Key Takeaways
- • Don La Greca, a prominent New York sports radio host on The Michael Kay Show (ESPN New York), publicly criticized Mets owner Steve Cohen's social media conduct, characterizing his fan persona as "fraudulent" and demanding he cease public commentary on roster decisions.
- • Steve Cohen deleted a post on X (formerly Twitter) after responding to a Mets blog discussing a potential team teardown, drawing immediate backlash from fans and media for appearing to entertain the idea of dismantling the roster.
- • La Greca directly challenged Cohen's credibility as a baseball decision-maker, stating that fans value him solely for his financial capacity to spend on player acquisitions, not for baseball acumen or fandom authenticity.
- • Cohen's repeated social media missteps over multiple years have eroded his credibility with New York sports audiences, with La Greca calling for him to "stop the fughazi baseball hat" act and cease pretending to be a genuine fan.
- • The on-air criticism reflects broader fan sentiment that a billionaire owner's primary obligation is capital deployment for team improvement, not public engagement through social platforms or public commentary on internal roster strategy.
Summary
New York Mets owner Steve Cohen faced direct criticism from veteran sports radio personality Don La Greca this week following another social media controversy. Cohen posted a response on X to a Mets blog discussing a potential roster teardown before quickly deleting the message, but not before the comment circulated widely among New York sports fans and media.
La Greca used his platform on The Michael Kay Show (ESPN New York) to deliver a pointed rebuke of Cohen's conduct, characterizing his social media activity as fundamentally inauthentic. "Here's the dirty little secret, Steve. No one knows who you are," La Greca stated, adding that Cohen's value to Mets fans derives exclusively from his financial resources, not his baseball expertise or fan credentials. La Greca explicitly called Cohen's public persona "fraudulent," telling the owner to "stop with the fughazi baseball hat and 'I'm a fan,' stop. It's all fraudulent, it's not true."
The radio host's core argument centers on role definition: Cohen's job as owner is to spend money to improve the baseball team. Beyond capital deployment, his personal passion, baseball knowledge, or engagement with fans through social media is not only secondary but potentially counterproductive. La Greca told Cohen directly: "You look like a fool … don't pretend to be something you're not." This framing reflects an old-school sports media perspective that billionaire owners should maintain institutional distance and let their financial commitments speak for themselves.
Cohen's latest X post incident represents the continuation of a pattern that has drawn criticism over multiple years. Sources indicate that his repeated social media commentary has consistently created controversy, with some suggesting his posts may have coincided with team performance issues. The Mets have experienced a seven-game losing streak, adding context to the intensity of media and fan frustration with Cohen's public conduct. La Greca's on-air criticism appears to articulate widespread sentiment among New York sports audiences that Cohen should restrict his public communications to financial decisions and leave baseball strategy and public engagement to professional management.
La Greca used his platform on The Michael Kay Show (ESPN New York) to deliver a pointed rebuke of Cohen's conduct, characterizing his social media activity as fundamentally inauthentic. "Here's the dirty little secret, Steve. No one knows who you are," La Greca stated, adding that Cohen's value to Mets fans derives exclusively from his financial resources, not his baseball expertise or fan credentials. La Greca explicitly called Cohen's public persona "fraudulent," telling the owner to "stop with the fughazi baseball hat and 'I'm a fan,' stop. It's all fraudulent, it's not true."
The radio host's core argument centers on role definition: Cohen's job as owner is to spend money to improve the baseball team. Beyond capital deployment, his personal passion, baseball knowledge, or engagement with fans through social media is not only secondary but potentially counterproductive. La Greca told Cohen directly: "You look like a fool … don't pretend to be something you're not." This framing reflects an old-school sports media perspective that billionaire owners should maintain institutional distance and let their financial commitments speak for themselves.
Cohen's latest X post incident represents the continuation of a pattern that has drawn criticism over multiple years. Sources indicate that his repeated social media commentary has consistently created controversy, with some suggesting his posts may have coincided with team performance issues. The Mets have experienced a seven-game losing streak, adding context to the intensity of media and fan frustration with Cohen's public conduct. La Greca's on-air criticism appears to articulate widespread sentiment among New York sports audiences that Cohen should restrict his public communications to financial decisions and leave baseball strategy and public engagement to professional management.
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