Who is Don Geronimo? Sports radio host fired over sexist comments towards female reporter

After much deliberation, veteran sports radio host Don Geronimo has been divested of his job for insulting a TV reporter.

On Thursday, Geronimo, a host for DC-area radio station WBIG, made this comment towards WUSA9 reporter Sharla McBride:

“Hey look, Barbie’s here. Hi, Barbie girl. I’m guessing she’s a cheerleader.”

That got him and co-host Chase Young banned from Washington Commanders camp (WBIG is part of the team's radio network). On Sunday, though, iHeartMedia took the ultimate measure. DC Region president Aaron Hyland told the Washington Post:

“After an internal review, Don Geronimo is no longer an employee of WBIG. We take matters of this nature very seriously, and this behavior does not align with our core values.”

So, who is Don Geronimo, and what had he been doing before this controversy? Born Michael L. Sorce on Sept. 18, 1958, Geronimo got his first taste of radio work at 13, when he was hired by what was at the time WINX (now the Spanish-language WLXE).

After multiple jobs at various stations, he landed at WAVA-FM in 1985, where he and Mike O'Meara launched The Morning Zoo with Don and Mike. In 1991, the show moved to WJFK-FM, where it would be renamed The Don and Mike Show.

After 23 years of hosting, Geronimo retired in 2008, but only briefly, resurfacing at the independently owned WOCM. After bouncing between stations, including a return to WJFK-FM, he launched his eponymous podcast on the RELM Network.

The Don Geronimo Show moved to WBIG in 2021, where it would stay until his recent firing.

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Don Geronimo's firing comes amidst ownership change at Washington Commanders

The decision to remove Geronimo is one of the peripheral events happening during a time of monumental change for the Commanders.

The much-maligned Dan Snyder was finally sold to Josh Harris for a record-breaking $6 billion. Snyder had attracted widespread condemnation for, among other things, multiple instances of sexual misconduct. So the last thing Harris wanted as he began his tenure is another scandal.

Meanwhile, shortly after his firing, Geronimo said:

"At this time I will not be providing comment on the events of the last few days. I am consulting with my advisors as to my options moving forward, including an accurate reflection of the situation. Thx -d."