. And I don't need callers from my readers that think of the sports reporting in the my paper as nothing but talk show fodder.

This was probably a manufactured fued between radio hosts for ratings (I've heard firsthand from a program manger at a one of the nation's largest AM talkers that stations do this). And then the feud turns real after the one bozo throws low punches about cancer and race. Then you're left with one guy with severe injuries and another behind bars. I hope it was worth it to prove to a listening audience that you are THE BEST host in St. Louis.

 

As soon as I saw the dateline, felt certain Kevin Slaten was involved.

 

Oh, my.

And that doesn't remind you of anyplace else you might frequent?

 

It has been quite some time since I was last able to listen but when I lived in the Midwest, the all-sports radio stations in St. Louis absolutely sucked. For a market its size, major suck.

Just a guess, but the best sports-talk host is probably employed by KMOX.

 

+1

Once I saw the headline, then I saw "St. Louis", I was 99.4% certain that Slaten was in another brawl.

 

Could be wrong, but wasn't it Slaten who duked it out with a player between the benches when he was the St. Louis Steamers' public address announcer?

 

Whenever Kevin Slaten was at the Checkerdome/Arena, there was a tension in the air...

In 1981, he got into it with another player or a ref - one of the two. In 1992, after a Blues game, Slaten got into a brawl in the parking lot with somebody.

He has been hired and fired from pretty much every TV and AM radio station in the market -- plus a few FM stations too.

 

Like others have said, for a sports town that has so much to talk about, and such a powerful engine in KMOX there that can deliver it, it is damn embarrassing how bad the sports talk radio scene is there.

You either have lapdogs who won't have a harsh word said on their shows about the local teams, or the Slaten types who think they are the story, not the teams and athletes they should be talking about. Nothing in the middle, and nothing memorable or quality about any of them.