ESPN New York radio host Michael Kay is backing off his threat to a producer who said he could be fired if he made a phone call.
Last Friday, Ray Santiago, producer of ESPN radio’s morning show «DiPietro and Rothenberg,» criticized «The Michael Kay Show,» saying the latter show is on the decline.
After playing the clip with her co-hosts Don La Greca and Peter Rosenberg, Kay looked directly into the camera and said she could put Santiago on the «unemployment line» with one phone call.
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New York Yankees television announcer Michael Kay speaks during the team’s 63rd Old Timers Day before the game against the Detroit Tigers on July 19, 2009 at Yankee Stadium in the borough of the Bronx NY.
(Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
On Tuesday, Kay wasn’t so angry, claiming his segment was «performative.»
«I’m not going to sit here and lie,» Kay said. «Was he upset by the comment? Yes. But it was performative because I’m a good on-air actor. But if people want to get on with it, people on social media say, ‘You’re a bad life, you’re the worst,'» Okay, whatever».
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«Is it the fear that this show is now on the rise, and that show has gone in the other direction lately?» Santiago said after it was mentioned that the Kay show continues to mention DiPietro and Rothenberg.
Here is Kay’s response: «Ray Santiago made a comment about grades? Do you realize Ray that all I would have to do is make one phone call and you would be on the unemployment line? You have the nerve say something like that about this show? One phone call, which I’m considering making, and you’ll be fired. Do you realize that?»
New York Yankees broadcaster Michael Kay during Joe Torre’s number retirement ceremony before the game against the Chicago White Sox at Yankee Stadium. Bronx, New York 8/23/2014
(Porter Binks/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images)
Kay finished by saying that she won’t be mentioning the morning show anymore, but the anger was certainly present in her brief monologue.
«The Michael Kay Show» was in full swing when it bested WFAN’s Mike Francesa in the afternoon. However, after initial success when Craig Carton returned with Evan Roberts in the afternoon, WFAN has been gaining in recent ratings.
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The New York Post recently reported that Kay, the longtime New York Yankees broadcaster, is considering retiring from sports talk radio.
Kay spent a full decade partnering with the legendary John Sterling at WABC from 1992 to 2001.
Yankees announcer Michael Kay arrives at the screening of the ‘2009 World Series Movie: Philadelphia Phillies vs. the New York Yankees’ at the Ziegfeld Theater on November 23, 2009 in New York City.
(Henry S. Dziekan III/Getty Images)
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When YES Network started, Kay was immediately brought in while Sterling remained on the radio, which he still does to this day.