The Josh Innes Show - Dumbass Radio Hosts

Episode Date: May 23, 2025

Well, we have a dumbass radio host in Seattle who is under fire for ripping the Seattle Mariners broadcaster who happens to be Australian. This whole story is pretty fantastic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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You know, I love a good story about radio hosts who say dumb shit or sometimes not dumb shit yet find themselves in trouble and in hot water because of the dumb shit they have said. You know how people are. I'm someone who's done it myself. You know this, I've been suspended a couple of times for shit. But one thing I can say is I don't know that I've ever said things that I wasn't fully aware of what I was saying, understood the context of what I was saying, and could fully accept that I knew what I meant by something. Like I'm more calculated than you might think, although sometimes I talk off the top of my head, right? But like somehow my brain works in this way

where I can somehow in a nanosecond compute what I'm saying and if I think it's going to, if I think it's offensive or not and I know what my message was and I knew what I was trying to say and I knew I was trying to make a joke. Right? Like, I don't think there have been a ton of times, none that I can recall, where I went on the radio and I was like, boy, you know, you said something and that actually truly was offensive

and was out of line and maybe you shouldn't have done that. And some of you might go, well, Josh, what about what you did in Philadelphia? What about how you posted the Al Jolson picture? I'm like no. I posted the Al Jolson picture. I knew exactly what I meant by the Al Jolson picture. That was something people greatly overreacted to and it was just an excuse for them to fire me because they wanted to fire me. Well what about the Jason Kelsey thing? I was quoting a movie and I knew what I was saying. You want to tell me that I can say that like we can talk about the Negro League Museum, but what I said is just the most reprehensible fucking thing you've ever heard? No. And that's why when I got on the radio and they unsuspended me or my suspension was over, I got on the radio and said like I'm not apologizing for that. Was that probably a bad move career wise? Yes. You know, you got to kiss people's ass and try to convince them that you're so sorry for

something you said. Like even though, like if you want to say Josh, say sorry to Jason Kelsey because that was offensive towards him. I'd go, okay, that's fine. Like hey, it was a joke, bro. I don't give a shit. LOL, it was a joke. Get over it, right? Like the idea that you have to apologize to listeners of a radio show for something you said about a particular individual is funny to me. Like begging and groveling and like please forgive me, please forgive me. I'm such a terrible fucking person and I'm so sorry and in time maybe you'll learn to accept me. Like one time I've told you this I had to do the fake apology. They wrote an apology for me over the cleft lip thing. And again, if you dig deep into what I was doing, I was not dumping

on anybody with cleft palates or anything like that, but I put it on Twitter, it went wrong, went south, and before you know it, I'm having to issue fucking apologies to a dog with a cleft lip. It was absurd, but I did that because my boss was like, listen, just read this shit. If you want to do it kind of tongue in cheek, go ahead and that's fine. But then when the thing with Jason Kelsey happened, like I'm not going to get on the air and apologize for that. Like I know what I meant just because people are overly offended by dumb shit and have chosen to be offended, many of whom were just offended because they didn't like me and they wanted to feign being offended. I'm not going to fucking apologize to you. I'm not going to grovel. Like at some point,

like if people are forced to apologize, it's not an apology. So how did like, it's like people just want a pound of flesh is all it is. They don't really care that you're apologizing because they weren't really offended anyway. They just want you to have to look like a dickhead and have to suffer and have to look like a pussy for apologizing. And it's like, no, fuck you, dude. Like there are certain things that I can see, like very few things I've heard on the radio where I'd say, yeah, bro, you may want to walk that back because you're probably going to be in some deep shit. But like there were some dudes in Atlanta that made fun of something involving Steve Gleason and having ALS and shit. And even I listened to it, I'm like, it wasn't funny and like, why?

Why are you targeting somebody who has fucking ALS? Why is that the target of your shit, dog? Why are you doing this? So I can understand why people were outraged by that and it became a national thing. I can understand why my thing in Philadelphia became a story because it was sexy, it was sensational, it was Philadelphia where everything is blown up, it's a Philadelphia Eagles player, it's a white guy saying this, and I get it. But if you really think about the shit I've said and done, you're like, that's fairly tame, like I kind of got what you were saying, you were quoting a movie,

and I've told you guys like, but Monty Jones were're like, that's fairly tame. Like I kind of got what you were saying. You were quoting a movie and I've told you like, guys like Pomani Jones or even like, it was kind of a weird comparison, but like, I don't think you said anything with real malicious intent or racist intent. And I'm like, thank you. Somebody fucking gets it. Why am I telling you all this today? Well, some dipshit in Seattle

got himself into some hot water in Seattle. And let's see what he did. A Sports Talk radio guy. This is actually my favorite because when you think about shit that shouldn't be offensive, you're like, wow, this is what's considered offensive now? You're like, huh, what a world.

