Anthony Rieber
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Sports writer for @NewsdaySports. Brooklyn born and raised. NYU ‘89. Go Violets.
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Articles by Anthony Rieber
Suzyn Waldman and Michael Kay remember Brewers broadcaster Bob Uecker as Milwaukee wins World Series
Ueck Gotta Believe! Perhaps no baseball announcer ever has been a symbol of their team and city like the late Bob Uecker is for the Milwaukee Brewers. As of Wednesday night, you can call them the World Series champion Milwaukee Brewers.
Want a 'cheap' ticket to the Knicks banner-raising and season opener? You'll need $1,000 and some luck
If you want to get the cheapest ticket on the resale market for the Knicks’ championship banner-raising ceremony and season opener against LeBron James and the 76ers on Tuesday night at the Garden, you’ll need two things: A little more than $1,000. And a lot of luck. The get-in ticket price was $1,010 as of Sunday evening for a standing-room-only ticket, according to online ticket reseller TickPick. A ticket with a seat was only a little more expensive: $1,049. The average price was about $1,800.
53 years later, Bill Bradley and Earl Monroe still remember watching their Knicks NBA championship banner get raised at MSG
Knicks legends Earl Monroe and Bill Bradley think they know what the current players are going to be feeling on Tuesday night. That’s when the franchise’s first NBA championship banner in 53 years is going to be raised to the Madison Square Garden rafters before the season opener against LeBron James and the 76ers. Because they’ve been there. “It’s a very moving moment,” Bradley, who won titles with the Knicks in 1970 and 1973, told Newsday on Thursday.
Knicks' banner raising ceremony will be broadcast on NBC and Peacock
STAMFORD, Conn. — If you’re not lucky enough to be among the 19,812 fans in attendance at Madison Square Garden for the Knicks’ season opener next Tuesday night, will you be able to watch the franchise’s first championship banner raising and ring ceremony in 53 years? The opener against LeBron James and the 76ers will be on NBC and Peacock. Will those entities show the entire ceremony? “100%,” NBC Sports coordinating producer Frank DiGraci told Newsday on Monday.
Hockey-loving Steve Levy from ESPN grew up on Long Island . . . rooting for the Rangers
Growing up a puck’s throw from the Nassau Coliseum in Merrick, ESPN’s Steve Levy got to witness “the best hockey I’ve ever watched” when the Islanders won four consecutive Stanley Cups in the 1980s. Only problem? Levy was a Rangers fan. “It wasn't ideal,” Levy told Newsday in a telephone interview. “I can tell you that I was the only one wearing a Rangers jersey at [John F.] Kennedy High School. That's for sure. I will say this: The Islanders gave me the best hockey education I could have ever had.
Can the Knicks repeat? Reggie Miller says yes, but they need to solve the Karl-Anthony Towns contract
STAMFORD, Conn. – Repeat after Reggie Miller: The Knicks’ chances of winning back-to-back NBA championships are not helped by the current contract situation involving Karl-Anthony Towns. The Knicks have ended extension negotiations to focus on the season. Towns isn’t thrilled by that. But starting next Tuesday against LeBron James and the 76ers, it’s time for the Knicks to begin their championship defense.
The hilarious reason why WFAN's Gregg Giannotti missed Boomer Esiason's Radio Hall of Fame ceremony
Gregg Giannotti found out Real ID is a real thing on Thursday — and it caused the WFAN morning host to miss Boomer Esiason’s Radio Hall of Fame induction ceremony in Chicago. Giannotti, the co-host of the “Boomer & Gio” show and a Bellport native, was not allowed to fly on the private plane that took Esiason and his guests to Chicago for the ceremony, which was held on Thursday night. The reason? Giannotti did not have a Real ID stamp on his driver’s license.
30 years after the Jeffrey Maier play, the Yankees have lost more than a home run on fan interference
Two days before the 30th anniversary of the Jeffrey Maier game, the Yankees were on the wrong side of a fan interference controversy in the postseason. Unlike in the 1996 playoffs -- when a 12-year-old boy from New Jersey turned what should have been an out into a Derek Jeter home run and helped the Yankees en route to a World Series title and the start of a dynasty -- in 2026 the Yankees did not get the benefit of a fan interference moment.
He's a top-rated WFAN morning show host. He's a former NFL MVP. And now Boomer Esiason is a Radio Hall of Fame inductee.
Boomer Esiason said he never would have expected it “in my wildest dream.” But on Thursday night in Chicago, the former Jets quarterback and current WFAN morning show host will be inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame. Esiason, 65, joins Mike Francesa and Chris Russo as sports talk show hosts with a WFAN pedigree who made it to the radio Hall. But unlike Mike and the Mad Dog, Esiason had a first act as an athlete as an NFL quarterback for 14 seasons.
