WFAN’s Sal Licata insists he’s not a clown while dressed as a clown

If you’re a sports radio host attempting to prove you’re not a clown, it’s probably best to do it on a day when you’re not dressed as a clown.

Wednesday afternoon, WFAN midday host Sal Licata went on a rant to insist he is not a clown, presumably after a listener called him a clown.

“Yeah, like I’ve never heard that before. ‘Oh you’re a clown.’ Okay. You’re really original. I haven’t heard that before, it’s really gonna hurt me,” Licata said sarcastically. “Guess what, I’m not in fact a clown. I’m a talk show host on WFAN. That’s the reality. I mean, it is. I can dress however I want. The reality is what it is. So, you can call us clowns all you want, this is the truth of the matter.”

Licata pointed to his WFAN show as proof that he is not a clown, which would have made it interesting to hear his defense in the years before landing a prominent sports radio hosting gig. But that’s beside the point. Licata vehemently denied being a clown on the day that he was dressed as a clown. More specifically, he was dressed as Doink the Clown.

Licata and his radio partner Brandon Tierney hosted Wednesday’s show dressed as old-school wrestlers to make good on a bet after losing their weekly NFL picks segment to producer Pete Hoffman. Tierney donned a Goldust costume. Impressively, both hosts did their own makeup.

Any other day, Licata arguing that he is “not in fact a clown” would have been a non-story. And while Licata may not have immediately recognized the hilarious optics of stating “I’m not in fact a clown” while dressed as a clown, his co-host did.

“I just wish you didn’t say what you just said,” Tierney said with a laugh. “You just looked into the cameras and said, ‘I’m not a clown. I’m a talk show host on WFAN.’ And in ten years, people will see you dressed as a clown.”

And for those old school WFAN listeners who argue Mike and the Mad Dog would never, just remember the joy Chris Russo got out of dressing up every year as The Marquis for Super Bowl trivia. Francesa, however, would never.

[WFAN]