Do I even want to be in this media world? Also the guy, he's pretty much a no talent dweeb. But anyway, let's do this and we will tell you the story. So, all right, this guy's name is Mark James and he was a talk show host in Atlanta at one point. He did some stuff in Boston at one point. I've never thought this guy was particularly good. It's important to note that I don't think a lot of people are particularly good. Not that I

think I'm God's gift or anything like that, but I think most people are just benign and that I think I'm God's gift or anything like that. But I think most people are just benign and uninteresting. So here's what happened. Mark James, who is the host of the 93 3 KJR Seattle Midday Show, was talking about a gentleman by the name of Ryan Roland Smith, who used to pitch for the Mariners and now is an analyst, I believe, either play by play is an analyst, I believe either play by player and analyst on the Seattle Mariners broadcast. Why does this matter? Well,

this man is Australian and they were making fun of this guy's accent. Now a listener texted and complained about the the accent of the play by play guy to which James says, that's not baseball. And he said he needed a barf bag after listening to the former big leaguer speak. He made fun of the way that Roland Smith said the word fastball and said he was going to try to get broadcasters like Keith Hernandez and Ron Darling of the New York Mets on his show

later in the season so listeners could hear what better broadcasters sound like. A few things. First of all, when you're going to say something controversial or take a shot at someone in a local market, you gotta make sure that the shot you're taking is truly worth it, right? And this is coming from me, someone who's taken some shots that I look back on and go, did that really matter? Like, I believe the shit I talked about James Harden was valid and fair, and now I think I've been validated years down the road when everybody is echoing the same shit I always said about James Harden. But then there are some people you pick on and you're like,

was that really necessary? Was that really something that was going to help me out in the long run? I don't know that ripping on the analyst on the television broadcast who happens to be Australian and have an Australian accent. Like what does that get you? Also, I feel like you can probably kind of make fun of and make light of things without sounding just like I need a barf bag. Let me get Keith Hernandez or Ron Darling on here so you can hear

what a real analyst sounds like. Like cool. You know by the way Ron Darling's boring as shit but thanks. But it's just funny to me like like that just sounds like so here's what this sounds like to me. This sounds like someone who has a complete identity crisis and doesn't know what to be in a particular city. Seattle is not going to be the kind of city where you just rip analysts and shit like that. That's a New York, Boston, Philadelphia thing. That's not a Seattle thing, but apparently he did an Australian accent at one point mocking this guy. I was unaware that we couldn't do Australian accents anymore, so I'm going to, I guess, write that one

down and say, Josh, note to self, don't do Australian accents anymore. That is bad news bears. Let's see here, but then so obviously this becomes a big story there. And this is another guy. This is Luke Arkans who writes a popular Mariners newsletter posted the audio on his social media account Tuesday. Arkans had gone on James show also on Tuesday and said he won't be doing that again. Today Mark James ranted that this is a player shouldn't be a Mariners broadcaster simply because he

had an accent that is offensive, unprofessional and unacceptable. Full disclosure, I was on James' show today. A mistake I won't make again. And I also like how guys like that have to write in really quick and be like, I was on here and just to get out in front of this, I know that what you're going to say is, wait a minute, you were on there today, but just know I regret that it was a, I just like when guys have to latch onto these things and let you know that

they're a super offended by it and they'll never go on the show again. This is bullshit. That's one of the things I dealt with too, to a degree is like big story happens. And then people try to distance themselves from you by acting like they're better people than you are even though you know people you know how they talk off air and the jokes and the off color shit they say and then they want to come at you like you're the biggest piece of shit on the planet. Like that's something I've experienced in life but it is what it is. Let's see, Roland Smith who is doing more broadcast work this season between Root TV and Seattle Sports 710 Radio also responded on social media who honestly never heard of this dude until I did some research over at Deadspin. You gotta do better than that mate.

