ESPN Chicago radio hosts Tom Waddle and Marc Silverman (Silvy) have a weekly phone call every Tuesday with Chicago Bears Pro Bowler, Akiem Hicks. For the most part, they recap the previous game and try to get some insight from him. This season obviously hasn’t gone as planned and Hicks usually responds to their questions with the same sort-of cookie-cutter answers, but today was different.
Waddle and Silvy opened their interview asking Hicks about pies and power ranking them in the spirit of the Holiday coming up this week, a testament to the light-heartedness that the show strives for during interviews. Shortly into the interview, Waddle and Silvy started asking the tougher, but warranted questions about his injury and the team. Hicks said his arm injury rehab was going well (great news) and Waddle asked jokingly “You and Danny almost ready for an arm-wrestling match??” Everyone laughed and for anyone that isn’t as familiar with the show, this is the kind of questioning that goes on, mixed in with some more serious questions of course.
Then they got into Tarik Cohen’s comments about fans booing. This is where it started to get a little awkward…
Hicks goes on to state that he’s a Lakers fan and would never boo them at a game, its not his style. To which Waddle responds, “What if they score like 10 points in the first half?” Hicks laughs and says “I see what you did there” and goes on to reiterate that he wouldn’t boo his team. Silvy then chirps in “What if the Lakers hadn’t won a championship in 34 years?” Obviously alluding to the fact that the Bears have not won a championship in a long time, to which Hicks doesn’t seem to appreciate and calls it a jab. He then goes on to question the fans’ and radio hosts’ loyalty to the Bears to which Waddle and Silvy plead their case. Hicks tells Silvy that “being tagging that you’re a Chicagoan doesn’t make you a Bears fan” and “he met a couple Chicagoans that have said they’re Packers fans.”
Hicks goes on to say that the team is going through a tough time and they don’t want to be where they are. “Ride with us… we’re fighting to get back up. We didn’t do this on purpose, we didn’t try to get ourselves in this situation.”
Now here’s where the exchange goes awry:
Waddle then says: “You mean you didn’t put your arm in between those two Raiders and it popped out of joint on purpose?…No I’m joking.”
Hicks then interrupts him and says: “Hey, that’s a joke? You think that’s a joke? You don’t joke about somebody’s injury. No, no, no, no, I’m perfectly respectful. I’m perfectly respectful, but I’ll tell you what, you will not joke about this injury. Hey you have a blessed day, this is the last time I’m on this radio station.”
Waddle starts apologizing immediately throughout Hicks’ final comments.
Silvy says: “Akiem, are you serious? There goes Akiem Hicks. That was sort of, that got out of hand, really weird.”
Waddle says: “I didn’t even mean it that way…”
Here is the audio:
For anyone interested here is the audio for today’s @WaddleandSilvy show with #Bears Defensive Lineman Akiem Hicks. #Bears @DOM_Frederic pic.twitter.com/bbug3ipCbv
— andy (@AndyGetBuckets) November 27, 2019
Shortly after they talk about it, Silvy sees that Akiem starts tweeting about the exchange:
Lol they got me! Baited me right into it. Good work👍🏾
— akiem hicks (@The_Dream99) November 26, 2019
You don’t joke about someone’s nearly season ending injury. It’s just not funny. Shouldn’t have lost my cool but “To err is human, to forgive divine”
— akiem hicks (@The_Dream99) November 26, 2019
He then tries to reach out to him on Twitter to which Hicks responds:
Your actions speak for themselves. 13 years on air and with other athletes has no bearing when it comes to right and wrong. And you making light of a serious injury is not what athletes come on the show for.
— akiem hicks (@The_Dream99) November 26, 2019
Anyone who listens to Waddle and Silvy, knows that these guys have no ill intent with anyone. They’ve been a Chicago staple for years and are respected around the country. No one loves his Chicago teams more than Silvy, which can almost be annoying at some points, but it seems like Hicks had no knowledge of that when questioning his fandom. Then to think that Waddle, a guy who played with the Bears and has had his fair share of injuries, was ACTUALLY making a joke about Hicks being injured? That doesn’t add up. It was sarcasm that fits right in with what Waddle and Silvy do every day. Again, the season isn’t going as planned and Hicks has gotta be dying to be out there with his guys, so I understand his frustration. I think his reaction was a little much though, especially given the nature of the show he comes on weekly.
Later on, in the show Waddle said he tried reaching out to Hicks via phone and text but got no response. Hopefully, the guys get it all cleared up for their own sake and relationship reasons, but as someone who listens to Waddle and Silvy almost daily, they’re not missing out on much content if Hicks does decide to not come on the show anymore. This honestly was the most entertaining call with Hicks all season…
Listen to the full exchange yourself anywhere you can get a podcast or click here. The interview itself starts around the 3 minute mark and the heated part starts around the 8 and a half minute mark.