Dave Sims feels Yankees fans' pain after 0-2 start to ALDS, but he still thinks team can advance
Yankees radio play-by-play man Dave Sims was thinking what you were thinking, Yankees fans. He just had to use nicer language than you probably did at home. Whether it was Austin Wells’ baserunning blunder in Game 1 or the three errors in the first inning of Game 2 and four overall, Sims’ calls on WFAN perfectly encapsulated how maddeningly poorly the Yankees played in going down 0-2 to Tampa Bay in the ALDS.
'You're here to hit doubles . . . not triples'
Yankees catcher Austin Wells is tagged out by Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Junior Caminero to end the eighth inning in Game 1 of the ALDS at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla., on Saturday. Credit: Newsday/William Perlman What was Austin Wells thinking?
Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez pick Yankees to win it all
Derek Jeter is introduced before a game between the Yankees and Mets at Yankee Stadium on Sep. 11, 2026. Credit: Jim McIsaac On the Fox pregame show before the Atlanta-Dodgers game on Saturday, Derek Jeter picked the Yankees to win the World Series over the Padres and Alex Rodriguez picked the Yankees to win the World Series over the Dodgers. Gregg Sarra sounds off on the hype of the Garden City vs.
WFAN's Chris McMonigle living the dream with Yankees playoff remotes and podcasts
In his first year as co-host of WFAN’s afternoon drive time show, Long Islander Chris McMonigle has gotten to live out a lot of dreams. Getting the job to pair with Chris Carton on “The Carton Show.” Talking about the Knicks’ incredible run to the NBA championship. And now? Doing the show and a postgame podcast live from Yankee Stadium as the Yankees demolished the Red Sox in the Wild Card Series.
MSG Sports board approves plan to split Knicks, Rangers into separate companies
A general view of Madison Square Garden during a game between the Knicks and Phoenix Suns on Jan. 2, 2023. Credit: Getty Images/Mike Stobe MSG Sports on Wednesday announced its board of directors had approved a plan to spin off the Knicks and Rangers into separate companies. The transaction is expected to be finalized on Oct. 26. The defending NBA champion Knicks and the NHL’s Rangers will continue to be run by James Dolan, according to a news release issued by MSG Sports.
MSG Sports splitting Knicks, Rangers into separate companies
New York Knicks' Jalen Brunson, right, passes as Philadelphia 76ers' Andre Drummond defends during the first half of Game 3 in a second-round NBA basketball playoff series Friday, May 8, 2026, in Philadelphia. Credit: AP/Matt Slocum MSG Sports on Wednesday announced its board of directors had approved a plan to spin off the Knicks and Rangers into separate companies. The transaction is expected to be finalized on Oct. 26.
The Sonny Gray factor in Yankees vs. Red Sox tonight
Yankees fans are probably going to be revved up to taunt Sonny Gray, the former Yankees bust who is starting Game 2 for the Red Sox on Wednesday night. Gray admitted he never felt comfortable in New York when he was with the Yankees. His pitching as a Yankee was the worst of his career and he couldn’t wait to get traded. Now, the Red Sox need Gray to pitch well in a hostile environment with their season on the line.
Brendan Burke reaches a decade as voice of Islanders' games on MSG
On a milestone anniversary of his hiring to succeed Howie Rose as the television voice of the Islanders on MSG Networks, Brendan Burke summed up his feelings in a post on X: “10 years ago,” he wrote on Aug. 11. “Not possible.” Burke was 32 at the time and was calling games for the Utica Comets of the AHL. Now he is entering season 11 as the Islanders’ TV play-by-play guy on MSG Networks, with games also streaming on DAZN, which is replacing the unpopular Gotham Sports App.
How Meredith Marakovits and YES Network crew prepare for champagne celebrations in the Yankees' clubhouse
The Yankees already have held one clubhouse champagne celebration this season. It took place after they clinched a playoff berth on Sept. 14 in Minnesota. If all goes well, the Yankees will have four more clubhouse celebrations — after the American League Wild Card Series, the American League Division Series, the American League Championship Series and the World Series. That’s a lot of bubbly (and a good amount of beer, too).
Yankees fans miffed over ticket policy for CC Sabathia's number retirement ceremony
The impending nor’easter forced the Yankees to reschedule Saturday’s home game against the Orioles, and therefore CC Sabathia’s number retirement ceremony as well. But many fans who had tickets to see Sabathia get his number retired are miffed by the alternative. The Yankees announced Thursday evening that they moved Saturday’s scheduled 7:05 p.m. game to the first game of a single-admission doubleheader beginning at 4:05 p.m. Friday.
