A sports fan who phoned into a Philadelphia radio station was so focused on complaining about estranged 76ers star Ben Simmons that he shrugged off getting hit by a car while on the air. (Hear the audio below.)
“James” was patched through when he was asked, “What’s on your mind?” “Uh, nothing, someone just hit my car,” he replied.
The incredulous Angelo Cataldi and the Morning Team on 94WIP wanted confirmation that the caller had been in an accident. “Yeah, and they’re driving off,” James said. “It’s OK.”
The hosts encouraged James to get a license plate number while James let them know the other driver “swerved into my lane.”
“Anyway, I’m calling about Ben Simmons,” he said, unperturbed.
“You just got in a car accident and you’re calling about Ben Simmons?”
“Yeah,” James replied, “because he annoys me more than someone hitting my car and driving off.”
Sports media consultant Jason Barrett posted the recent bizarre exchange:
According to Awful Announcing, the conversation continued.
“I wanna talk about how annoying Ben Simmons is because it makes me sick that he is lying about mental health,” James said. Simmons has reportedly told the team he has mental health issues. He hasn’t played all season. The team reportedly wants its own “mental health professionals” involved.
While the Simmons controversy is a hot subject among the Philly faithful, Cataldi wasn’t so ready to indulge. “I’m really having a hard time paying attention to the call because you just got hit,” Cataldi said, per Awful Announcing. “I actually heard the contact.”
The hosts asked James to remain on to award him the “winner of the week” prize for handling the hit-and-run and radio call simultaneously, Awful Announcing reported.
The radio station declined to comment.
H/T For the Win