October 7, 2012; New Orleans, LA, USA; A statue titled Rebirth featuring the likeness of former New Orleans Saints safety Steve Gleason blocking a punt by former Atlanta Falcons punter Michael Koenen on September 25, 2006 as seen outside before a game against the San Diego Chargers at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

In the dead of the offseason the New Orleans Saints have suddenly been the subject of many headlines after an Atlanta radio station took unethical shots at former Saints player Steve Gleason.

Today we’ll deal with that matter in full here, but be sure to check out the rest of the website for more coverage on the matter.

NOLA.com Reports Shock Jocks Have Apologized for Jokes

Per Katherine Terrell:

The three co-hosts of Atlanta sports radio show “Mayhem in the AM,” have apologized on social media hours after they were fired for a segment mocking former New Orleans Saint Steve Gleason. The contracts of Nick Cellini, Steak Shapiro and Chris Dimino were terminated by WQXI-AM “790 The Zone,” following the gag, which ignited an outcry on social media Monday afternoon.

 

Gleason Served as a Guest Columnist for Peter King’s MMQB Monday

Per ESPN’s Pat Yasinskas:

Former New Orleans Saints special teams star Steve Gleason guest-writes for Peter King and his MMQB column. With humor and wit, Gleason writes on topics including the connection between football and brain disease, and the technology that enables him to write a 4,500-word column. Also, Alex Restrepo of NewOrleansSaints.com writes a column on Gleason and his family. “Every day is an adventure of discovery,” said Steve through email.

 

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October 7, 2012; New Orleans, LA, USA; Former New Orleans Saints defensive back Steve Gleason prior to kickoff of a game against the San Diego Chargers at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

I was absolutely disgusted to hear that 790 the Zone in Atlanta had the guile to make fun of former New Orleans Saint Steve Gleason because he is suffering from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The criticism was immediate from listeners in Atlanta, New Orleans, and even from the Atlanta Falcons.

Let me be clear. My disgust is not simply because Gleason is suffering from the harmful effects of ALS such as loss of speech and motor movements. It’s because despite this, he is still making a difference in the world and changing lives despite the fact that he cannot change his own.

If you are a true fan of football then you probably know Steve Gleason was never a starter for the Saints. According to ESPN, he recorded 66 tackles, four blocked punts, and two fumble recoveries in his eight-year career with the team.

Those stats aren’t very impressive, but one catch; one tackle; or in this case, one blocked punt can be all the difference in the world.

Hurricane Katrina had all but destroyed life in the Big Easy and the Louisiana Superdome. People had lost their homes, their loved ones, their hope, and many thought they had lost they might lose the New Orleans Saints.

When the Superdome re-opened and Gleason blocked that kick it shocked life back into the city. New Orleans had a reason to smile and dance again. Gleason gave them back their hope.

When Gleason was diagnosed with ALS in 2011, he was told that most people live about two to five years post diagnosis. He has since used the disease  to help give the very same hope he gave back to New Orleans to others.

Team Gleason is committed to helping those suffer with ALS live productive and purpose-driven lives, increase the awareness of ALS in the public, and begin a conversation about ALS that results in finding solutions and a cure for the disease.

Gleason sometimes wondered if football had anything to do with his ALS. Current research does show that football players are more likely to have certain brain diseases. If football did cause it, Gleason figures he gave his life to help a city rebuild and to give hope to others suffering with a debilitating disease. For Gleason, that is nothing to regret.

December 16, 2012; New Orleans, LA, USA; Former New Orleans Saints player Steve Gleason who suffers from ALS with his son Rivers Gleason prior to kickoff of a game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

790 The Zone, a sports radio station based in Atlanta, has a morning segment correctly titled Mayhem in the A.M. that made headlines Monday for unethical jokes targeted at former New Orleans Saints player Steve Gleason.

We’ll skimp on the contents of the joke, but ProFootballTalk has obtained the audio if you are curious enough to know why the internet was in an uproar yesterday and the three hosts of the skit were fired hours afterward.

As you are likely already aware thanks to his outstanding work on the subject, Gleason suffers from ALS and has dedicated his life after football to finding a cure and combating the disease in any way possible. He is widely admired not only in the NFL community, but around the globe as an ambassador on the issue.

The Atlanta Falcons even came to Gleason’s aid and released an official statement on the matter, divulging into what a serious issue ALS is (via ProFootballTalk):

“The Falcons are disappointed in the comments made about former Saints player Steve Gleason on a local Atlanta radio station Monday morning,” the team’s statement said. “The content concerning Mr. Gleason was completely inappropriate and is not representative of the views of the Falcons organization, nor does it represent the way we conduct our business on and off the field. To single out Steve the way he was this morning is totally lacking in taste and discretion.”

According to  Katherine Terrell of NOLA.com, the hosts responsible for the crude jokes have since apologized. Knowing how kindhearted Gleason has proven to be in all walks of life, he’ll probably accept the apology as no big deal.

That doesn’t me we can, or will.

The jokes were clearly in bad taste and it’s an unacceptable topic to joke about, even if was not intended to be malicious. There’s throwing jabs at a rival market or team, and there’s this, which is the pinnacle of unethical behavior in both a normal and journalistic sense (not that we consider shock jocks to be journalists in any sense of the word).

The fight rages on for Gleason and we’ll be with him every step of the way. This is but a minor bump in the road, albeit one that managed to draw the ire of the nation.

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