Philly Sports Radio Host Unleashes on the ‘Death of Proper Journalism’ Amid False Rumors with Ben Simmons

As rumors surrounding the Philadelphia 76ers and their All-Star guard Ben Simmons persist, one local sports radio host is demanding more accountability from journalists who feed false narratives.

After a brutal conclusion to the 2020-21 NBA season, Simmons told the Sixers he wants to be traded. But the organization remains determined to get top dollar for their disgruntled star, despite narratives being pushed by Simmons’ reps from Klutch Sports that are focused on accelerating a deal, not maximizing a return.

Mike Missanelli, longtime Philly radio host on 97.5 The Fanatic slammed journalism and especially the West Coast reporters who are spreading Simmons’ rumors from afar. Those rumors are likely based on info provided by Klutch Sports, the agency owned by LeBron James’ agent Rich Paul.

“There’s a difference between proper journalism, which I see the death of with this social media crap, and all these people out on social media reporting nonsense,” Missanelli ranted. “Trying to curry favor with high-powered agencies, in the hopes that they’ll get some information about LeBron James.”

Missanelli wasn’t going to rip journalists without naming names. He called out two West Coast reporters, beginning with Harrison Faigen, a Lakers beat writer SB Nation’s Silver Screen and Roll, an outlet the Philly radio host admittedly never heard of.

Faigen posted a joke on Twitter, attempting to pin the entire feud between Simmons and the Sixers on the organization. Missanelli blasted Faigen’s reporting as “a total kiss-up effort to the Klutch Agency Group.”

Then the sports radio host turned to Jason Dumas, sports director at KRON4 News in San Francisco. Dumas claimed Simmons won’t report to the Sixers because “several organized groups” were planning to boo him when training camp opens this month.

“Did you go to bed thinking that you could put some stupid-ass narrative on social media and have the nation believe it?” Missanelli ranted. “We live in this city! We have never heard one inkling of that!”

After getting dismissed by Missanelli as “whoever he is,” Dumas hilariously tweeted back at the sports radio host to remind him that he’s actually from Philly and interned at The Fanatic for two summers before landing in the Bay Area.

Missanelli closed his rant on the death of journalism with a resounding “BLEEP YOU!” to Faigen and Dumas.

Watch above via NBC Sports Philadelphia