Greg Giannotti reconnected with Carl Banks on Tuesday following criticism from the Giants legend about comments made by WFAN hosts who referred to Knicks player Karl Anthony Towns as “a loser” during Monday’s broadcast.
During the show, Giannotti, who co-hosts “Boomer and Gio” with Boomer Esiason, responded to the backlash. He seemed taken aback by Banks’ strong reaction. “I didn’t mean it personally towards Karl Anthony Towns,” he explained. “But it felt like he took my comments as a personal attack. It’s similar to how Carl feels about talk shows even though he’s never hosted one. I think you can’t really judge what we do unless you’ve been in those shoes yourself.”
Giannotti added, “It’s not that I don’t recognize his experience — it’s just that I think he lacks a good understanding of the media. His take yesterday didn’t hold up well, and honestly, he’s bored listeners for years.”
Originally, Giannotti’s comments stirred up considerable controversy, provoking a heated response from Banks.
In a post on X, Banks expressed his dismay. “This is truly pathetic,” he wrote. “Labeling someone you’ve never met a ‘loser’ speaks more about you than him. I’ve known Kat and his family since he was a child — he’s absolutely not a loser.”
Giannotti clarified that his criticism was solely about Towns’ performance on the court, not a personal judgment of his character.
There seems to be some tension between Banks and WFAN, stemming from a very public split after a conflict with noon hosts Brandon Tierney and Sal Riccata over Knicks coach Cavin Thibodeau earlier in 2023.
Following that incident, Banks stepped down from his weekly role at WFAN, despite efforts from station management to resolve the situation.