Fellow host, who is on right before Waddle and Silvy, Johnny “The Good Kid” Jurkovic (Jurko) also weighed in on the exchange…
Tomorrow in rosemont @BubCityRosemont @CarmenDeFalco @Jurko64 will be collecting pacifiers, baby rattles, and diapers for the crybaby #Bears. @The_Dream99 @TarikCohen
— Jurko (@Jurko64) November 27, 2019
ESPN Radio Chicago may not be interviewing Bears players for awhile… Do you think Waddle crossed the line? Was Hicks right to hang up? Comment below.
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22 Comments
Hicks is a great player not much of an interview guy though …See ya
I don’t think we should start bashing Akiem Hicks, that’s just not right. He didn’t like the way the joke or sarcasm came across and obviously he’s upset about his injury and how bad the season is. I know as fans we can cross the line with these athletes but remember they are real people and people susceptible to act out of character at times. He’s a great player and believe he is a good person. He just let this bar joke get the best of him.
I think it was out of line…there is no humor what so ever in an injury to a player. Bad journalism…but not suprising considering the sources. Big mouth bumps if you ask me…put jerko in that group too. Clowns
I’m with Hicks. Waddle you of all people should know what injuries do to athletes. #onehitwonderwaddle
Former listener but the sarcasm and childish humor became to unbearable. Time for them to grow up. Time to think before y open your mouth.
I understand Hicks and frustration of not playing and his team sucks. Tommy didnt mean anything by it obviously. Just bad timing and Hicks didn’t appreciate it. Move on. It’s not like Hicks has no clue about the radio show. Those guys are always cracking jokes and playing. It’s what I like about the show. No worries let’s move along men.
All of chicago sports radio is garbage right now they sit back and make jokes and mock these players and act all tough on the radio but there journalism sucks and they cry and bitch that players and teams don’t open up to them Or don’t want to give them any Kind info into certain situations going on with the team well here is the a perfect example as to why.
Anyone who listens to the show knows that Waddle is one of the most caring guys on that station. Hicks grow up man!
Yes I believe Waddle was out of line on his comment! He should know better about making jokes on injuries especially since he is an ex-NFL player. Waddle knows what these guys put themselves through every day just to play. Shame on you!!
Hicks is a beast and a very well spoken player leave the man alone. He is obviously not very happy he can not be out there cracking heads with the boy’s and that is what I love to see in a player. Bears fan for life, through thick and thin. #BEARDOWN
Waddle’s point was that Hicks couldn’t do anything about the injury. He wasn’t making fun of Hicks getting injured. Anyone that cannot see that needs to grow up.
Just goes to show you how outdated these spots radio guys in Chicago really are, 670 is even worse as of late with some of theses shows.
Also, considering he’s a frequently-injured, former NFL player himself, I’m very certain Waddle wasn’t try to mock an injury. The way he delivered that attempt at sarcasm was a bit painful on the ears though, kind of understand Hicks not being cool with it (even if he handled it immaturely)
Honestly Chicago sports media are so self righteous and entitled. They pressed his button. They didn’t mean to, but they did. He’s dealing with something major that impacts his career and the Bears as a team in big ways during an unexpectedly tough season. Forgive him for being sensitive. But media rallying around the media is pathetic. If your job is to criticize players and teams who are under performing (and that is at sports radio in Chicago is all about) then please don’t whine and cry and act so surprised and put out every now and again when a person actually takes it personally. Anyone who doesn’t slurp the radio hosts or criticizes the sports radio in any way gets branded a baby by…the media. Super Transparent. Super distasteful.
This all begins with the head coach. He pampers the players and they expect to be pampered by the media and fans. The organization is broken.
Tom really that injury joke, you the athlete I’m shocked done listening to you two ?
hicks is a bully. he threatened haugh on the other station for asking him about Mack. Hicks plays it cool but gets all pissy if an interviewer doesn’t do what he says. Hicks is a bully.
Hicks is a bully but sports radio in Chicago does suck. I feel like I’m listening to my sophomore in hs self most of the time. Kaplan on ESPN is the worst.
I like hicks. I like the radio show. Every person sees things different. Hicks sounds his injury scared him from losing his career. But how anyone else suppose to know that a touchy subject. A harmless joke shows it now… I broke my ankle, just had surgery.. going be out of work for months. Who knows if will able to drive a semi again.. and I can joke about my injury. Everyone different.
Happens all the time with these former players turning analyst. It’s like they forget about respect towards guys playing now because they are announcers. Injuries nothing to joke about. I would of hung up on them too.
What I like about their show is I have never heard them be disrespectful to anyone. Not their style, not what they do. They joke around but not at the expense of others. Tom’s comments were misunderstood and I am sure they will work it out. I sure it is a frustrating season for Hicks also.
Cowardly by Waddle. And equal of a cowardly act is Silvy’s tweek that reeks of damage control. “for the past 13 years …. blah blah.” “Simply misunderstanding”? Talk about entitled right there.
Chicago media is awful, including the clown shoes on 670 The Score. They are all sensationalized, click-back stories. National Enquirer is calling, Bernstein, Waddle, Parkins, McNeil.
Def with Hicks. Hosts seem arrogant and too comfortable which led to them crossing line. Low blow. Good for Hicks, he actually ended it graciously. Fire the host that asked question, I’d be fine with that