Remember Rob Parker? No? That’s OK, most people don’t. Well he’s the idiot who asked Detroit Lions coach Rod Marinelli if he wished his daughter had married a better defensive coordinator. Parker was the punching bag and laughing stock of everyone for a few days, until he finally resigned from the Detroit News.

Now, the sports media capital of eastern Michigan is back at it again, this time with some pathetic attempt at radio.

Mike Valenti of the brilliantly named “Valenti & Foster Show,” thought it would be a good idea to read some jokes mocking the boating tragedy involving former Lion Corey Smith. On the Lions flagship station. Well done, Mr. Valenti — you’re the reason that today’s sports radio has the reputation that it has.

Honestly, what kind of asshole thinks it’s appropriate to read e-mails or instant messages, take phone calls, or simply opine about the disappearance or death of a local athlete with humor?

He can apologize all he wants for “making a bad decision” or “using poor judgment” or whatever the hell cliche he wants to use, but the simple answer to this is that this is a man who made a decision so bad that he should be currently unemployed.

From the article:

Valenti: “These (e-mail) feedbacks are coming in again.”

Foster: “What’s up? Lay it on me, baby.”

Valenti: “I really don’t even want to read this one.”

Foster: “Yes, you do because you’re … ”

Valenti: “No, but this one is … all right, I’m going to read this but if you’re sensitive to inappropriate stuff you should probably turn the channel …”

And then Valenti told a joke about Smith being lost at sea and concluded by saying “From (listener) in Farmington Hills, thank you for that.”

A short time later, they read another e-mail, making fun of a cap-sized boat.

You know what? If you’re smart enough to warn your listeners of the impending inappropriate-ness, you’re smart enough to stop talking and read something else. There is no excuse and in a situation like this, there should be no second chance.

I was on the air the day that Pat Tillman died in Phoenix. Not for the briefest moment in time would I, or any of my colleagues have thought for a second that making any type of joke mocking his death would be appropriate. He died five years ago and I still wouldn’t do it.

As a person who happens to know Marquis Cooper’s father, I feel personally offended. And I’m sure that being a radio host in Detroit, this guy either knew Corey Smith or knew people that knew him.

And as a former radio host, I know that this guy knew damn well what he was reading. He thought it would get a laugh and he went for it. If you’re capable of making this kind of bad decision, you’re capable of looking for a job elsewhere, in my opinion.

The only conclusion I can draw here is that this guy is just a piece of shit and he shouldn’t be on the radio. I don’t care what kind of excuse he offers, this was a line you don’t cross.

And by the way, I just spent the last half-hour reading the message boards at this guy’s personal site and it is nothing but support for him and his “mistake,” and a ton of bashing the co-host for not standing by him. Are you kidding me? It’s called respect, idiots. There are also a plethora of inappropriate comments in the thread on the same site about Smith and the other three men going missing. Not everyone on the site is an asshole, but clearly enough of them for me to mention it. And since this is Valenti’s site, we can conclude that this guy is just an idiot and and asshole. Enjoy your $7500 homes and living in the murder capital of the country, losers*.

And a big F-you to you, Mike Valenti.

*****

*Not all of Detroit, but if you were the asshole that messaged the joke, or one of the assholes who post on that board (you know who you are), then I’m talking to you. And Mike Valenti.

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