Michael Kay is not dead to Peter Rosenberg

The people love radio drama, but Peter Rosenberg and Michael Kay don’t want to give the people too much of what they want.

Last week, Kay called into the ESPN New York afternoon show, where he once reigned supreme, and somewhat facetiously called out his former co-host, Peter Rosenberg, for abandoning the relationship they used to have. The 64-year-old Kay, who also serves as the New York Yankees’ lead play-by-play voice, opted for a shorter solo show on ESPN New York last year and was succeeded by Alan Hahn in the afternoon drive alongside Rosenberg and Don La Greca.

Surely, Kay and Rosenberg don’t speak to each other as much as when they shared a radio show. But Kay still took the opportunity to needle Rosenberg last week for their seemingly reduced exchanges. And the Don, Hahn, and Rosenberg social media account relished the opportunity to post a video of the interaction with the question, “Does Rosenberg hate Kay?”

Recognizing it was a bit, we let it go. But one week later, the Don, Hahn, and Rosenberg social media account posted a new video with the caption, “Rosenberg hates Kay pt 2.” And when the bit continued, I admittedly became more invested.

In part two, Rosenberg said he received a text from Kay claiming, “You’re dead to me,” stemming from the former complimenting Joe Tessitore’s ability as “the best point guard that I’ve maybe ever worked with.”

Did Kay’s gripe seem like it was still probably a bit? Yes. Did we really think Rosenberg was dead to Kay? No. But New York sports radio has always thrived on this type of attention. Unfortunately, a radio bit is only fun for Peter Rosenberg until someone writes about it.

“Are you people really this dumb that you would write a legitimately serious article that Michael Kay and I hate each other?” a perturbed Rosenberg asked during his Friday afternoon show on ESPN New York. “Are people really this dumb?”

“Someone write about this. This is my story for Awful Announcing and the New York Post, I have really bad news,” Rosenberg continued. “Even though he annoys me like any normal friend…Michael Kay is not the bad guy he’s been made to be in all the stories ever, you lazy SOBs.”

Just as Kay and Rosenberg never meant for their feud to be serious, the Awful Announcing article around the feud similarly wasn’t as serious as Rosenberg has since made it out to be. Do I think Kay loves having something to be annoyed about? Yes. Did I think Kay relished the opportunity to fire off a “you’re dead to me” text to Rosenberg? Yes. But again, do I think Rosenberg is actually dead to Kay? No. I do, however, wish they could have just relished the attention and continued the bit.

It was a ridiculous, petty feud between Rosenberg and Kay, just as most New York radio feuds are. But unfortunately, we don’t get the glory days of New York sports radio featuring Michael Kay vs Mike Francesa anymore. There is no more “numbah one” or dumping a Diet Coke into the trash. And lifelong New York sports radio listeners like myself miss that. Radio drama is fun for the listener. And radio drama within a station should be even better because it promotes shows on the same station.

Credit Kay, because while Rosenberg was mocking Awful Announcing and the New York Post for writing about the feud, Kay was on his radio show Friday afternoon, calling Rosenberg an “ingrate.” Instead of running with that headline, I ended up writing this. But let it be known, Kay was ready to keep the bit going. Maybe the self-described vengeful radio host and voice of the Yankees isn’t as thin-skinned as he lets on.