Daniel William Sileo (born January 3, 1963) is a former
American football
American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team wi ...
defensive tackle. He played
college football at
Maryland
Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...
before transferring to
Miami (FL)
Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a coastal metropolis and the county seat of Miami-Dade County in South Florida, United States. With a population of 442,241 at the ...
. He was drafted in the third round of the 1987 NFL supplemental draft by the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. The cl ...
. He is currently a
sports radio
Sports radio (or sports talk radio) is a radio format devoted entirely to discussion and broadcasting of sporting events. A widespread programming genre that has a narrow audience appeal, sports radio is characterized by an often- boisterous on ...
host. He was the host of ''The Dan Sileo Show'' in
San Diego
San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the eighth most populous city in the United State ...
on
KWFN
KWFN (97.3 FM) – branded as 97.3 The Fan – is a commercial sports radio station licensed to serve San Diego, California. Owned by Audacy, Inc., the station covers both the Greater San Diego market and the San Diego–Tijuana transborder aggl ...
97.3 FM "The Fan" until April 2019. He had been hired in August 2019 by
IHeartMedia to host afternoons on Fox Sports 910
KGME
KGME (910 AM) is a commercial radio station in Phoenix, Arizona. KGME carries a sports radio format and is owned by iHeartMedia, Inc. The studios and offices are in Phoenix near Sky Harbor International Airport.
KGME is powered at 5,000 watts, u ...
in
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix ( ; nv, Hoozdo; es, Fénix or , yuf-x-wal, Banyà:nyuwá) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona, with 1,608,139 residents as of 2020. It is the fifth-most populous city in the United States, and the on ...
. But the program was discontinued the following week due to pressure from the
Arizona Coyotes
The Arizona Coyotes are a professional ice hockey team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Coyotes compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference and currently play at the Mul ...
hockey team. KGME carries the Coyotes and team management felt Sileo's past controversial remarks on sexuality and race were not a good fit with the team's
flagship radio station.
[InsideRadio.com "Arizona Coyotes Pressure KGME to Cut Ties with Dan Sileo" September 10, 2019](_blank)
/ref>
During his career, Sileo also spent time with the Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divi ...
and Detroit Lions of the National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...
(NFL), as well as the Orlando Thunder
The Orlando Thunder was a member of the World League of American Football from 1991 to 1992 (known as NFL Europe from 1995 onwards). The team played their games in the 70,000 seat Florida Citrus Bowl, and was coached by Don Matthews in 1991 and ...
of the World League of American Football
NFL Europe League (simply called NFL Europe and known in its final season as NFL Europa League) was a professional American football league that functioned as the developmental minor league of the National Football League (NFL). Originally ...
(WLAF), the Las Vegas Sting of the Arena Football League
The Arena Football League (AFL) was a professional arena football league in the United States. It was founded in 1986, but played its first official games in the 1987 season, making it the third longest-running professional football league in ...
(AFL), and the Las Vegas Posse
The Las Vegas Posse were a Canadian Football League (CFL) team, that played at the Sam Boyd Silver Bowl in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States, in the league's 1994 season as part of the CFL's short-lived American expansion. Lasting only one seaso ...
of the Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League (CFL; french: Ligue canadienne de football—LCF) is a professional sports league in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football. The league consists of nine teams, each located in a ci ...
(CFL). In 1993 Sileo held the CWA (Catch Wrestling Association) Jr. Heavyweight European Championship. Sileo is of Italian-American
Italian Americans ( it, italoamericani or ''italo-americani'', ) are Americans who have full or partial Italian ancestry. The largest concentrations of Italian Americans are in the urban Northeast and industrial Midwestern metropolitan areas, ...
descent.
Early years
Sileo attended Stamford Catholic High School in Stamford, Connecticut. He received All-American honors as a senior by Adidas.
College career
Maryland
Sileo originally enrolled at the University of Maryland
The University of Maryland, College Park (University of Maryland, UMD, or simply Maryland) is a public land-grant research university in College Park, Maryland. Founded in 1856, UMD is the flagship institution of the University System of M ...
, where as a freshman, in 1983, he played in 10 games and broke Hall of Famer
A hall, wall, or walk of fame is a list of individuals, achievements, or other entities, usually chosen by a group of electors, to mark their excellence or fame in their field. In some cases, these halls of fame consist of actual halls or muse ...
