As a result of hearing comments that were described as “sick” and “disgusting” regarding women’s football, a radio host has been removed from the air.
The controversial comments that Marty Sheargold made on his Triple M drivetime show resulted in his dismissal from his position as a radio host and stand-up comedian in Australia.
When a sports news bulletin was being read out on the show on Monday, it reported that Australia had suffered a second loss in a row in the SheBelieves Cup. Sheargold interrupted the news broadcast and stated that he would “rather hammer a nail through the head of his penis” than watch the team compete in the Asian Cup the following year.
When I think about them, what comes to mind is? “The girls in the tenth grade,” Sheargold continued.
Everything from the internal strife to the problems with the friendships… Despite the fact that I am sorry to bring the entire sport into disrepute, that is how I feel about it.
When one of the co-hosts brought up the name of the tournament, he responded by saying, “Oh, she believes in what?” They had better be men.”
Additionally, he enquired of a co-host, “Do you have any men’s sports?” at one point.
Additionally, he made a comment regarding the 2023 World Cup, which Australia and New Zealand will jointly host, saying, “There is something wrong with the Matildas at this point.” Despite the fact that they did not make it to the quarterfinals, everybody fell in love with them after they participated in that amazing tournament that took place out here.
The comments made by Sheargold were met with widespread criticism, with Matildas players Alex Chidiac and Clare Wheelers referring to them as “sick” and Rosie Malone, an Australian hockey star, describing them as “disgusting” and “horrendous.”
Sheargold issued a statement on Wednesday in which he expressed his desire to “sincerely apologise to the Matildas and the broader organisation.” However, he was removed from his regular slot after Southern Cross Austereo (SCA), the company that owns Triple M, confirmed that Sheargold and the station had parted ways by mutual consent. Sheargold’s statement was issued while he was being removed from his usual slot.
According to SCA, the company “takes its responsibility to listeners, shareholders, and clients seriously and its programming should align with the standards and expectations of its audience” .
While this was going on, Football Australia issued a statement stating that it was “deeply disappointed by the unacceptable comments” and that it was a “stark reminder of the responsibility media outlets and personalities have in fostering respectful and constructive discussions about women’s sport and its participants.”
Additionally, the governing body stated that the remarks “diminish the extraordinary achievements and contributions” of the women’s football team, which advanced to the quarterfinals of the most recent World Cup.