Mets' and Yankees' retired numbers: Who should be on deck for honor after Carlos Beltran and CC Sabathia?
The Yankees lead the world in retired numbers with CC Sabathia and his No. 52 on Friday joining the list. The Yankees now have retired 23 numbers for 24 individuals (Yogi Berra and Bill Dickey share No. 8). The Mets in recent years have been clearing out a backlog of numbers fans would like to see retired. Carlos Beltran’s No. 15 went up to the rafters last weekend, giving the Mets 12 retired numbers. That total includes Jackie Robinson’s 42, which has been retired throughout baseball since 1997.
Michael Kay will be play-by-play man for Yankees-Red Sox AL Wild Card Series on ESPN Radio
Michael Kay will be behind the mic for next week’s expected Yankees-Red Sox playoff series. But it will be a different mic. Kay, the Yankees’ play-by-play announcer for the YES Network, will be the national play-by-play man for the series on ESPN Radio. “It’s so cool,” Kay told Newsday on Thursday in a telephone interview. “Really, really pumped up. The last Yankee game I called on radio was (World Series) Game 7 in 2001 with John (Sterling).
Mets' attendance at Citi Field for 2026 season dropped 14.8%
The Mets’ lost season on the field led to a big loss at the box office. The team's average attendance for the 2026 season at Citi Field was down 14.8% from the prior season after the team saw a 38% increase in 2025. The Mets, who went 36-45 at home and are spending the final week of the season on the road, drew an average of 33,901 fans in 2026 after averaging 39,775 in 2025.
Mets postpone ceremony honoring broadcaster Howie Rose until opening weekend 2027
Howie Rose speaks during Carlos Beltran's Mets Hall of Fame Induction ceremony before a game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citi Field on Saturday, Sep. 19, 2026. Credit: Jim McIsaac Sunday’s Citi Field ceremony honoring Mets radio broadcaster Howie Rose has been postponed until opening weekend 2027 due to rain, the Mets announced on Sunday morning. Rose, 72, announced before the season that he would be retiring after the season.
In the books? Mets announcer Howie Rose may have called last game on Saturday with rain in forecast for Sunday
Did Howie Rose call his final Mets game before his retirement on Saturday? Only Mother Nature knows. With all-day rain in the forecast for Sunday’s Mets regular-season home finale, Rose signed off Saturday’s 10-3 Mets win over the Phillies on 880 radio as if there won’t be a game or a pregame ceremony honoring him on Sunday. As of 10 p.m. on Saturday night, Sunday’s ceremony and game were both still scheduled. But the forecast makes it seem as if a washout of both could take place.
SNY's Steve Gelbs relishing success of 'Let's be Frank' segment
It undoubtedly was the highlight of the Mets’ season. In early May at Coors Field in Denver, SNY’s Steve Gelbs and Keith Hernandez shared a 23-inch, one-pound hot dog called “The Glizzilla.” And they did it “Lady and the Tramp” style. “What’s ‘Lady and the Tramp?’ ” Hernandez asked after the two announcers simultaneously took a bite on opposite ends of the all-beef behemoth. “You know that image is going to live forever,” a bemused Gary Cohen said.
YES, MSG Networks now available on DAZN as Gotham Sports App prepares for shutdown
The loading screen of the Gotham Sports App. Gotham Sports App users can now switch to watch YES and MSG Networks on DAZN in preparation for the end of the Gotham Sports App at the conclusion of the Yankees season. The companies announced in July that the Gotham Sports App would be discontinued after the Yankees season and replaced by DAZN. Pricing for the new app has yet to be announced.
Knicks pause single-game ticket sales to address 'mistake in our pricing'
Shirts are pictured on fans' seats prior to a game between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the New York Knicks on May 19, 2026. Credit: Getty Images Knicks tickets for the upcoming season are expensive, especially coming off their first NBA championship in 53 years. But not that expensive. The Knicks on Thursday announced that they are “pausing” single-game ticket sales because of “a mistake in our pricing” that led to face value seats being priced higher than they should have been.
Jets, Giants ticket resale prices surging after Week 1 wins
For years, season ticket holders for the Jets and Giants lamented that they couldn’t give their seats away much less sell them for a profit on the secondary market. Now, with both teams off to 1-0 starts, demand is high heading into the Jets’ home opener on Sunday and the Giants next home game on Sept. 27. And if the teams continue to win? The sky’s the limit.
