{"id":103957,"date":"2025-09-25T07:46:45","date_gmt":"2025-09-25T07:46:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/?p=103957"},"modified":"2025-09-25T07:49:19","modified_gmt":"2025-09-25T07:49:19","slug":"nyc-radio-hosts-blast-mets-announcer-over-comments-on-cubs-player-attending-charlie-kirk-memorial-service","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/?p=103957","title":{"rendered":"\ud83d\ude31\ud83d\ude31\ud83d\ude31MEDIA FIRESTORM NYC radio hosts blast Mets announcer over comments about a Cubs player attending Charlie Kirk memorial, insiders reveal backlash is heating up behind the scenes, and now fans are buzzing over whether this controversy will escalate further or fizzle out as just another hot take."},"content":{"rendered":"
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NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

New York Mets play-by-play announcer Gary Cohen criticized Chicago Cubs third baseman Matt Shaw for skipping a game Sunday to attend Charlie Kirk\u2019s memorial in Arizona, and New York sports radio hosts ripped into him Wednesday morning.<\/p>\n

WFAN\u2019s Gregg Giannotti, co-host of “Boomer and Gio,” blasted Cohen, who took exception to Shaw attending the memorial. Kirk\u2019s wife, Erika, reached out to Shaw personally to attend given their friendship.<\/p>\n

The Cubs, in the middle of a pennant race, lost Sunday\u2019s game 1-0 to the Cincinnati Reds.<\/p>\n

“I, quite frankly, didn\u2019t like his commentary, and I\u2019m not going to now dislike Gary Cohen over it. He\u2019s a great broadcaster. He\u2019s been a part of my life for a long time. I thought it was completely unnecessary,” Giannotti said over the airwaves.<\/p>\n

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM<\/p>\n

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\"NYC<\/picture><\/div>\n
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New York Mets TV Announcer Gary Cohen delivers his acceptance speech for his induction into the Mets’ Hall of Fame before a game between the Toronto Blue Jays and New York Mets June 3, 2023, at Citi Field in Flushing, N.Y.\u00a0 (Gregory Fisher\/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

“Gary Cohen\u2019s whole life has been baseball, and baseball\u2019s a very serious thing for him. But Matt Shaw saw his friend get shot and killed, got shot in the neck in front of his family and his wife requested that he be there. And Gary Cohen\u2019s got a problem with that because the Cubs are in a pennant race? Have we lost all touch with reality here?”<\/p>\n

Cohen said he didn\u2019t want to talk “about any of the politics of it,” but Giannotti and his co-host, former NFL quarterback Boomer Esiason, believe the second that was brought up in his statement made it political.<\/p>\n

“You get into the politics by saying that,” Esiason said.<\/p>\n

SUPER BOWL CHAMPION COACH TONY DUNGY REFLECTS ON CHARLIE KIRK MEMORIAL SERVICE<\/p>\n

Cohen also mentioned Shaw\u2019s absence did not fall under MLB\u2019s bereavement policy.<\/p>\n

“Who gives a crap? If he wants to go to that, he can go to that,” Giannotti countered. “And don\u2019t be mad at him. Why you\u2019re mad, why you care, I have no idea. But be mad at the Cubs who granted him the ability to go.”<\/p>\n

Esiason added, “I saw the interview with [Shaw], and he was talking about how he was friendly with Charlie Kirk because they lived in the same area. There\u2019s a couple of pictures of him and Charlie Kirk together, and if Erika Kirk is reaching out to him, what are you supposed to do?”<\/p>\n

Then, Giannotti posed a question to Cohen.<\/p>\n

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Gregg Giannotti (Gail Schulman\/CBS via Getty Images)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

“Let\u2019s say we didn\u2019t know who Charlie Kirk was, and Matt Shaw was friends with somebody who got shot in the neck and killed in front of his family. Would Gary Cohen have a problem with that because he doesn\u2019t know the person who got shot and killed in front of his family? Or was it because Charlie Kirk had a political platform that Gary Cohen disagrees with, so now it\u2019s weird a baseball player goes over there?”<\/p>\n

Cohen\u2019s comments came late in the game between the Mets and Cubs Tuesday night while Shaw was up to bat.<\/p>\n

“The thought of leaving your team in the middle of a race for any reason other than a family emergency really strikes me as weird,” Cohen said.<\/p>\n

METS ANNOUNCERS CRITICIZE CUBS PLAYER MATT SHAW FOR LEAVING TEAM TO ATTEND CHARLIE KIRK’S FUNERAL<\/p>\n

His broadcasting partner, former big league player Todd Zeile, added to Cohen\u2019s sentiment.<\/p>\n

“It\u2019s unusual. I think it\u2019s unprecedented, at least from my experience as a player. And I think it made it a little more unusual that it was not revealed until after it came to issue because he was thought to be in the dugout and maybe available and was not, and that\u2019s how it was revealed,” Zeile said.<\/p>\n

Shaw told media members Tuesday night why he made it a point to attend the memorial despite his team\u2019s schedule.<\/p>\n

“My connection with Charlie was through our [Christian] faith,” Shaw said before the Cubs opened a new series with the New York Mets on Tuesday, per the Chicago Sun-Times. “And that\u2019s something that drives me every day, the reason why I\u2019m able to do what I do every day. And that\u2019s something I\u2019m extremely thankful for.<\/p>\n

“I know without my faith and without the many blessings I\u2019ve been given in my life, that I wouldn\u2019t be here, be able to talk to you guys, able to help this team eventually go and win championships.<\/p>\n

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Chicago Cubs third baseman Matt Shaw in the dugout before a game against the Los Angeles Angels Aug. 22, 2025, at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, Calif.\u00a0 (Brian Rothmuller\/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

“That\u2019s something I feel really, really blessed about, so whatever backlash comes is OK. I feel strong about my faith and that what was meant to be happened.”<\/p>\n

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP<\/p>\n

Kirk, a native of Arlington Heights, a northern suburb of Chicago, was “one of the biggest Cubs fans I ever met,” according to Shaw. After a conversation with manager Craig Counsell and some teammates, Shaw felt his decision to attend the memorial was accepted.<\/p>\n

“The reason Charlie and I connected so close was because of our faith,” Shaw added. “That\u2019s something that drives me every single day, something that I think about all the time. So, if people are wondering who I am and what I stand for, I\u2019d say that my faith and the many blessings I\u2019ve been given are why I\u2019m able to be here.<\/p>\n

“And I just want to make sure that I can give that back to people, that I can support people around me, that I can love people around me the same way that I\u2019ve been blessed.”<\/p>\n

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