It isn’t every day that the New York Daily News’ Bob Raissman comes down on the same side of an issue as Mike Francesca and Chris Russo, so enjoy the weirdness while you can. Battlin’ Bob is unimpressed with the announcement SNY’s Gary Cohen will return to the WFAN airwaves during the Mets’ post-season run.
Shea spies say it was Cohen himself (above) who lobbied to return to the booth he resided in for 17 seasons. An SNY spokesman refutes that notion, saying it was network boss Jon Litner who came up with the idea.It really does not matter who pushed for Cohen to work the fifth and sixth innings of every playoff game with either Howie Rose or Tom McCarthy. This is a bad idea. It’s gratuitous big-timing at its worst.
Think about it: Cohen, who once told me he had no interest in ever doing TV, nevertheless took a marquee job as SNY’s play-by-play voice. Not only is he making more money than he did on the radio, but is receiving tremendous exposure as well.
Obviously all that exposure is not enough. Nor is all the air time Cohen will get working on SNY’s pre- and postgame playoff shows. For reasons known only to Cohen, Litner and head FANdroid Mark Chernoff it has become essential for Cohen to take some of the playoff spotlight away from Rose, McCarthy and Ed Coleman.
Never mind that these voices have worked an entire season on the radio. Never mind that they have more than earned the right to reap the reward of having the playoff booth – and every inning of the playoffs – to themselves. That’s a minor detail when the suits decide to bring in their idea of a “star,” making Rose, McCarthy and Coleman all look like ham-and-eggers.
Yes, all of a sudden, these three experienced radio guys desperately need Cohen returning to his radio home to show them a thing or two? Yeah, Cohen is coming in to work a couple of innings to make the radio playoff coverage complete. To make it special. That’s the gaga spin being sold by FAN and SNY suits.
can’t we all just get along and blame this on joe buck?
yeah, this is ridiculous. i’m glad that cohen will be on for at least a couple of innings every game.
Russo and Francesca’s outrage on the part of McCarthy and Rose is a bit funny considering they were all too happy to displace the ‘FAN pair earlier this year for a charity stunt.
I actually think this isn’t so bad. Wasn’t the thought of Gary sitting alone in his basement mouthing the play-by-play of this playoff run to himself a bit of a depressing image? ALSO: Less time for Jewish cracks from Howie.
screw Mike and the doggie – not Mets fans either of em.
who cares if Cohen is in the radio booth. Theres room for everyone. Bring in Hernandez, Darling and Kiner. But Hernandez will have to do a satelite gig from Sag Harbor or a local corner bar.
The 800 pound elephant in the room, the thing that nobody wants to talk about, is this: Tom McCarthy is a terrible baseball play-by-play man and has none of Gary Cohen’s ability. Cohen’s move to TV was an awful decision. He should have stayed true to his roots and remained on radio. He is wasted on television.
If McCarthy were good, there would not be any inkling to have Cohen back in the booth, whether it’s for one inning or one second.