(and former Terp
A ''terp'', also known as a ''wierde, woerd, warf, warft, werf, werve, wurt'' or ''værft'', is an artificial dwelling mound found on the North European Plain that has been created to provide safe ground during storm surges, high tides an ...
) Randy White's freshman bench press record with a 405-pound bench press. Sileo was a backup on the University of Maryland's 1983 Atlantic Coast Conference Championship team.
Miami (FL)
In 1984, Sileo transferred to the University of Cincinnati
The University of Cincinnati (UC or Cincinnati) is a public research university in Cincinnati, Ohio. Founded in 1819 as Cincinnati College, it is the oldest institution of higher education in Cincinnati and has an annual enrollment of over 44,0 ...
, however, before playing for the Bearcats, he transferred again, this time to the University of Miami
The University of Miami (UM, UMiami, Miami, U of M, and The U) is a private research university in Coral Gables, Florida. , the university enrolled 19,096 students in 12 colleges and schools across nearly 350 academic majors and programs, i ...
.
As a sophomore in 1985, he recorded the nations best bench press at 535-pounds.[ ]
As a junior in 1986, he helped form a stout defensive line which also included Jerome Brown
Willie Jerome Brown III (February 4, 1965 – June 25, 1992) was an American football defensive tackle for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL). He played his entire five-year NFL career with the Eagles from 1987 to 199 ...
, Danny Stubbs
Daniel Stubbs, II (born January 3, 1965) is a former American football defensive end in the National Football League (NFL) for the San Francisco 49ers, Dallas Cowboys, Cincinnati Bengals, Philadelphia Eagles, and Miami Dolphins. He played colleg ...
, and Bill Hawkins, which was voted by SB Nation as the greatest defensive line in program history also known as the famed "86 GANG". He led the Hurricanes defensive line in solo tackles with 50 and 97 total and tackles-for-loss with 13 and third in sacks with six and first in fumbles with eight. He received All-South, second-team All-America
The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed upon an amateur sports person from the United States who is considered to be one of the best amateurs in their sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an All-Am ...
by ''Sport'' magazine, second-team All-American by the Associated Press
The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. ne ...
(AP). He was also named to the Scripps Howard
The E. W. Scripps Company is an American broadcasting company founded in 1878 as a chain of daily newspapers by Edward Willis "E. W." Scripps and his sister, Ellen Browning Scripps. It was also formerly a media conglomerate. The company is he ...
All-American team. In 1986, he was named to the National Strength Coaches Association All-American Strength Team, and was the strongest college football player in America. Sileo is considered the strongest player in program history with a 535 pound bench press and a 650 pound squat for a 1185 pound total.
As a senior in 1987, he was named to the''Sporting News'' preseason All-American team, the '' Sporting News'' preseason Outland Trophy
The Outland Trophy is awarded to the best college football interior lineman in the United States as adjudged by the Football Writers Association of America. It is named after John H. Outland. One of only a few players ever to be named an All-Am ...
and the Lombardi Trophy
The Vince Lombardi Trophy is the trophy awarded each year to the winning team of the National Football League's championship game, the Super Bowl. The trophy is named in honor of NFL coach Vince Lombardi, who led the Green Bay Packers to victor ...
watch lists. He set the record for Miami Hurricane Football players with a 535-pound bench press and 700 pound squat.
In 2010, ''Sports Illustrated'' voted Sileo's 1986 Miami Hurricane Football team the most hated team in American sports history. In 2019: SB Nation named Sileo the greatest Miami Hurricane football player in program history from New England. In 2020: SB Nation named Sileo the 2nd Best Miami Hurricane transfer player in program history.
Draft troubles
Sileo ran out of his five-year eligibility for NCAA play after the 1986 season. In September 1987, the NCAA ruled that he was ineligible to return and play for the Hurricanes. On September 6, 1987, two days after the NCAA deemed him ineligible, Sileo claimed that because he had not entered the 1986 NFL Draft
The 1986 NFL draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 29–30, 1986, at the Marriott Marq ...
, he was a free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...
; he proceeded to sign with the Buccaneers
Buccaneers were a kind of privateers or free sailors particular to the Caribbean Sea during the 17th and 18th centuries. First established on northern Hispaniola as early as 1625, their heyday was from the Restoration in 1660 until about 1688 ...