Okay so am I allowed to say that? Am I allowed to use the Australian accent in that? Like, I don't know, because he types it out. M-A-A-A-I-I-T-T-T-E. Might. Roland Smith is referencing the story in which James was suspended at one of his previous stops, and you can read more about that here. James also took shots at Arkans on social media saying he was the worst guest he's ever had and that he sucks on the mic. Like, here's what's happening here. This sounds like a gentleman who's trying way too hard to be like some sort of badass. And the thing I've learned about

like badassness is it sort of has to come natural, right? Like it like kind of and this just sounds like a guy who's trying to do like some sort of real hot like Boston type talk show in Seattle and that's just ain't gonna work, pal. So apparently he's apologized to both people. First of all, you shouldn't have to apologize to the dude who wrote about you. Like, God, talk about cunty stuff. They're making you apologize to the writer who talks shit about you and then you said he's a bad guest and now you have to apologize to him too. Eww. It's one thing to apologize to the broadcaster who you said you couldn't understand because he's Australian.

Which by the way the Australian accent is phenomenal. That's why I hate when like Nicole Kidman or Margot Robbie doesn't use the Australian accent because the Australian accent is so hot. Like Nicole Kidman does like the basic white. Like it took me like 10 minutes ago. It took me for 10 minutes ago is when I learned that Nicole Kidman's Australian. That's a lie. But like if you watch early Nicole Kidman stuff and then you hear in a movie where she does like uses a real voice you're like whoa she's putting on an Australian accent it's pretty good like no sir she was doing a mediocre white chick accent in reality her actual accent is in fact Australian but anywho so here's some of the apologies that this doofus has had to issue like what a fucking putz Jesus Christ I want to personally apologize to Ryan Roland Smith and Luke Arkins because neither one of them deserved what I did. It was absolutely

unprofessional, it was reprehensible, it was inexcusable, James said to open the show. Poor guy. Look, I understand the idea of wanting to keep a job and you've bounced from place to place, brother. I get it. However, like at this point you are neutered and there's no coming back. Now anytime you want to talk shit about someone or something, you know what people are going to come back at you with? Oh, tell us about that time you were criticizing the play-by-play guy and it was reprehensible and inexcusable and unprofessional. He continues, I'm new here and it's taking me a long time to find a way to get acclimated and that was not me.

That's an awkward excuse for saying something that people deem offensive like, listen I'll be honest with you, all the shit I said there making fun of the Australian guy would have totally worked in other places I've worked. I worked down in Atlanta, they love when you fuck around with Australian guys down in Atlanta, it's hysterical, we make crocodile Dundee jokes it's fantastic. I guess up here in Liberalville, USA, I guess I'm not allowed to say, you know, shit about the Australian guy. But like the I'm new here excuse is certainly something. Hey guys, I'm new here and I'm still trying to get acclimated. I'm trying to test the boundaries of what kind of shots I can take at

people and they be considered offensive or not offensive. So apparently shitting on the guy because he's Australian is in fact offensive and I know that is this is so pathetic and all I ask of you is I ask for your forgiveness James said and I hope everybody out there that I can gain your trust including the local media especially Ryan and Luke personally and my colleagues here at KJR I do not speak for them this was on me I'm the one who did this. I need to learn a valuable lesson." Holy shit! This guy is so sad! Is this like, look, you've made fun of the way like if you like, here's what's funny about the world. Like people fucking idolize Howard Stern now because he interviews fucking Seth Rogen and he's like, this motherfucker was doing gunshot sounds and mocking Selena the day she died.

He's a hero to you fucking people. This poor schlub goes on the air and says, hey, this Australian broadcaster, I can't understand him. What the fuck? And this guy's issuing lengthy fucking apologies and like shitting on himself. Like brother, like I understand that you got to keep your job and I respect that you got to keep your, so I guess you gotta do what you gotta do, but there is not a human in the world listening to you that is going to respect any of your takes from here on out. And if you can't take the heat for doing the shit you do, then don't fucking do it. But what it sounds like is you're trying to be Mr. Billy Badass, Mr. Hey, everybody else in Seattle sports media suck, and I'm Billy Badass and I'm gonna say that this broadcasterters accent is terrible blah blah blah blah and then I'm trying to be kind of cool I'm not

the regular mom I'm a cool mom and then what ends up happening is you sound like a dipshit then you're apologizing to people in a pathetic manner like I hope to ask I ask for your forgiveness and I hope that everybody out there I can gain your trust please trust I know that the majority of you listening to this probably sit around and make fun of people at your home all the time and say bad shit and probably watch inappropriate movies and maybe watch pornography and maybe do illicit drugs and I know that a lot of you do fucked up shit. Maybe you're woman beaters, maybe you're not, maybe you hate your kids, maybe you hate your parents, maybe you've driven drunk a few times.

I know that you're all out there and you've all done things but please I'm begging you with everything you have, please forgive me for my making fun of and insulting this Australian broadcaster on the Mariners broadcast. I hope I can regain your trust. Like honest to God they should have just fired the fucking guy. There's no coming back from these things. Like you're broken at this point, because if your whole angle is you're trying to be Billy Badass, Billy Badass can't issue lengthy apologies begging the audience to fucking forgive him.