$1,236 ticket for Knicks' banner-raising opener vs. LeBron James' 76ers is most expensive regular-season NBA game ever for this resale market
The defending NBA champion Knicks started to sell single-game tickets this week, but one game in the 2026-’27 season is one of the hottest tickets in recent memory. The Knicks’ Oct. 20 season opener at Madison Square Garden against LeBron James and the Philadelphia 76ers is being sold on the resale market for a get-in price of $1,236, according to online ticket reseller TickPick. It is currently the most expensive regular-season game in NBA history.
Islanders gear up for 2nd season of 'On the Island' docuseries about the team
The Islanders don’t begin their season until Sept. 30. But fans can get an inside look at this year’s squad starting Wednesday at 7 p.m. when the first episode of Season 2 of the team’s docuseries “On the Island” premieres on YouTube. Season 1 was a hit, according to Islanders president of business operations Kelly Cheeseman, and the team is hoping for more of the same in the second season. “So, Season 2,” Cheeseman told Newsday on Tuesday in a telephone interview.
The next 3 Mets games are on 3 different channels and none of them are SNY
Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor at Citi Field on September 6, 2026. Credit: Howard Simmons By Saturday, Mets fans might be yelling "I want my SNY" as three games in a row beginning Wednesday will be on national TV or streaming and not on the team's home network. So that's three nights without GKR (Gary, Keith and Ron). Wednesday night's series finale against Pete Alonso and the Orioles will be an ESPN exclusive. Thursday night's series opener against the Phillies will be shown only on Fox.
Anthony Rieber: The Subway Series was spared from ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball. How do Yankees and Mets fans feel about this?
There is so little good news for fans who watch sports on TV that we wanted to share some that you might have missed. Both Subway Series games that were played on Sundays this season were played in the afternoon and were carried by YES and SNY. The games were not moved to the night. They were not broadcast by ESPN on “Sunday Night Baseball.” Sunday baseball in the daytime. Games that end in the late afternoon and not late night. Getting to hear your hometown announcers.
Technical issues impact NFL+ streaming app in Week 1
Call it a pretty big opening week fumble for the NFL. The league’s direct-to-consumer streaming service, NFL+, suffered serious technical issues at the start of the first Sunday of the season. Customers reported on social media that they could not access popular – and pricey – features such as live games and NFL RedZone at the start of the 1 p.m. window. “We are aware of the issues affecting the NFL+ experience and are working to fix them.
US Open: Long Island's Noah Rubin sees Ben Shelton-Frances Tiafoe match as big moment for American tennis
An American man hasn’t won a tennis Grand Slam tournament since 2003. Going into the final weekend of the U.S. Open, there was a chance that streak would end as No. 8 Ben Shelton was set to take on No. 11 Francis Tiafoe in Friday’s late semifinal at Arthur Ashe Stadium. An American was guaranteed to make Sunday’s final against the winner of the earlier semifinal between No. 1 seed Alexander Zverev and unseeded Karen Khachanov.
Craig Carton's new podcast on OutKick will offer more of same, but also be very different from his WFAN show
Craig Carton’s new podcast on OutKick will be the same and also very different than his WFAN afternoon show. It will be the same, Carton told Newsday in a telephone interview last week, in that “the sensibility of the show is not going to change. I do what I do.” But the OutKick show, which will be called “The Craig Carton Show” and launches on Tuesday at 6 p.m., will be national instead of local, and will be about more than just sports.
Former Jets tight end Anthony Becht is now a broadcaster, a coach and the father of a college QB
Former Jets tight end Anthony Becht is the current head coach of the Orlando Storm of the United Football League. Credit: Getty Images/Julio Aguilar/UFL; Al Bello When former Jets tight end Anthony Becht retired after the 2011 season, he decided to take a year off to see what he should do next. Coaching? Broadcasting? Eventually, Becht landed on an answer. Both. Becht is going into his third season as the Jets’ radio analyst on Q104.3-FM.
US Open: The smell of marijuana in Flushing remains a problem for players and fans
A view of Court 17, which has an always present marijuana smell, during a match at the US Open tennis championships at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on Friday. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke The organizers of the U.S. Open have heard them all.
US Open: Ever wonder where all those tennis terms originated from? We do, too.
If you have been walking around the grounds of the National Tennis Center in Flushing during the first week of the U.S. Open, you’ve no doubt heard some different languages being spoken at one of New York’s truly great international events. But there is no more unique language than the language of tennis. It’s the language of love (as in 40-love). It’s the language of games, sets and matches (and don’t dare mix them up).