.
The NFL declared the contract invalid and put him in the 1987
File:1987 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The MS Herald of Free Enterprise capsizes after leaving the Port of Zeebrugge in Belgium, killing 193; Northwest Airlines Flight 255 crashes after takeoff from Detroit Metropolitan Airport, ...
NFL Supplemental Draft
The National Football League Draft, also called the NFL Draft or (officially) the Player Selection Meeting, is an annual event which serves as the league's most common source of player recruitment. Each team is given a position in the drafting o ...
. Although Sileo initially sued the NFL and the Buccaneers to honor his original contract, he eventually submitted to the Supplemental Draft, where the Buccaneers selected him in the third round (56th overall). Sileo is the second-highest drafted defensive lineman in NFL Supplemental Draft
The National Football League Draft, also called the NFL Draft or (officially) the Player Selection Meeting, is an annual event which serves as the league's most common source of player recruitment. Each team is given a position in the drafting o ...
history and the ninth highest drafted Miami Hurricane defensive tackle since 1980.
Professional career
In 1987
File:1987 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The MS Herald of Free Enterprise capsizes after leaving the Port of Zeebrugge in Belgium, killing 193; Northwest Airlines Flight 255 crashes after takeoff from Detroit Metropolitan Airport, ...
, he played in 10 games as backup nose tackle and special teams
In American football, the specific role that a player takes on the field is referred to as their "position". Under the modern rules of American football, both teams are allowed 11 players on the field at one time and have "unlimited free substitu ...
player. On August 27, 1988
File:1988 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The oil platform Piper Alpha explodes and collapses in the North Sea, killing 165 workers; The USS Vincennes (CG-49) mistakenly shoots down Iran Air Flight 655; Australia celebrates its Bicenten ...
, he was released, even though his selection cost the Buccaneers a 1988 third-round pick. In February 1989
File:1989 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The Cypress structure collapses as a result of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, killing motorists below; The proposal document for the World Wide Web is submitted; The Exxon Valdez oil tanker runs ...
, he signed as a free agent with the Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divi ...
, reuniting him with Jimmy Johnson who was his head coach with the Hurricanes. He was released on August 28. Shortly after he was released, he fainted in his Dallas home and was rushed to the emergency room with a temperature of 106 degrees and an enlarged heart, where he was diagnosed meningococcal meningitis
Meningococcal disease describes infections caused by the bacterium ''Neisseria meningitidis'' (also termed meningococcus). It has a high mortality rate if untreated but is vaccine-preventable. While best known as a cause of meningitis, it can a ...
, which almost led to his death and would keep to him out of football for three years.
In 1992, he tried a comeback after being out of football for three years, signing with the Orlando Thunder
The Orlando Thunder was a member of the World League of American Football from 1991 to 1992 (known as NFL Europe from 1995 onwards). The team played their games in the 70,000 seat Florida Citrus Bowl, and was coached by Don Matthews in 1991 and ...
of the World League of American Football
NFL Europe League (simply called NFL Europe and known in its final season as NFL Europa League) was a professional American football league that functioned as the developmental minor league of the National Football League (NFL). Originally ...
. He received second-team All-League honors, while helping the team reach the World Bowl
The World Bowl was the annual American football championship game of the World League of American Football/NFL Europe. The World Bowl was played each year from 1991 to 2007 (except 1993 and 1994).
The game was conceived as the final of the NFL-r ...
in Montreal, Quebec
Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple-pe ...
, where they lost to the Sacramento Surge
The Sacramento Surge was a professional American football team that played in the World League of American Football (WLAF) in 1991 and 1992. The team played its first season at Hughes Stadium in Sacramento, and the second season in Hornet Stad ...
21-17.
On June 22, 1992, he was signed as a free agent by the Detroit Lions. He was released before the start of the season on August 24.
On May 2, 1994, he signed with the Las Vegas Posse
The Las Vegas Posse were a Canadian Football League (CFL) team, that played at the Sam Boyd Silver Bowl in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States, in the league's 1994 season as part of the CFL's short-lived American expansion. Lasting only one seaso ...
of the Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League (CFL; french: Ligue canadienne de football—LCF) is a professional sports league in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football. The league consists of nine teams, each located in a ci ...