Once you do that, it's over, bro. So you can either be just kind of like benign down the middle guy or you can try to be, you know, Billy Badass, but you can't try to have it both ways and now you're trying to have it both fucking ways. I don't root for people to get fired because I myself have been fired a couple times so I get what it's like and like he's probably petrified. I can put your I can put myself in that guy's position right now. Motherfucker was petrified because he's bounced from place to place finally gets full-time job here again ready to rock him up in Seattle, new life. Got kids probably, whole thing, wife, whatever, and don't want to lose his job.

His wife's probably like, what the fuck are you doing? So I get that whole life. I have experienced a lot of that shit. But brother, once you're sitting there like begging for forgiveness for saying that you think a broadcaster is shitty on TV, oof. forgiveness for saying that you think a broadcaster is shitty on TV. Oof. Like it's like that's also why you don't move up to those kind of places like like Seattle seems like a lovely town. You don't want to be a media guy in Seattle or like Portland or

wherever like that. Like a guy wanted to hire me in Portland once. And. And multiple times I've had two different guys try to hire me in Portland. And the first time I took the job in Houston, I was never going to go to Portland. And the second time it was right before the Rona happened, I think. And they're like, Hey, would you like to do a show in Portland?

You can do it from Houston. And I'm like, No, I don't really want to do that. And I'm like, why the fuck would these people want to, like, are you trying to get me killed? Are you trying to get me fired? Like, imagine moving all your shit up to the Pacific Northwest to go do a radio show and you're someone like me who, like, I don't view myself to be super controversial

or anything like that, but like, I don't, like, I have my own thoughts on shit. I don't think I'm like some sort of psycho or anything like that. But like, are going to go after me and like it's gonna be a teller. Why would I like I would never work in any place like that. So I would never want to go to anywhere like that. Now you might say, well,

Josh, that just means you want to be places where you can get away with being offensive. No, like, I mean, because look, I've worked in other places where you think that wouldn't be the case and I've still gotten in trouble. I've also worked in Houston where we've done entire bits about like Mexican dudes and we've done the impressions and shit and Mexican dudes are laughing their fucking dicks off at it, you know, the Miguel bit. Haha, fool again. That's what's also interesting about like accents and what offends people.

Like one of my best friends, his dad is Mexican, his mom is Honduran. And I was on the phone with my buddy yesterday or two days ago and his dad came in and like his dad is the most pleasant, awesome dude in the world. And like we always kind of used to do like kind of a mock accent of his, cause like he'd pick up the phone and he'd be like, Josh, how you doing?

And I'm like, he's fucking great. He's the best dude on the planet. I love this guy so much. And like we'd watch, like I would, I'd see Selena at his house and we'd be like these bumpers was pulled off by the bus of Sanina's and it's like that's okay right like no one's complaining we're all laughing we're having a good time like what like who is the arbiter who makes the determination that this accent is acceptable to do all right guys you can do Mexican accent you can't do Asian

accent you certainly can't do black accent you can do Mexican accent, you can't do Asian accent, you certainly can't do black accent, you can do basic white girl accent, and you can do British. I thought Australian was on the list of things you could do, but apparently it's not. Or maybe you can do Australian accent, but you can't also say you're a fucking horrible broadcaster and I need a barf bag while doing the guy's accent. Maybe that's it. Maybe it's not the Australian accent that's the issue, it's the fact that you're saying this guy's fucking terrible, I can't understand what he's saying and I need a barf bag. Who the fuck says they need a barf bag while watching the baseball game? Now granted, when I got to St. Louis, I also dumped on some of the broadcasters, but in

my defense, I'm a Cardinals fan and I've watched and listened to this shit forever and I just don't like those guys. That wasn't coming from a place of, hey, I'm trying to ingratiate myself with the people. It came from a place of, I'm legitimately a fan and I hate these guys. Didn't go over well with a lot of the people here. My personality does not fit here. But anyway, it would have been funny if like after he did this apology, after this long lengthy apology here, if old buddy would have been like, you know like after he did this apology after this long lengthy apology here. If old buddy would have been like, you know, I'm new here, by the way, I'm new. So I

don't know what insensitive things I can say. Apparently, the line, the bar is very, very low. But at the end of it, he goes, I do not speak for them. It was on me. This was not who I am. And I need to learn a valuable lesson. Good day. If he just would have ended it with g'day and just see people explode. Anywho, let's see, we will continue.