On its Twitter account Thursday, Fox Sports 910 AM announced the hiring of longtime sports radio talk show host Dan Sileo.

In a four-paragraph statement, program director Aaron Trimmer said The Dan Sileo Show will debut Tuesday from 4-7 p.m. and added that Sileo’s “unparalleled passion and enthusiasm for Sports Talk make him the perfect host for afternoon drive on Fox Sports 910. We’re thrilled to have one of the country’s best hots join our market-leading program lineup.”

What Fox Sports 910 and its parent company, iHeartRadio, conveniently failed to mention is that Sileo was fired three times by Florida radio stations in a 20-month span from 2012-13 for racist or sexist comments on air or on his personal Twitter account.

Which got me wondering: Did anyone from Fox Sports 910 even bother to do a Google search of Sileo? Or did the station know of Sileo’s past and simply not care?

A little after 4 p.m. Thursday, Trimmer said in an e-mail that he had received my request for an interview and would be back in touch.

Until that explanation comes, here’s what I would like to ask Trimmer or someone at iHeart’s corporate office:

Was anyone at iHeart aware that in March 2012, Sileo was fired from his morning show on WDAE 620-AM after referring to three NFL players as “monkeys?”

In talking about the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and free agents Jonathan Vilma, Cortland Finnegan and Vincent Jackson, Sileo said: “If they got those three monkeys, I’m good. I’m ready, man. I’m ready. I want those guys. Those guys are great players.”

Did Fox Sports know that in January 2013, nine months after being hired by WQAM-AM in Miami, Sileo was suspended after several sexist tweets directed at Fox Sports broadcaster Erin Andrews?

The Tampa Bay Tribune reported that one of the tweets referred to a 2008 incident in which a stalker secretly recorded a video of Andrews in her hotel room. Sileo tweeted, “pepe (sic) hole best thing for ur career.” Sileo also called Andrews a “bimbo,” told her she should make dinner for him, “bake me a cake,” and said, “love Erin either naked or in a porn … not at a sports desk.”

Did Fox Sports not care that two months after being suspended, Sileo was fired by the station for a joke about being Jewish. Here’s what Sileo said: “Hey, one thing I’m very proud of, I saved every nickel I had. That must be the half-Hebrew in me. ‘Cause I saved it… That’s part of the old culture there, man, right? That’s why when that $2.06 on that airplane got taken from me, man, I’m still pissed off at that thing.”

According to the Miami Herald, the Anti-Defamation League wrote a letter WQAM asking that Sileo be disciplined.

Finally, did anyone at Fox Sports 910 or iHeart know that in November 2013 Sileo, a former Miami Hurricanes player, was fired from WMEN 640-AM in Miami after he posted a photo of Florida State defensive tackle Timmy Jernigan on his personal Twitter account and offered $1,000 to anyone who “takes this kid out?”

In a statement, WMEN executive producer Marc Eisenberg wrote, “As a result of Dan Sileo’s action on his personal Twitter account on November 3, 2013, WMEN has terminated his independent contractor relationship with the station. The ownership, staff, and management of WMEN 640 Sports do not condone his actions, which have no place in sports.”

No place in sports. Shouldn’t that also be the case in the Valley? Beyond that, shouldn’t Sileo’s history have immediately disqualified him from being hired by Fox Sports 910? It’s inconceivable that the station A) didn’t do its homework or B) thought in today’s era of inclusivity it was smart to hire a man who has repeatedly been fired for racist or sexist comments.

It’s fair, also, to wonder how the Arizona Coyotes feel about the hire, having just announced their move from Arizona Sports 98.7 FM to Fox Sports 910 AM.

Here’s how Sileo explained himself to the San Diego Union-Tribune: “I’ve stepped on my(self) so many times in this business. But I also think that’s what makes me somebody that people want to tune in to. That wonder of, what will he say next? Will he get fired for something today?”

Does Fox Sports 910 really believe whatever buzz Sileo generates is worth the trouble?

It’s not as if Sileo has been a huge ratings hit recently, either. He’s worked at various stations in San Diego since 2014 and the San Diego Reader reported in July 2018 that Sileo’s four-hour morning show on 97.3 The Fan earned a 0.0 Nielsen rating for the coveted demographic of men ages 25-54.

I’m looking forward to hearing what Fox Sports 910 or iHeart has to say about Sileo. Until then, one last thought:

Really?

(Photo: Mark J. Rebilas / USA Today Sports)