Matt Spiegel addressed Dan McNeil’s situation Monday morning on WSCR-AM 670.

Here is what he said:

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Dan is on a personal leave of absence. He appreciates all the people who have reached out to him. He hopes to be back soon.

For me personally, I love that complicated and troubled man. If you heard the show, and the way we’ve talked about mental illness and depression, you know our level of sympathy and empathy is sometimes different than others. I know Mac’s openness about his issue has been inspiring to many. I trust he will let all of you in as he sees fit in whatever venue he decides.

It’s not my place or anyone else’s to share more. I would personally ask that you think of him with kindness.

News that Dino Costa is out at SiriusXM filled my comment box this week. I thought I would share some of the viewers from readers.

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Joe: Firing Dino was a big mistake. My subscription is up in February. I will not be renewing.

Ji Mancha: Dino Costa is the most intriguing sports talk radio host I have ever come across! Not only are his views and opinions on the world of sports unique he also has a way of elaborating on issues outside of the sports world that can be just as compelling!

I have been listening to Dino Ever since he started with channel 86! I couldn’t believe they let him go and even worse the new station he was aired on did nothing whatsoever to promote the best radio talent we have heard in decades! What a disgrace! Its a shame that a talent like Dino’s can’t get a break! I am praying for you Dino and I hope you will find someone that will recognize your talents and abilities as much as we your fans do!!!

Tom: Really? Dumb move! He was the best sports talk guy you had. You guys blew this one big time. All these other bozos only tell you everything you already know, not Dino. That’s why he was great to hear. Wake up before it’s to late, and put the great one back on or you can kiss my subscription good bye when it runs out. He’s like money in the bank and you’re too dumb to know it.

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And there’s more. Little question, Costa had plenty of followers at SiriusXM. However, I thought the following comments are on target on why he finally was shown the door.

Bcoring: Plenty of blame to go around here. First off, I agree with everything written about this unfortunate situation, especially the part about Howard (Stern). SXM is missing a big opportunity here.

However, Dino must accept some accountability for this. By his third show on SportsZone he already was complaining about the hours, the station, the other shows on the station. He could blow away an entire hour being the Victim. Instead of getting down to the business of making SportsZone the channel that SHOULD be built around him and working with what he had, he immediately began complaining about what he didn’t have. Whining, complaining to the point where it just became boring. Like a child who doesn’t get what he wants.

In real life, very few people get what they want by harshly criticizing and insulting their employer. He should stop complaining about his raw deal and go out, in a constructive manner, get a better one. Dino is an amazing talent, he is a marvelous interviewer his monologues are compelling, his topics are timely. He’s the best I’ve ever heard in 50+ years of listening to radio. I will sorely miss him. What I won’t miss is the Victim, the anger and constant negativity.

Tom: There is no question that Dino is a talented talkshow host, but listening to Dino was like watching a train wreck which is about to happen. You just can’t turn away, and, sure enough, Dino wrecked once again. He will always blow things up, because that’s how he rolls. Once MDR hired Adam Schein, the writing was on the wall for Dino. He knew it and this switch to 92 was not going to work either, principally because he had to get up at 3:30 every morning in order to start by 5 am.

Dino, who used Stern and Rush as his role models, thinks he’s a star and he is…in a very small galaxy. Good luck in the podcast world, Dino. I never agreed with your politics, but you are interesting. Like a train wreck.

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Indeed, while there were times I enjoyed Costa’s style, I got turned off by his rants about SiriusXM, especially Chris Russo. It was Russo who gave him a shot on Mad Dog Radio. It was Russo who continued to defend Costa even in light of all the rip jobs on him.

Ultimately, Russo took the high road; Costa didn’t. It got old for me, and I tuned out.

If Costa says he is as talented and cutting edge as he thinks, I’m sure suitors are lined up at his door with bushels of money.

Sorry to report this. Wishing Mac the best.

From my report in the Chicago Tribune:

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Dan McNeil is on the sidelines again.

Sources with knowledge of the situation say the WSCR-AM 670 mid-morning host again is experiencing issues related to depression. Those sources also say the station is giving him a leave of absence, but there is no guarantee he will return to the air.

Station officials would not comment. McNeil, through his agent Bryan Harlan, declined to discuss his situation.

In 2012, McNeil was off the air for an extended period from the 9 a.m-1 p.m. show he co-hosts with Matt Spiegel. When he returned, he was open about his battles with depression and substance abuse.

