Dan O'Toole goes off on Bell Lets Talk day after recently being let go by the company

One half of the former Jay & Dan duo, beloved by many hockey fans, and fans of sports in general, was recently let go from TSN after being with the company for many years over the course of two separate stints. Dan O'Toole has stayed fairly quiet on his dismissal, other than confirming that he was let go with very little notice earlier this week, However, he has now opened up on his Twitter account, taking aim at TSN's parent company Bell Media, and their annual Bell Let's Talk Day aimed at raising awareness for mental health issues on social media. O'Toole did not hold back with his thoughts.

"Let's talk. We should. Let's talk," said O'Toole. "Does it mean anything without a hashtag? Oh right. Wrong day. So I have to mention the company for it to mean anything? But what if I was fired by the company that makes the hashtag about mental health? Do I still include them in the hashtag?"

"I'm so confused. So I have to wait for a specific day, and then mention a specific company, and only then, will the company give money to mental health? Only when I mention them? But shouldn't they just do it, since they are a billion dollar company? Oh. So they look good? Oh," O'Toole continued.

"And isn't being fired, I don't know, kind of bad for mental health? Shit. Didn't include the hashtag. With the company name. So these tweets don't count?"

Im so confused. So I have to wait for a specific day, and then mention a specific company, and only then, will the company give money to mental health? Only when I mention them? But shouldn't they just do it, since they are a billion dollar company? Oh. So they look good? Oh— Dan O'Toole (@notontvotoole) February 6, 2021

And isn't being fired, I don't know, kind of bad for mental health? Shit. Didn't include the hashtag. With the company name. So these tweets don't count?— Dan O'Toole (@notontvotoole) February 6, 2021

Bell Let's Talk Day, which was held on January 28th this year, is a major campaign that raises million of dollars for mental health. However, it is not without its criticism and O'Toole certainly isn't the first to speak out. Bell has cut several positions across radio and television over the last couple of years while the company continues to be worth over $5 billion dollars and recently took $122 million in labour subsidies during the COVID-19 pandemic. Many hockey players take part in the campaign all across North America. While Bell is a Canadian company, many American teams join in on the campaign when it is held.

O'Toole has admitted to mental health issues, taking time away from SportsCentre last summer after an incident where he publicly stated his infant daughter had been kidnapped. Police and the baby's mother confirmed the child had been with her all along and that O'Toole had been aware of that.

Very few public campaigns come without some form of controversy, but Bell Let's Talk Day has been particularly scrutinized over the last few years with Bell restructuring many of its properties and laying off employees, while many feel the campaign is little more than a publicity stunt aimed at gaining Bell more support from the public. In the world of business, very few, if any, campaigns are undertaken without some thought of increased publicity, even if that isn't the main priority. But, it's difficult not to see O'Toole's point on the issue. On Thursday, a day after he was let go by TSN, O'Toole state on Twitter that he had no idea Wednesday would be his last show with the station until after it was done. Jay Onrait remains with the company.

Had I known last night was my final show, I would have tried a little harder. Ahhhh, who am I kidding. I probably wouldn't have. It was a wild ride. If you got our show, then you laughed along with us. Thank you! Peace and love and let's raise a glass together once Covid is over.— Dan O'Toole (@notontvotoole) February 4, 2021