Kansas City Radio Host Kevin Kietzman Fired After Crossing the Line With Offensive Comments on Andy Reid’s Family and Players

Kansas City sports radio has long been a source of heated takes and passionate fandom, but sometimes a line is crossed that can’t be ignored. That line was obliterated when longtime 810 WHB Sports Radio host Kevin Kietzman delivered a disturbing and deeply personal critique of Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid—one that ultimately cost him his job.

Kietzman, who had been a prominent media figure in Kansas City for decades, found himself in the national spotlight for all the wrong reasons. During a broadcast, he compared Reid’s handling of troubled players like Tyreek Hill to personal family tragedies, including issues involving Reid’s late son Garrett, and framed it as a failure of character, saying Reid “is not good at fixing people.” The comment struck a nerve with listeners, athletes, and media professionals across the nation, prompting swift and stern backlash.

“This is not about football anymore. It’s about humanity and respect,” one former colleague of Kietzman’s shared anonymously. “To use a family’s pain as fodder for a sports radio hot take? There’s no place for that in journalism—or anywhere.”

Kietzman said during the broadcast, “Andy Reid does not have a great record of fixing people. He had a lot of things go bad on him—family and players. He wasn’t real great at that either.” The implication was clear: Kietzman was tying personal and professional tragedies to Reid’s capabilities as a coach and leader. It was a callous and cruel attempt to undermine one of the most respected figures in professional football.

Reid’s son Garrett tragically died of a heroin overdose in 2012 at the age of 29. Another son, Britt Reid, served as a Chiefs assistant coach but was involved in a 2021 car crash that severely injured a 5-year-old girl, resulting in a prison sentence. These are incredibly painful chapters in Reid’s life that had no business being invoked in a conversation about football discipline or team dynamics.

While Kietzman attempted to later walk back his comments, suggesting they were misunderstood or taken out of context, the damage had already been done. Union Broadcasting, the parent company of Sports Radio 810 WHB, released a statement confirming his departure. “We take full responsibility for the words spoken on our platform. Kevin Kietzman’s remarks were inappropriate, disrespectful, and inconsistent with the values we uphold. Effective immediately, Kevin will no longer be affiliated with 810 WHB.”

The network’s swift action signaled just how serious the breach of ethics and decency had been. The sports world, while often filled with controversial commentary, generally understands that some topics are off-limits. Personal tragedies—especially those involving children and loss—are sacred ground.

The outrage wasn’t limited to the Kansas City community. NFL players, analysts, and coaches spoke out in support of Reid and condemned the remarks. “You don’t bring someone’s family into it,” said ESPN’s Ryan Clark. “Especially not when you’re discussing things they’ve already had to endure publicly with unimaginable pain.”

Tyreek Hill, whose name Kietzman invoked to compare Reid’s handling of player behavior, weighed in subtly via social media, tweeting a facepalm emoji with no further context. The message, though minimal, was clear: even those who may have been part of the subject matter found the commentary distasteful and unwelcome.

The irony in all this is that this wasn’t Kietzman’s first time under fire for inflammatory commentary. Just recently, he caught attention for mocking Patrick Mahomes’ weight during an offseason segment, describing the Super Bowl MVP as looking “a bit doughy” and “less focused.” Fans and analysts brushed it off as another misguided jab from a radio personality trying to stir engagement. But when Kietzman chose to pivot from snark to personal insult and tragedy, the community’s patience ended.

“Everyone makes mistakes on air,” said a veteran Kansas City broadcaster. “But when your mistake is rooted in cruelty and ignorance, there’s no recovery from that.”

In response to the controversy, Kietzman issued a public apology on his now-deleted Twitter account, stating, “I regret my comments about Coach Reid. They were inappropriate and not reflective of who I am.” However, few were moved by the statement. For many, it felt more like damage control than genuine remorse.

The Chiefs organization did not issue an official comment, but sources close to the team say Reid was made aware of the incident. Those who know Reid describe him as deeply private and devoted to his family—traits that make the personal nature of Kietzman’s attack even more egregious.

In the days following his termination, discussions have begun about the state of sports media and the culture of shock-jock commentary. Kietzman’s fall from grace is a reminder that sports radio, like all journalism, carries a responsibility to inform and entertain—but never to dehumanize or exploit personal suffering.

While WHB 810 is moving forward with its revamped programming slate, many listeners are still processing the breach of trust they felt from one of the city’s most recognizable voices. Some are calling for a broader overhaul in sports media ethics. Others are simply hoping for a return to decency.

“You can criticize a coach’s decisions, sure,” said one longtime Chiefs fan. “But when you drag their dead son into the conversation just to make a point about team discipline? That’s beyond disgusting. That’s inhumane.”

Andy Reid, as is typical of him, has not addressed the situation publicly. He continues to lead the Kansas City Chiefs with integrity, focus, and the humility that has earned him the respect of players, coaches, and fans across the league.

Kevin Kietzman, once a trusted voice in local sports radio, now finds himself silenced—not by cancel culture, as some defenders might suggest—but by the consequences of his own cruelty. His fall isn’t a matter of political correctness. It’s a matter of human decency.

In the end, the city of Kansas City stood up not just for their beloved coach, but for the principle that personal pain and family tragedies should never be weaponized for ratings or radio buzz. In a world of hot takes and clickbait, the line still exists—and this time, someone finally paid the price for crossing it.