. He played in four regular season games, before being waived on May 29.
In 1994, he signed with the Las Vegas Sting of the Arena Football League
The Arena Football League (AFL) was a professional arena football league in the United States. It was founded in 1986, but played its first official games in the 1987 season, making it the third longest-running professional football league in ...
. He received honorable-mention All-League honors, while contributing to the team reaching the playoffs, where they lost to the Arizona Rattlers 51-46, to wrap up his professional football career. In 1999 Sileo was an extra in the Oliver Stone movie "Any Given Sunday".
Wrestling career
Sileo had a brief career in professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a form of theater that revolves around staged wrestling matches. The mock combat is performed in a ring similar to the kind used in boxing, and the dramatic aspects of pro wrestling may be performed both in the ring or ...
. He was known as Bonecrusher Sileo, first hired by "Cowboy" Bob Orton in 1993 and was trained in Atlanta
Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...
. He later went to the Catch Wrestling Association (CWA) in Vienna, Austria
en, Viennese
, iso_code = AT-9
, registration_plate = W
, postal_code_type = Postal code
, postal_code =
, timezone = CET
, utc_offset = +1
, timezone_DST ...
, where he wrestled for the Jr. Heavyweight Championship of Europe and held the title for 12 days before losing it to Rambo. Sileo was later hired by New Japan Pro-Wrestling
(NJPW) is a Puroresu, Japanese professional wrestling Professional wrestling promotion, promotion based in Nakano, Tokyo. Founded on January 13, 1972, by Antonio Inoki, the promotion was sold to Yuke's, who later sold it to Bushiroad in 2012. TV ...
in Tokyo
Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and List of cities in Japan, largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, ...
and wrestled at the Tokyo Dome
is an indoor stadium in Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan. It was designed as a baseball stadium following its predecessor, Korakuen Stadium. Construction on the stadium began on May 16, 1985, and it opened on March 17, 1988. It was built on the site of th ...
.
Radio career
Sileo was hired by 810 KGO San Francisco
San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17th ...
, where he was a sports anchor on the morning show called ''Dunbar and Rosie'' and was hired by former general manager Mickey Luckoff. Sileo moved another local station, 680 KNBR KNBR may refer to:
* KNBR (AM), a radio station (680 AM) licensed to serve San Francisco, California, United States
* KNBR-FM
KNBR-FM (104.5 MHz) is a commercial radio station licensed to San Francisco, California, serving the greater San ...
, where he hosted ''Sportsphone 68'' and co-owned KTCT
KTCT (1050 kHz) is a commercial AM radio station licensed to San Mateo, California, and serving the San Francisco Bay Area. It is owned by Cumulus Media and airs a sports radio format as KNBR 1050, a sister station to KNBR and KNBR-FM. In contr ...
"The Ticket" 1050 where he hosted the morning show with Rod Brooks called ''Ebony and Ivory''. He was also on the Oakland Raiders pre-game and postgame shows and was the sideline reporter for Stanford Cardinal football and the San Jose Sabercats
The San Jose SaberCats were a professional arena football team based in San Jose, California. The SaberCats had been members of the Arena Football League (AFL) since 1995 (the year in which the team was founded); and until 2015, they belonged to ...
pre-and postgame host.
In 1998, Sileo moved to Tampa, to take over the morning show on 620 WDAE
WDAE (620 AM) is a commercial radio station licensed to St. Petersburg, Florida and serving the Tampa Bay area. It is owned by iHeartMedia and airs a sports radio format. WDAE is one of the oldest radio stations in Florida still broadcasting ...
. Sileo raised the ratings for the show into the top 5.
In 2000, he moved to the nationally syndicated Fox Sports Radio Network. He hosted a 4am–8am program called ''The Dan Sileo Show''. He was the first person hired by then CEO Kraig Kitchin and helped build a network of 233 stations. In September 2002, Sileo moved back to Florida and debuted on WYGM
WYGM (740 AM broadcasting, AM) is a commercial radio, commercial radio station in Orlando, Florida, United States. It is owned by iHeartMedia and airs an sports radio, all sports radio format. Programming is simulcast on FM broadcasting, FM bro ...
