DaveLive: Internet Sports Talk Host Mocks Disabled Patriots Fan, Defends His Actions

A disabled Patriots fan was mocked by online sports talk host DaveLive in a clip that has since gone viral and caused the host to make a hasty retirement announcement.

In the clip, host DaveLive and other participants mocked the caller, who was connected via Skype and suffered from facial deformities. While making fun of him for the Patriots loss, they also mocked his appearance and birth defects.

The video, which was recorded from a DaveLive broadcast on Sunday, had made the rounds on the internet on Wednesday, showing up at sites like WorldStarHipHop, 4chan, and Reddit.

The DaveLive show is hosted through the site Battlecam.com, which allows users to interact in real time using webcams and microphones.

After host DaveLive announced his retirement on Wednesday, the site’s Facebook page posted a highlight clip of his shows along with the words: “In Memory Of DaveLive #RIP”

The clip of DaveLive mocking the disabled Patriots fan has led to a backlash against the site and the show, though DaveLive himself remained defiant in his sendoff. In a video posted Wednesday announcing his retirement, DaveLive mentioned that he had another interaction with the disabled Patriots fan on Tuesday that showed a different side to their relationship.

He also mentioned that those outraged failed to understand the nature of Battlecam, which he described as “cruel, mean, horrible, Jerry Springer-style entertainment.”

DaveLive also explained that he and Jeff are actually friends, despite the mocking.

“For those of you who only want to believe that my guests and i actually really had a true hatred of Jeff, you couldn’t be more wrong with your assumption,” DaveLive said. “Jeff was a friend before Sunday’s DaveLive show, he was a friend during Sunday’s DaveLive show, and he will remain a friend after tonight.”

DaveLive went on to apologize to Jeff, not for his own actions, but for any consequences that came from the controversy.

It seems the controversy has affected Jeff’s family. After the story of the disabled Patriots fan was picked up by the blog Barstool Sports, the brother of Jeff wrote in to ask that the video be removed.

“My name is Kevin and I’m writing on behalf of Jeff,” he wrote. “My older, disabled brother was recently subject to some online harassment and bullying in the following youtube clip. We appreciate your guys’ story and how you encouraged people to seek out those dick heads. But at this time, we’re primarily concerned with our privacy as a family. Jeff is pretty recognizable in our community, and we just do not want this thing to spread any more than it already has.”

(Out of respect for Jeff and his family, The Inquisitr will not link to the actual video.)

After the video mocking the disabled Patriots fan went viral, DaveLive has vowed to keep his show off the air permanently.