“I was born with something that I have no control over,” McNeil said then. “And I have fought that for a good portion of my life. It is not the type of disease that garners much sympathy, but I am not interested in sympathy.”

He added, “Time to hit the brakes on something that has been a best friend when all other measures failed. … It’s weed, it’s alcohol — I can’t have it. … I can’t have the substances. I can’t promise anything down the road, but I know today — as I have been for the past six weeks — pretty happy to be substance-free.”

It always amazes me how sports talk radio guys blow great gigs because they can’t control their mouths.

Dino Costa is the latest casualty. He went on one rant too many in complaining about his bosses at SiriusXM.

Bob Raissman in the New York Daily News reports:

When SXM “Sportszone” program director Tim Sabean pulled Costa off the air Wednesday, Dino’s days were numbered. He was yanked for being himself, going on an entertaining riff (it wasn’t the first time) about how his bosses wanted to change him, turn him into someone only capable of robotic sports recitations with no depth or imagination.

Whoever threw Costa off SXM’s Ship of Fools never understood they had a singularly unique personality, a yakker who built and maintained a cult following and more. Instead of building on that foundation, they tore down the house, burned it, then celebrated their own stupidity.

Costa said he is “more than proud” of what he accomplished in his five years at SXM, and what he delivered to an audience looking for a “radical departure” in sports talk.

“I have zero regrets,” Costa said. “Hopefully the next time SXM runs into a talent such as myself they’ll know how to go about promoting that talent and maximizing the skills of a guy like me.”

So where does Costa go from here? There might be some opportunities with NBC and CBS launching radio networks.

But after what SiriusXM experienced, will they want to put up with Dino?

Looks like Bruce Levine is on the move. He posted this tweet this morning.

I haven’t reached Levine, but word is he is parting ways with ESPN 1000.

Don’t be surprised if Levine moves down the dial to WSCR-AM 670. Stay tuned.

Earlier this week, on the Bleacher Report Radio show on SiriusXM, hosts Steve Covino, Rich Davis and Bleacher Report’s Aaron Nagler were talking about the Bears’ legendary Super Bowl Shuffle.

Here is the link.

During the discussion, they took a call from “Mike in Pittsburgh.”

It seems like “Mike in Pittsburgh” knew way too much about the Super Bowl Shuffle.

“Good morning, I was part of the Super Shuffle. I played the lead guitar,” Mike in Pittsburgh said. “And I have to make a correction on the air. Richard Dent was not playing an instrument. It was Calvin Thomas on sax.”

When Mike tells the hosts he is Mike Tomczak, the back-up quarterback on the ’85 Bears, you know they think they are being hoaxed.

“I don’t know if this is Mike Tomczak, but this could be the biggest fan of the song.”

Finally, they ask, “What’s your birthday?”

“10/23/62,” Tomczak said. “Same day as Doug Flutie.”

Validation. The guys explode knowing that it really is Mike Tomczak.

By the way, Tomczak went on to play for the Steelers and now makes his home in Pittsburgh.

Definitely an entertaining call.

Undoubtedly, my Chicago readers are very happy with the Bears sitting at 3-0 thanks in part to the strong early play from Martellus Bennett. As a result, Bennett’s profile and unique personality are about to become much bigger in this town.

I’m not saying he’s different, but last week the tight end compared Marc Trestman to “Willy Wonka” in an interview at ESPN 1000. However, he did clarify what he meant.

“I always say Coach Trestman reminds me of the first Willy Wonka. Not the Johnny Depp one. The Johnny Depp one was really cool, but the first one before that, the 1943 version.”

Actually, the adaptation Bennett referred to is the 1971 film “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” starring Gene Wilder. Depp starred in another adaptation of the movie in 2005.
“He’s a genius,” Bennett said of Trestman. “A lot of times when you’re around really, really smart people, you don’t really understand them.

“I thought Willy Wonka was brilliant. He had all kinds of candy. Who doesn’t like chocolate and candies? Everybody wanted a Gobstopper. I just think he’s brilliant.”

From this point, it will be WSCR’s turn to make sense of what Bennett means. He has signed on at the station. Here’s the official announcement, which says Bennett will serve as “creative director” of his segments.

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Chicago Bears tight end Martellus Bennett has been the talk of Chicago with his performance on the field along with his colorful personality. In what promises to be must-hear radio, Bennett will now bring his enticing persona to WSCR-670 The Score for his only regularly scheduled radio appearances during the football season.

