Boomer Esiason Walks Out Of Radio Show After Co-Host Rips Caller Who Mocked His Mental Health
Things got awkward in the WFAN studios Tuesday morning between its morning drive hosts, former NFL MVP Boomer Esiason and Gregg Giannotti.
Two callers phoned into "Boomer and Gio" Tuesday and made misogynistic remarks toward Giannotti, calling him "Mary" and saying he was "acting like a girl." At first, it started with some laughs, and it was deemed the show's "Moment of the Day."
A third caller, Bill in Connecticut, set Giannotti over the edge, though. Bill referenced a time when Giannotti "stopped the show," but Giannotti said it was because he was having a "legitimate anxiety attack," later stating he'd been to therapy and is on two medications.
Boomer Esiason.
Bill then replied that Gianotti is "soft" and has "just got to suck it up," which led to a powerful rant from Giannotti.
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Over the next three-plus minutes, Giannotti went off about how "people have killed themselves because they were told to suck up their mental illness." He also noted that people from war veterans to professional athletes like Kevin Love also have anxiety.
"Are they soft? Or are you a d---?" Giannotti said.
Giannotti also made fun of Bill, claiming he was "old school" and saying he was instead "an idiot who hasn’t developed."
Giannotti slammed his desk with a fist and admitted he had to shut his microphone off because he was going to curse again. Esiason, whose mic was also off, then turned to his co-host, Jerry Recco, to ask him if he "had a read" and then walked out of the studio.
Recco said Giannotti's tirade was "well done," but Esiason leaving clearly upset him.
"Well, he can't handle it either. Quite frankly, he doesn’t understand mental health to save his life," Giannotti said. "That’s a big problem. It’s a big problem."
After a commercial break, the two chatted about the New York Giants' quarterback situation side by side.
The two have been radio partners in the mornings since 2018. Esiason previously worked with Craig Carton on the morning show for 10 years until the latter was arrested and in prison for a year.
Boomer Esiason.
Carton now works in the afternoon drive with Evan Roberts on WFAN, and both shows consistently rank atop the ratings in New York.
Boomer and Gio will be back on the air at 6 a.m. Wednesday.