Everybody loves a winner…
Up to a point – or maybe in the case of controversial media types – love to hate.
But where fallen WHB sports radio personality Kevin Kietzman is concerned, it would appear that next to nobody has anything approaching even like, let alone love at this point.
It’s a fairly safe bet that Kietzman is still shaking what’s left of his now fully-exploded head and wondering whatever happened to the friends and admirers he once took for granted. Friends who now seem more likely to speak publicly about how much they like Donald Trump or walk around in “Make America Great” caps, than admit Kietzman maybe got a rough deal.
One false move, a single slip – and a stellar career and superstar broadcasting status – was wiped away for all time. Every positive thing Kietzman ever said or did, is now a moot point, forever obscured by this single, unforced error.
Gotta be a tough way to go.
Cause like the song says, “Nobody loves you when you’re down and out.”
Not even Kietzman’s longtime friend and partner Chad Boeger, who apparently had little choice other than to fire his founding partner and broadcast superstar, then buy out his interest in WHB after untold numbers of advertisers and listeners threatened to boycott the station.
And certainly not Kietzman’s former employee-turned blogger Greg Hall (formerly of KC Confidential ).
Aside from getting canned by Kietzman and WHB for a similarly disrespecting hometown sports heroes Len Dawson and Bill Grigsby (thus giving a little known sports talk groupie who went by MU Dawg a.k.a Steven St, John his first break in radio, That despite the fact that St, John also participated in the on-air skit Hall was fired over.
That said, Hall always seemed to have a love/hate thing for Kietzman.
Hall loved to bust Kietzman for on his air utterances, then spin them with hilarious retorts.
Ah, but Hall had zero sympathy when it came Kietzman’s Andy Reid one off.
“This is far bigger than my OTC (column), Shawn,” Hall said on Twitter. “My hope is the local media steps up like the national media has and scorches @kkwhb with every column inch, broadcast wattage and pixel they can spare. He deserves to be shunned. Cersei Lannister’s walk of shame would be too good for him.”
You know you’re getting royally hosed when a former sports quipster pillories you by invoking a Game of Thrones character.
“Whether @SportsRadio810 fires @kkwhb over his repulsive comments regarding Coach Reid or not, this is KK’s legacy,” Hall wrote. “This heartless dig at Reid’s family will become synonymous with the name Kietzman. He is done in KC. He’s long had leprosy of the mouth. Now the nation knows.”
Uh, that’s telling him…
Enter another blast from Kietzman’s past – Jason Whitlock, another former WHB staffer who left WHB to join rival 610 Sports – bequeathing his morning show slot to sidekick St. John):
“They fired Kietzman? Wow,” Whitlock tweeted.
“Damn. Steven St. John went HAM on Kietzman…35-minute clown suit. Goodness.”
Yet in the end, Whitlock proved far more forgiving…
“The controversy is exaggerated. Kietzman stepped out of bounds, but no one was damaged. Kietzman’s real crime might be not playing along with Chiefs’ plan to retain Tyreek Hill. As you know, I’m no fan of Kietzman’s. But I’m not gonna lie.”
So yeah, turns out pretty much that nobody does love you when you’re down and out…particularly in the case of iconic Kansas City sports talk host, Kevin Kietzman.
Not a surprise that Whitlock thinks the controversy is exaggerated, he based his entire career on his controversial options.
However, Jason understandsng the business of the NFL and his comment about not playing along with the Chiefs plan to retain Tyreek Hill are more than likely spot on.
How could WHB continue as ” The official station of the Kansas City Chiefs” with Kietzman continuing to shame the Chiefs and then the comment that was the last straw that Reid is not good at discipline, family or players.
The Reid comment was the last straw for Boeger.
Kevin losing his job was a buildup of
Social Media backlash, advertiser boycott and fear of losing the Chiefs relationship and an air talent that management could not control.
Fairly spot on, Mr. Camel
Who didn’t have a love/hate thing for Kietzman?
I think the love portion of that equation was somewhat muted…
The hate part was fully there for all to see though!
I read that Greg Hall GOT quote and remembered how much I used to like reading his stuff.
🙂
Yeah, Greg was excellent…
He gave it all up though to raise his son, be a good husband and make some pretty good dough working at a local computer biz.
I moved to KC 20 years ago and heard this guy running his mouth and was just amazed, never heard anything like it. Now it all seems to have come back to him, somehow seems fitting.
Addiction claims alot of victims. Those trying to help the addicted get frustrated and angry. No where mentioned is Mrs. Reid who I imagine did her best but could not beat addiction. When a loved one chooses drugs or alchohol over the people they love it is beyond sad. The media has its share of addicts. Kevin has been around them I imagine. While his remarks were in poor judgement, I agree money talks and WHB was left with no other option. Whether you like him or not i think it is time for forgiveness. Let those who claim not to be a sinner chuck the first stone.
Oh fuck him. He deserves everything he gets. He’s been running his big mouth for years, disparaging everyone and anything.
I was listening to KK’s rant. I didn’t find it out of line at all. His point that Andy Reid has tried and mostly failed to rehab fallen players was pretty accurate. That being said, has time has gone by and KK’s stance on Tyreek Hill proven to be wrong? Admittedly, initially I think we all were ready for Hill to hit the road out of town, but time has shown he may not be the bad guy as protrayed. In the mean time, KK was railroaded.
Interesting take, TK…
I’m not so sure – as evidenced by my column – that Tyreek was exonerated by the extra eight minutes.
I think if all 11 had been released at once, the reaction would have been very similar. Coming out later as it did, dialed a small measure of doubt into the situation that would;d have been mostly overlooked if it were all swallowed whole from the get go.
But don’t tell Bob Z I said that!
Damn straight. Kietzman had to be the sacrificial lamb in this one because poor little sports radio 810 didn’t want to lose their chummy-chummy relationship with the Chiefs. They’re free perks dragon them and their families to the suites to watch games. Shame on them l. Whitlock’s right.
Is KK moving on to something else,radio,TV,another city some of us wonder.I know he has a plan ,some people know,will anybody share it.some of us are interested.Because you never bring his name up anymore. Mike B.
Such hypocrisy here!!! I guess 2nd chances are only for athletes and liberals. Sports shows discuss families of coaches and athletes constantly. Schottenheimer had a scandal with a waitress; for God’s sake what have we been talking about with Tyreek Hill if not family; we discussed the family of the chief who murdered his pregnant fiancee and unborn child; we discuss the families of everybody all the time; think about it.
Kietzman is a sign of these God awful times of censorship. The New York Times defended his dismissal due to his conservative political beliefs, I kid you not.
All so sad. I will miss the leading KC radio talk show host of all time.