Even for New York sports talk radio, this may take the cake.
Giants legend Carl Banks was unceremoniously booted off the air during an appearance with WFAN host Brandon Tierney and Sal Licata on Wednesday after getting into it over the play of linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux.
The mid-morning hosts have been critical of Thibodeaux, and Banks took exception to the constant negativity he’s been hearing.
“This unhealthy obsession for finding what is wrong with Kayvon Thibodeaux is bordering weird,” Banks told the pair on air. “You talk about you don’t like a guy’s body? The guy just had a game that would put him in the running for Defensive Player of the Week. He had seven or eight pressures. Go look at Khalil Mack and see if he even had five pressures … you don’t have to like him.
“You don’t even have to like his body. But tell me you watched the game before you say he just stands there and you don’t like his body. He had a monster game. What are we talking about?
“Start to look at the things he does well, because he does more things well than the things you don’t like about him.”
However, things really went off the rails later when things got even more testy as Banks and Licata were attempting to talk over one another.
That’s when Licata directed his producer to drop the connection between the show and the Giants legend.
“I can’t take it anymore. Pull him down, seriously,” Licata directed. “We have to have a voice here and I appreciate the time Carl, thank you.”
The mid-morning host went on to say that he didn’t like Banks going on and telling him that Licata and Tierney couldn’t have an opinion about Thibodeaux.
“Tell me why what I’m seeing is wrong,” Licata said. “He has not made his impact felt. That is my opinion on it. I feel it when I watch Micah Parsons, who is a top pick. I don’t feel it when I watch Kayvon Thibodeaux. You want to explain it to me, you want to educate us? Do it!”
But the spat didn’t end when the interview concluded.
Banks took to X to set something straight about the two hosts’ assertion that he said they couldn’t have opinions.
“PSA: Everyone is entitled to their opinions,” Banks wrote on the social media platform. “However, if that person admits that they do not have *knowledge* of how something is supposed to work.. Treat that opinion as such.. *an opinion*… It’s not Fact. If they disengage, it’s not about *you*. It’s about the FACTS.”
It’s notable that the interaction occurred on WFAN, which is the radio home for the Giants.
And Tierney, toward the end of the segment, seemed disappointed the interview ended the way it did.
“I hate that that comes across disrespectful cause I really do love Carl,” Tierney said. “And he loves us, but after a while it’s too much. You can’t tell us how to do a show.”
