Montana State radio broadcaster Mark Martello will no longer be calling the school’s basketball games. In a game last week, when MSU was playing Portland State, Martello
did not like a non-call by the refs and said this…
Martello said, “Portland’s like Antifa after a riot. They might go to jail, but they get out right away. They can get away with it.” He quickly apologized and continued to call the game.
The school sent out the following press release: “Bobcat football and men’s basketball voice Zach Mackey will be behind the mic for tonight’s MSU women’s basketball game against the Lady Griz. He replaces Mark Martello, who has been removed from Montana State’s radio broadcast team. This decision was made by MSU Athletics’ longtime multimedia rightsholder, LEARFIELD’s Bobcat Sports Properties. For the remainder of the 2022 season, play-by-play responsibilities for women’s basketball will be handled by Tom Schulz, Montana State’s Director of Athletic Communications for Women’s Basketball.”
The most outstanding feature of the radio, TV, or computer is the OFF switch. Firing that announcer for his reference to a dangerous, anarchist group is ridiculous. Reinstate the man.
Wonder why radio programming is circling the drain? CLICK!
WTF? Every word he said was true. This partisan censorship would make Stalin blush.
Montana State University has become no different than 90%+ of our colleges and universities: An intolerant, “woke” bastion of LACK of free speech and debate. So, this outcome is no surprise, at all, anymore.
Things are so bad, I don’t even recognize my own university alma mater any longer, as it has taken the same hard-left route. I will not financially or otherwise support an “educational” institution that stifles speech or thought that its elites simply don’t agree with.
Time and place. Play by play announcers are not hired to give political opinion and commentary. Most sportstalk show hosts make a point to as much as possible to avoid giving political opinions on their shows but given how politics are intertwined with sports sometimes mixing sports and politics are unavoidable. That’s not the case with a sports play by play announcer. Many radio programs have a disclaimer of “the comments on the following program are those of the speaker and do not reflect the views of the station or its ownership and management.” Sports broadcasts start with the disclaimer that the announcers are selected by the university and primary sponsors, i.e. Learfield. If Martello wants to give political commentary he should go to the local talk radio station.
Artificial wall you’re erecting.
But wouldn’t his audience agree? You’re either trying to engage the passion and interest of your audience, or you’re running scared from the politically elite… or ANTIFA?!