740 "The Team" in Orlando
Orlando () is a city in the U.S. state of Florida and is the county seat of Orange County. In Central Florida, it is the center of the Orlando metropolitan area, which had a population of 2,509,831, according to U.S. Census Bureau figures re ...
. His program, ''The Dan Sileo Show'', began airing from 6am to 9am, with an emphasis on hot topic issues such as race
Race, RACE or "The Race" may refer to:
* Race (biology), an informal taxonomic classification within a species, generally within a sub-species
* Race (human categorization), classification of humans into groups based on physical traits, and/or s ...
, drugs, and other sports scandals
A scandal can be broadly defined as the strong social reactions of outrage, anger, or surprise, when accusations or rumours circulate or appear for some reason, regarding a person or persons who are perceived to have transgressed in some way. Th ...
, as well as a typical morning wrap-up of the previous day's events. For a short time in 2004, the program was also heard on WINZ 940 AM in Miami
Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a coastal metropolis and the county seat of Miami-Dade County in South Florida, United States. With a population of 442,241 at ...
. On weekends, he also worked as a sports analyst on Westwood One
Westwood One is an American radio network owned by Cumulus Media. The company syndicates talk, music, and sports programming.
The company takes its name from an earlier network also named Westwood One, a company founded in 1978. The compan ...
radio.
In December 2007, WYGM 740, owned by Clear Channel Communications, began changing its line-up of hosts. Sileo announced on-air that he had signed a new contract extension with Clear Channel to continue his show, but it would move down the dial to 540 WFLF. The show was also broadcast on co-owned WFXJ in Jacksonville
Jacksonville is a city located on the Atlantic coast of northeast Florida, the most populous city proper in the state and is the List of United States cities by area, largest city by area in the contiguous United States as of 2020. It is the co ...
. In March 2008, Sileo's radio show was cancelled by WFXJ. It returned to the station in January 2009.
Sileo's longest stint was on 620 WDAE
WDAE (620 AM) is a commercial radio station licensed to St. Petersburg, Florida and serving the Tampa Bay area. It is owned by iHeartMedia and airs a sports radio format. WDAE is one of the oldest radio stations in Florida still broadcasting ...
in Tampa as the morning drive host. Former executives Gabe Hobbs and CEO Randy Michaels were major influences in Sileo's success and Michaels called Sileo "the best sports talk radio host in America." Sileo was syndicated in Orlando, back on 740 "The Game" (after that station changed back to a sports format). He was also a Heisman Trophy voter, a member of the Football Writers Association of America and a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) media. In 2011 TV sports columnist Jim Williams of the ''Washington Examiner
The ''Washington Examiner'' is an American conservative news outlet which consists principally of an online/digital website with a weekly magazine, based in Washington, D.C. It is owned by MediaDC, a subsidiary of Clarity Media Group, which is o ...
'' wrote that Sileo is "the best morning sports radio host in the country." In July 2012, Sileo was named to ''Talkers Magazine
''Talkers Magazine'' is a trade-industry publication related to talk radio in the United States. Its slogan is "The Bible of Talk Radio and the New Talk Media". In addition to radio, it also covers talk shows on broadcast and cable television, a ...
'' Top 100 SportsTalk Hosts in America at #32. He was also on the broadcast team for WFLA 970's broadcast of the Outback Bowl for four years.
Sileo was hired by San Diego
San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the eighth most populous city in the United State ...
's "The Mighty" 1090 AM XEPRS in February 2014 to do a morning show from 6am-9am Monday through Friday. Decades earlier, Robert Weston Smith also known as "Wolfman Jack," hosted the morning show on "the Mighty 1090" from the mid-1960s to the mid-1970s and was featured in the George Lucas movie ''American Graffiti
''American Graffiti'' is a 1973 American coming-of-age comedy-drama film directed by George Lucas, produced by Francis Ford Coppola, written by Willard Huyck, Gloria Katz and Lucas, and starring Richard Dreyfuss, Ron Howard (billed as Ronny ...
''. Due to XEPRS's powerful transmitter, it was also heard in Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...
.
In less than a year on The Mighty 1090's morning show, Sileo was named once again to the ''Talkers'' Magazine's Top 100 sports radio shows in America at number 93 in 2014 after tripling the ratings. In March 2015 and 2016, Sileo was named radio pregame host of the San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1969, the club has won two NL penn ...
