Over the weekend, Chris Wittyngham generated headlines for his failure to make good on his pledge to normalize the use of the word “penis” in broadcasting.
But while the former executive producer of The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz has since denounced his position of putting the penis on a pedestal, a new battle might just be beginning.
As Wittyngham’s failure to say “penis” during a Serie A match on Paramount Plus and his subsequent explanation went viral, it caught the attention of WGN sports anchor Pat Tomasulo. And the former Shaq Vs. host took issue with Wittyngham’s display of alleged bravery by claiming that he’s sports broadcasting’s true penis pioneer.
“The only one?” Tomasulo said, repeating Wittyngham’s explanation on the WGN Morning News. “Let me tell you something: I walked so you could run. I’ve been saying ‘penis’ since before you could shave. Which judging by the looks of ‘ya, was yesterday. Nobody else is doing it? For the last 10 years, you turn on this show any day of the week, I might say ‘penis.’ I might say ‘testicles.’ I might say ‘vas deferens,’ ‘frenulum,’ ‘corpus spongiosum,’ ‘prostate.’ Whatever I gotta say to accurately convey information to my viewers is what I’m gonna say.”
Tomasulo didn’t stop there. He proceeded to rip off an impressive list of the very euphemisms that Wittyngham’s mission was aimed at eliminating.
“Are there days where I could do better? Of course. Sometimes I’m lazy and I might say a guy got hit in his Indiana Bones or his Chuck Dickens,” Tomasulo said. “But I will be damned if I let you ignore the sacrifices I have made in the name of journalism and quite frankly, for a better America. An America where every man’s broad stripe and bright stars is treated with the dignity and respect they deserve.”
Based on Wittyngham’s most recent appearance on the Le Batard Show, he’ll likely have no issue bending the knee to Tomasulo as the original penis pioneer. “Fair play,” he might say.” Clearly, it’s a subject the Serie A play-by-play broadcaster is trying to distance himself from, while it’s one that Tomasulo still takes pride in.
Unfortunately for Wittyngham, we didn’t need his announcement to know the he had abandoned his penis post — his actions said it all. If nothing else, hopefully his newfound feud will help bring even more attention to this very important topic in sports broadcasting.
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.