Brent Axe, a radio personality for ESPN Radio in Syracuse was fired over the weekend. The reason given for his firing? He was being too negative on his radio show with his commentary about Syracuse athletics.
“I had a problem with the content of the show,” Levine told Chris Carlson of Syracuse.com. “I’m an SU fan. I’m sorry, but I bleed Orange. I’m not going to apologize for that, and I think a fair reading of the Orange is appropriate. I understand [Galaxy has] a business relationship [with Syracuse], that Coach Boeheim and I are personal friends and he’s an investor in my company. I understand and acknowledge all of that. We’ve called it pretty fair, and I would argue we’ve been tough on SU when the on-field or off-field events warrant it. I just think over the past six months it took a different tone and became overly dark and negative. I don’t think that’s what Syracuse fans want to hear.”
Axe’s firing led to a fiery statement from former ESPN personality Keith Olbermann.
“In all my years in sportscasting, two coaches stood above the rest in complaining, blaming, b*tching about, and trying to cause firings of, radio-TV people: Bobby Knight and Jim Boeheim. Looks like that second little man got a scalp on his way out,” Olbermann tweeted.
Jim Boeheim is part of the group that owns Galaxy Media Partners, which owns the station along with Syracuse.com.
Axe did not believe he was more critical of the program than it deserved.
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“I had a responsibility to give an honest, fair and thorough opinion to my audience,” he said.
