Move over, Carmy, we’ve got some real beef in Chicago.
ESPN 1000 host Mark Silverman viciously ripped “rat” Bulls radio voice Chuck Swirsky after the latter criticized Bears coach Ben Johnson for saying, “F–k the Packers,” following Saturday’s wild-card win.
Swirsky has since deleted his tweet.
“People don’t realize what a bad dude he is,” Silverman said Tuesday.
“He is a guy that will shake your hand and stab you in the back. He’s one of the worst people out there.”
It may seem odd that there’s a Chicago-on-Chicago beef following one of the greatest wins in Bears history, but Johnson’s postgame diss has become a lightning rod.
Some loved the first-year coach’s outburst after knocking off the big brother in the division, while others thought it crossed the line.
“For Chuck Swirsky to think that anybody cares what he thinks about Ben Johnson swearing in a victorious locker room, it’s absolutely ridiculous,” he said. “Chuck Swirsky is another guy who will never call out (White Sox and Bulls owner) Jerry Reinsdorf. He will continually kiss his ass. He’d rather lose 60 games a year as the announcer of the Bulls than care about what Ben Johnson is doing with a win. That guy is awful, he’s a bad dude and he’s not good at his job.”
Swirsky declined to comment to the Chicago Sun-Times.
“I respect your question. I hope you respect my answer,” he told the outlet. “No comment.”
Silverman used Swirsky’s take on the matter to go off on him, delving into some past issues.
He alleged that when Dan McNeil (hat tip to the Chicago Sun-Times for the names of this inside-the-business drama) left ESPN 1000 in 2009 following a successful afternoon show, Swirsky called the bosses and said they could get rid of the show’s remaining co-hosts.
“No one will do a better job on that show than me,” Swirsky allegedly said, per Silverman.
Silverman further alleged that Swirsky used to call the station and tell them he should be the one being featured instead of his current radio partner and ex-Bulls star, Bill Wennington.
Wennington and Swirsky have worked together since 2008, when Bulls games used to air on ESPN 1000 before ultimately landing with 670 The Score.
“I finally had enough of him. He would shake my hand and stab me in the back. I’ve experienced it,” Silverman said. “I would see him at Bulls games, this is what he’d do, and then a day later, he was going up to Jerry Reinsdorf, showing the mean tweets that people were saying about the Bulls.
“What a rat. What a bad person. I hope you give him hell. There are not many people in this business that I don’t like. I care about my relationships. That is one of the worst guys.”
Silverman added that his wife asked him to avoid the topic, but he couldn’t resists.
“I don’t know how to fight without that way,” he said. “This is one bad, bad, bad person.”
He added: “Chuck Swirsky has stirred it up in this town, but acting like he’s a good person for years and years and years. And those, in my opinion, are the worst people in the world.”