. In October 2015, the Little Italy Association of San Diego honored him as one of America's most famous Italian Americans by adding him to the legendary "Banner Program". In 2015 Sileo was named number 29 by ''Talkers'' Magazine, among the most important SportsTalk Radio shows in America. He was also named #16 in Jason Barrett's Top 20 Morning Sports Radio Shows in America. He was named to RadioInk's Top 30 Local Sports Radio host in America at number 24. In 2016, the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA), invited him to vote weekly on the SUPER-16 Grantland
''Grantland'' was a sports and pop-culture blog owned and operated by ESPN. The blog was started in 2011 by veteran writer and sports journalist Bill Simmons, who remained as editor-in-chief until May 2015. ''Grantland'' was named after famed e ...
Rice Poll which teams up weekly with the National Football Foundation
The National Football Foundation (NFF) is a non-profit organization to promote and develop amateur American football on all levels throughout the United States and "developing the qualities of leadership, sportsmanship, competitive zeal and the dr ...
(NFF). Again in 2016, he was named to the Radio Ink Top 30 SportsTalk radio shows in America, he came in at #21. He started out 2017 year being named #20 on Jason Barrett's Top 20 Morning Sports Radio Shows in America. He named to the 2017 Talker's Top 100 Sports Talk Radio shows in America in at #31. He was one of the few ex-pro athletes hosting a morning sports radio talk show as a solo host in America. In 2018, Sileo once again was named to Radio Ink's Top 30 SportsTalk radio host in America.
In January 2018, Sileo left "The Mighty 1090am" morning drive show for Entercom
Audacy, Inc. is an American broadcasting company based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1968 as Entercom Communications Corporation, it is the second largest radio company in the United States, owning 235 radio stations across 48 media ...
's new talk and sports station on 97.3 FM "The Machine" from 10am-2pm doing general talk radio. One month later, Entercom re-branded the station as "97.3 The Fan." Sileo returned to morning drive 5am-9am. In April 2019 Sileo left the morning show on 97.3 FM, but remained with Entercom Communications for several more months.
In August 2019, he was hired by IHeartMedia to host afternoons on Fox Sports 910 KGME
KGME (910 AM) is a commercial radio station in Phoenix, Arizona. KGME carries a sports radio format and is owned by iHeartMedia, Inc. The studios and offices are in Phoenix near Sky Harbor International Airport.
KGME is powered at 5,000 watts, u ...
in Phoenix
Phoenix most often refers to:
* Phoenix (mythology), a legendary bird from ancient Greek folklore
* Phoenix, Arizona, a city in the United States
Phoenix may also refer to:
Mythology
Greek mythological figures
* Phoenix (son of Amyntor), a ...
. But the program was discontinued the following week due to pressure from the Arizona Coyotes
The Arizona Coyotes are a professional ice hockey team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Coyotes compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference and currently play at the Mul ...
hockey team. KGME carries the Coyotes and team management felt Sileo's past controversial remarks on sexuality and race were not a good fit with the team's flagship radio station.
In September 2020, Sileo started a new Nationally Syndicated Radio Show on USA Radio Network. In April 2021 Sileo started a new "National Football Show" on YouTube/Jakib Media from 4-6PM ET
Controversies
His career has been marked by a series of several controversial events that led to his firing from three radio stations in 2012 and 2013.
2012
Sileo was fired from WDAE
WDAE (620 AM) is a commercial radio station licensed to St. Petersburg, Florida and serving the Tampa Bay area. It is owned by iHeartMedia and airs a sports radio format. WDAE is one of the oldest radio stations in Florida still broadcasting ...
in March 2012 after he called three black NFL free agents "monkeys." The Tampa Bay Times reported that, while discussing the possibility of Cortland Finnegan
Cortland Temujin Finnegan (born February 2, 1984) is a former American football cornerback. He played college football at Samford, and was drafted by the Tennessee Titans in the seventh round of the 2006 NFL Draft. Finnegan also played for the ...
, Vincent Jackson
Vincent Terrell Jackson (January 14, 1983 – February 15, 2021) was an American professional football player who played as a wide receiver for 12 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Northern Colorad ...