Listeners will be able to interact with Bennett when he appears on the Boers and Bernstein Show Mondays at 5PM. On weeks the Bears play on a Monday or Thursday, Bennett will join the afternoon duo the day after the game. In addition, fans will be able to meet the star in person as Bennett will join the Miller Lite Top Draft Show with host Laurence Holmes at various locations across the Chicago area starting Tuesday, October 1.

Listeners of Chicago’s dominant sports talk radio station can expect original content as Bennett will serve as creative director of his segments, thus providing a unique forum for his thoughts on football.

“We are thrilled to welcome Martellus to our terrific roster of football experts at The Score,” noted WSCR Program Director Mitch Rosen. “Given his role as creative director of his segments, matched by his unpredictable personality, we know his appearances will be immensely entertaining. Fans will have many opportunities to interact with Martellus and will get to know what he thinks about the Bears, the NFL and anything else both on and off the field.”

Bennett will have a strong presence across The Score’s vast digital assets including CBSChicago.com and multiple social media platforms.

This just in: Chris Russo has a new three-year deal with SiriusXM.

The interesting part is that the deal also includes him doing a new show for MLB Network that will be simulcast on MLB Network Radio, beginning in the spring of 2014.

All in all, a pretty good outcome for Russo, who has been candid about the challenges he has encountered in trying to launch his own radio station. Last year, Talkers.com ranked his show 39th out of the top 100 sports talk radio shows in the U.S. His former partner, Mike Francessa of WFAN in New York, was No. 1.

Now 39th is way too low for a national show of Russo’s scale. But it does underscore that it hasn’t been smooth sailing for Russo.

However, SiriusXM wants him back, and Russo will expand his reach with the MLB Network duties.

The official rundown.

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Sirius XM Radio (NASDAQ: SIRI) today announced that it has signed renowned sports talk personality Chris “Mad Dog” Russo to a new three-year contract that will keep his daily all-sports radio show exclusively on SiriusXM’s Mad Dog Sports Radio channel.  Russo’s on-air role will be expanded to include a significant presence on the MLB Network Radio channel on SiriusXM.

Russo will continue to host his daily show, Mad Dog Unleashed, weekday afternoons on Mad Dog Sports Radio, SiriusXM channel 86.  Starting in September, with the beginning of NFL season, the show will air daily from 3:00-6:00pm ET/12:00-3:00pm PT.  The show is also available to subscribers through the SiriusXM Internet Radio App and online at SiriusXM.com.

MLB Network today also announced that Russo will join its roster of on-air talent to host a new weekday baseball show launching in the spring of 2014, in addition to appearing across its studio programming. The show will be produced by MLB Network and simulcast on MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM. MLB Network’s Emmy Award-winning studio show “MLB Tonight” is currently simulcast on MLB Network Radio on weekdays at 6:00 p.m. ET.

In addition to hosting Mad Dog Unleashed daily, Russo will take on an expanded role that will feature him prominently on the MLB Network Radio channel on SiriusXM (channel 89 on XM, channel 209 on Sirius Premier and on the SiriusXM App).  He will serve as SiriusXM’s “baseball ambassador,” hosting shows and specials and appearing regularly on the channel to comment on MLB news and issues.

“I’ve always loved the on-air freedom that comes with being on SiriusXM,” said Russo.  “I can do the kind of show here that I wouldn’t be able to do anywhere else and I’m fortunate to be able to continue to give my listeners my kind of sports talk radio each and every day on Mad Dog Unleashed.  I’ll also get to emphasize my passion for baseball with my new role on MLB Network Radio and MLB Network, where I’ll be talking to dyed-in-the-wool baseball fans like me throughout the year.  This is a terrific opportunity that allows me to do what I do best, while also reaching new audiences.”

“Chris is a one-of-a-kind sports radio talent, one of the best in the history of the medium, and we’re very pleased to keep him on SiriusXM for years to come,” said Scott Greenstein, SiriusXM’s President and Chief Content Officer.  “Our listeners will continue to get his unique style of sports talk – the biting commentary, the high profile interviews, the great rants – on a daily basis.  And by expanding his role to the MLB Network Radio channel, we can better showcase his passion for baseball and his extraordinary knowledge of the sport.  This will enhance our overall sports programming and increase his reach, and will be a benefit to both Chris and our listeners.”

“Chris Russo is one of the top sports voices in the country and he will be a terrific addition to our unparalleled roster of on-air talent,” said Tony Petitti, President and CEO of MLB Network. “Expanding MLB Network’s live programming has been a continued goal since our launch in 2009, and we look forward to bringing his refreshing take on baseball to MLB Network’s weekday lineup in 2014.”