St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony La Russa couldn't make this weekend's road trip to Cincinnati because of a painful outbreak of shingles (varicella-zoster virus). WLW quickly responded, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer, with this promotion:

"Cardinals manager Tony La Russa has shingles, so we want to give you a chance to win some Tony La Russa shingles of your own! The Reds and Cards clash this weekend at GABP [Great American Ball Park] and we’re backin’ our Redlegs by giving you a shot to win Tony La Russa shingles courtesy of Ray St. Clair Roofing!"

The Reds' COO Phil Castellini said the team wasn't aware of contest and says "It is in bad taste and does not reflect the spirit of respectful competition the Reds and our fans have toward Tony La Russa and the Cardinals. We are disappointed our rights partner would execute such a contest and fail to consult us in advance, so we could have prevented it from happening. Reds ownership has asked WLW to remove the page, and they are cooperating."

The Mayo Clinic defines shingles as "Shingles is caused by the varicella-zoster virus — the same virus that causes chickenpox. After you've had chickenpox, the virus lies inactive in nerve tissue near your spinal cord and brain. Years later, the virus may reactivate as shingles. While it isn't a life-threatening condition, shingles can be very painful. Vaccines can help reduce the risk of shingles, while early treatment can help shorten a shingles infection and lessen the chance of complication." The Cincinnati Board of Radio-Info.com is talking about the WLW "shingles" contest and its appropriateness, here.