, and Jonathan Vilma
Jonathan Polynice Vilma (born April 16, 1982) is a former American football linebacker and current Fox NFL analyst. He played college football at the University of Miami, winning a National Championship in 2001. He went on to be drafted by the N ...
joining the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. The cl ...
, Sileo said, "If they get those three monkeys, I'm good. I'm ready, man. I'm ready. I want those guys. Those guys are great players."
Sileo joined 560 WQAM
WQAM (560 AM, "AM 560 Sports") is a radio station in Miami, Florida. Owned by Audacy, Inc., it broadcasts a sports talk format carrying a mixture of local and CBS Sports Radio programming. Its studios are located in Audacy's Miami office on No ...
in Miami
Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a coastal metropolis and the county seat of Miami-Dade County in South Florida, United States. With a population of 442,241 at ...
in April 2012 but was fired in March 2013 after several public missteps. In January 2013, he was suspended from the station after a series of sexist tweets directed at Fox Sports
Fox Sports is the brand name for a number of sports channels, broadcast divisions, programming, and other media around the world.
The ''Fox Sports'' name has since been used for other sports media assets. These assets are held mainly by the F ...
broadcaster Erin Andrews
Erin Jill Andrews (born May 4, 1978) is an American sportscaster, television personality, and actress. She rose to prominence as a correspondent on the American cable sports channel ESPN after joining the network in 2004. She later joined Fox S ...
. The ''Tampa Tribune
''The Tampa Tribune'' was a daily newspaper published in Tampa, Florida. Along with the competing ''Tampa Bay Times'', the ''Tampa Tribune'' was one of two major newspapers published in the Tampa Bay area.
The newspaper also published a ''St. Pe ...
'' reported that one of the comments referred to a 2008 incident in which a stalker secretly recorded a video of Andrews in her hotel room. Sileo tweeted to Andrews: "pepe ichole best thing for ur career." He also referred to her as a "bimbo", told her to "make me dinner" and "bake me a cake" and added, "love Erin either naked or in a porn..not at a sports desk."
2013
In November 2013, Sileo was fired by WMEN
WMEN (640 AM, "Fox Sports 640") is a sports radio station licensed to Royal Palm Beach, Florida, United States. The station primarily serves the West Palm Beach, Florida market and provides strong coverage of nearby Fort Lauderdale and Miami. Fo ...
after sending a tweet that he was placing a $1,000 bounty on Florida State
Florida State University (FSU) is a public university, public research university in Tallahassee, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida. Founded in 1851, it is located on the oldest continuous site of higher e ...
defensive lineman Timmy Jernigan
Timothy Lenord Jernigan Jr. (born September 24, 1992) is a former American football defensive end. He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the second round of the 2014 NFL Draft. He played college football at Florida State.
High school care ...
. Sileo said that he would pay $1,000 to any Miami Hurricanes
The Miami Hurricanes (known informally as The U, UM, or The 'Canes) are the intercollegiate sports teams that represent the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida. The Hurricanes compete in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic A ...
player that would "TAKES THIS KID OUT" while attaching a photo of Jernigan using his hands to create "The U".
Personal life
Sileo is a relative of former New York Mets
The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. They are one of two major league ...
Manager
Management (or managing) is the administration of an organization, whether it is a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government body. It is the art and science of managing resources of the business.
Management includes the activities ...
Bobby Valentine
Robert John Valentine (born May 13, 1950), nicknamed "Bobby V", is an American former professional baseball player and manager. He also served as the athletic director at Sacred Heart University. Valentine played for the Los Angeles Dodgers (1 ...
and New York Giants defensive end
Defensive end (DE) is a defensive position in the sport of gridiron football.
This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations over the years have substantially changed how the position is ...
Andy Robustelli
Andrew Richard Robustelli (December 6, 1925 – May 31, 2011) was an American football defensive end in the National Football League (NFL) for the Los Angeles Rams and the New York Giants. He played college football at Arnold College and was d ...
.
References
External links
PadresRadio.com profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sileo, Dan
1963 births
Living people
Sportspeople from Stamford, Connecticut
American sportspeople of Italian descent
American football defensive linemen
Las Vegas Posse players
Maryland Terrapins football players
Miami Hurricanes football players
Tampa Bay Buccaneers players
Orlando Thunder players
Las Vegas Sting players
American color commentators
American radio personalities
Hells Angels