Senseless act...

Steve Gleason: Photo/ espn.com

The name Steve Gleason runs through the halls at the New Orleans Saints facility and the Superdome with pride. Steve Gleason helped the New Orleans Saints resurgence back into the football world on that faithful opening Monday Night football game back in 2006 with a blocked punt of Atlanta Falcons punter Michael Koenen that was returned for a touchdown by the Saints.

But yesterday the name of Steve Gleason ran through Atlanta airways in a very mockery and senseless way. Gleason has Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), and Atlanta sports radio 790 The Zone "Mayem in the AM" morning show crew made a mockery with knock, knock jokes about Gleason and the disease.As a consequence, all three radio personalities were fired for their on-air remarks. Nick Cellini, Chris Dimino, and Steak Shapiro all have released apologies that Gleason has accepted, but the firing stands.

So to me, I don't even listen to these guys because they talk about things other than Atlanta sports half of the time. Also, I look at it this way, if you didn't mean it, you wouldn't have said anything in the first place. This joke is not something that is impromptu, this is played out in advance of going on the air. Why are these guys hating on someone that didn't ask to have ALS. To me, Gleason has been nothing but a good steward to the game of football and kids look up to him because of his courage.

Yes, Gleason did block the punt from my beloved Atlanta Falcons that gave the New Orleans Saints rebirth back to the NFL and their beloved city after Hurricane Katrina. But in my eyes, you do not dislike the player, you dislike the uniform. This is constant in all sports. In this age of free agency, players move from team to team. One year you are rooting for a player and the next year your not. It's all because of the uniform.

Both 790 The Zone radio station and the Atlanta Falcons organization made written statements about this, and both were saddened that the commented were made. Both made clear that these comments were not the views that the radio station or the Falcons organization take.

I am not posting these three radio personalities faces on my blog because I do not want their faces on my blog. Their comments do not represent what I feel either.

Don't forget to follow me on twitter @makirkley.

Mark A. Kirkley: twitter @makirkley