Social media, or in this case antisocial media, has emerged as this curious tool shared by the media and the public at large. Many of us try to be funny, informative, provocative. Mostly, it's amusing. And an exchange of ideas and varying opinions is what we're about here in what Archie Bunker once called the good ol' U S of A.

At its worst, though, antisocial media is the billboard for the increasing lack of civility that permeates sports now. It's become Utopian to think the games we watch will deliver us from real life for a few hours. Instead, they've become vehicles to spew more indecency, further illustrating that not enough people know or care about what's out of bounds.

Media members, however, should know better. Must know better. Media members are not regular fans with anonymous Twitter handles who can say whatever. We have a responsibility. And we must be held accountable.

Example: Philadelphia sports talk radio host Mike Missanelli tweeted the following in the wake of Victor Cruz's knee injury Sunday night: "Hey Giants fans. Victor Cruz is over. Dance to that."

This is what I think of Mr. Missanelli: The only reason he shouldn't get slapped silly is because it's a crime to do so.

Mr. Missanelli later deleted the tweet and issued an apology for it, which I believe had all the sincerity of a DMV employee.

This is the same Mr. Missanelli who was suspended recently for using homophobic language and who once began an on-air spat with Erin Andrews because of Andrews' choice of clothing (Andrews won the conversation roughly 35-0).

And yet I harbor more contempt for Mr. Missanelli's employer today, ESPN Radio 950: Why hasn't this man been suspended?

Shockingly, calls placed to the station Monday went unreturned.

Some people think Mr. Missanelli should be fired. I'm not a fan of taking somebody's livelihood. But reveling publicly in a professional athlete's season-ending injury violates every tenet of decency. Even for Philadelphia.

I understand the need for talk show hosts (and columnists) to be provocateurs. Trust me: It can be fun. But there's a difference the size of Refrigerator Perry between lobbing a few snowballs at athletes and fanbases and deriving glee from an injury.

Too often, punishment in such cases only comes when the employer's wallet is threatened. It took WEEI radio in Boston a week to suspend Kirk Minihane last summer after he called Andrews a "gutless (expletive)" on the air. Seems the station's dalliance with decency grew deeper roots only when a major advertiser (FOX) threatened to pull all its advertising.

Perhaps that's the only way Mr. Missanelli would be disciplined here. An advertiser, perhaps beset by a blinding flash of social grace, might not want Mr. Missanelli hawking their product on the air.

I get that the general public enjoys mocking the media and blaming us for everything short of the Ebola virus. Still, we are here for many reasons. Sometimes, it's to inform. Sometime to provoke. Sometimes - most times - as the great liaison. But how can we be expected to be taken seriously if we're not leading the way in demanding accountability from our own?

Mr. Missanelli should be off the air for a little while, perhaps to reevaluate his career path or at least discover a better vocabulary. Those of us given a voice need to use it responsibility. Mr. Missanelli did not. It's not acceptable. It can't be.

This is the opinion of Day sports columnist Mike DiMauro.

Twitter @BCgenius