SI

Keith Hernandez Sends a Message to Shohei Ohtani

Also in Traina Thoughts: Brand-new ‘SI Media’ podcast; Travis Kelce makes honest admission; NBA player affected by Woj bomb and more.

Jimmy Traina

1. Elaine Benes was once famously told, “I’m Keith Hernandez.”

It seems the Seinfeld star is also sending that same message to Shohei Ohtani.

With the Angels superstar headed for free agency, there’s been much speculation that the Mets would be in play for his services. During Wednesday’s Mets game, SNY play-by-play voice Gary Cohen asked Hernandez about the possibility of Ohtani becoming a Met and wanting to wear Hernandez’s No. 17, which was retired last season.

Here's how the exchange went down: 

Cohen: If Ohtani were to sign with the Mets, would you allow him to wear his No. 17?

Hernandez: Well, he couldn’t.

Cohen: Well, with your permission he could.

Hernandez: Don't ask.

Again, he’s Keith Hernandez.

2. This week’s SI Media With Jimmy Traina podcast dropped this morning, and it features a great conversation with SiriusXM’s Adam Schein. 

Schein talks about why he loves radio so much, the challenges of doing a national show for SiriusXM and the differences between hosting a radio show and podcast.

Other topics covered with Schein include who he’d like to interview right now, what he does on the radio during a slow news day, the radio gimmicks he hates, why he took on a podcast, having the perfect voice for radio and more.

Following Schein, Sal Licata from WFAN radio and SNY TV in New York joins me for our weekly “Traina Thoughts” segment. This week, we discuss Sal still being on a high from his big WFAN promotion, Ryan Seacrest being named Wheel of Fortune host, the Jets’ reluctance to appear on Hard Knocks, Shohei Ohtani’s surreal season and much more.

You can listen to the podcast below or download it on Apple, Spotify and Google.

You can also watch SI Media With Jimmy Traina on YouTube.

3. The TV call, via the YES Network, from Ryan Ruocco on the final out of Domingo Germán’s perfect game Wednesday night, was excellent.

4. I love this admission from Travis Kelce because I think so many of us who like to sing can relate. The Chiefs tight end told Vanity Fair that while he’s become known for singing the Beastie Boys’ “Fight for Your Right” at various events, he only recently learned the words to the song after just knowing the chorus. From Vanity Fair:

The song is played after Chiefs touchdowns at Arrowhead and seemingly everywhere he goes. At the Chiefs’ victory parade in 2020, Kelce, wearing a WWE championship belt around his waist, capped a boozy and meandering speech by shouting the chorus. And in February, he sang it with Jimmy Fallon during an appearance on The Tonight Show. He says he never knew all the lyrics prior to that.

“All I remember is just the screaming, ‘You gotta fight for your right,’” he tells me as we climb into the back seat of the SUV. Kelce struggled as he rehearsed the song, which made his publicist nervous, but ever the gamer, he nailed the duet with Fallon when the lights went on.

5. J.J. Watt is officially joining CBS as an NFL studio analyst this season. He’ll be on the NFL Today set beginning in Week 1.

6. Everyone loves a good Woj bomb, but imagine the Woj bomb having a direct impact on you, as it did Wednesday in the case of Taurean Prince.

7. Chris “Mad Dog” Russo had some harsh words for Roger Goodell and the NFL’s hypocrisy when it comes to gambling on his Wednesday SiriusXM show. And before you email or tweet me to say “a rule is a rule,” the issue is the length of suspensions that Goodell is handing out for players placing wagers.

8. RANDOM VIDEO OF THE DAY: As I said on Twitter on Wednesday, I really wanted to like this updated version of Billy Joel’s “We Didn’t Start the Fire” from Fall Out Boy, but the events they sing about are so out of order that I just can’t handle it. It’s a solid effort and it’s amusing to see/hear all the events they cram in the song, but we need a more chronological effort.

Be sure to catch up on past editions of Traina Thoughts and check out SI Media With Jimmy Traina on Apple, Spotify or Google. You can also follow Jimmy on Twitter, Instagram and TikTok.

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Jimmy Traina
JIMMY TRAINA

Jimmy Traina is a staff writer and podcast host for Sports Illustrated. A 20-year veteran in the industry, he’s been covering the sports media landscape for seven years and writes a daily column, Traina Thoughts. Traina has hosted the Sports Illustrated Media Podcast since 2018, a show known for interviews with some of the most important and powerful people in sports media. He also was the creator and writer of SI’s Hot Clicks feature from 2007 to '13.

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