Optimum, Disney reach multi-year carriage deal that will give subscribers free access to ESPN Unlimited
A detailed view of the ESPN logo on a camera lens prior to an NFL preseason game between the Houston Texans and the Las Vegas Raiders in Houston on Aug. 20, Credit: AP/Maria Lysaker Optimum cable TV customers will "soon" get free access to ESPN’s direct-to-consumer streaming service and will keep access to the ESPN networks, NFL Network and NFL RedZone under a multi-year carriage deal announced on Thursday.
ESPN New York's Don La Greca, Michael Kay to reunite on radio for two-hour 'The Michael Kay Show'
Reunited . . . but still 3,000 miles apart. That will be the situation on Thursday when Michael Kay and Don La Greca come together from separate locales to host a special edition of “The Michael Kay Show” on ESPN New York Radio 880 from 1-3 p.m. to celebrate the station’s 25th anniversary. Kay, the YES Network play-by-play man, will be in San Diego on an off day for the Yankees. La Greca, Kay’s former co-host for more than two decades, will be in the station’s Soho studios. That seems fitting.
'Mad Dog' Chris Russo to be on WFAN's 'Evan and Tiki' show Tuesday
Chris Russo speaks on stage live from Fanatics Fest at Javits Center on July 17, 2026. Credit: Getty Images for SiriusXM Chris (Mad Dog) Russo will return to WFAN on Tuesday morning at 11 as a guest on the “Evan & Tiki” show on the first day of Audacy stations being carried on SiriusXM. Russo has been back on WFAN a few times since he left the iconic “Mike and the Mad Dog” show in 2008. Russo is the lead host of Mad Dog Sports Radio on SiriusXM.
Red Sox WEEI radio announcer Will Flemming apologizes for ripping Yankees' Jazz Chisholm Jr.
New York Yankees' Jazz Chisholm Jr. Credit: AP/Eduardo Munoz Alvarez A Boston Red Sox radio announcer who made critical comments about Yankees second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. apologized on Monday on X. Among other things, WEEI announcer Will Flemming said a Red Sox pitcher should “fight Chisholm on the field” and/or “drill” Yankees batter Austin Wells because Chisholm stole second and third bases in the eighth inning of the Yankees’ eventual 16-1 win over Boston in the Bronx on Sunday.
SiriusXM is going local with your favorite WFAN sports talk radio hosts
Boomer Esiason and Chris (Mad Dog) Russo. Craig Carton and Stephen A. Smith. Evan Roberts and Adam Schein. Those sports talk show hosts and many others will be teammates of sorts beginning Tuesday at 3 a.m. as WFAN and 22 other Audacy-owned stations begin a new deal by being carried on SiriusXM.
RedZone at the U.S. Open? What?
For the first time, ESPN is bringing NFL-style RedZone coverage to the first week of the U.S. Open. From Sunday to Friday, subscribers to ESPN Unlimited via the ESPN App can watch RedZone coverage from 11 a.m to 6 p.m. The service will give viewers access to matches taking place on all 16 courts just like NFL fans can get look-ins on all the games via NFL RedZone. ESPN will have a crew deciding which matches to feature in real time as the frenetic first-week action unfolds.
A rare doubleheader in Flushing
Citi Field is seen from the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing on Sunday. Sunday was Day 1 of the U.S. Open, while across the street the Mets hosted the Houston Astros. Credit: Newsday/Anthony Rieber Doubleheader today! First day of the main draw of the U.S. Open and the Mets hosting the Astros across the street. Other than Sept. 4-6, the Mets will be on the road for the rest of the tournament.
The Moet Serve is here to challenge the popular Honey Deuce at the U.S. Open. How much do these drinks cost?
Pop the cork! The early reviews are in and the new signature cocktail at the U.S. Open is a smash hit with thirsty tennis fans. It’s called the Moet Serve, and it features Moet Ice Imperial (which is the rare bubbly that is designed to be served over ice). The drink, which includes three limes and is created while you wait, is served in a custom can inspired by a tennis ball canister.
Mets' SNY broadcast feed cuts out before Francisco Lindor's game-saving catch
Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor gestures to the dugout after his solo home run against the Milwaukee Brewers during the fifth inning at Citi Field on Tuesday night. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke The Mets' walk-off 3-2, 10-inning victory over the Brewers on Tuesday night was pretty suspenseful. Fans watching on SNY got a little unwanted extra suspense.
Dolly Parton took a swing at Yankee Stadium in 1987 for her TV show 'Dolly'
On Sept. 1, 1987, Yankee Stadium turned into Dollywood. Country music legend Dolly Parton visited the Yankees on that date to film a segment for her ABC variety show, “Dolly!” She took a swing, tried on a Yankees jacket, had a Yankees cap perched atop her iconic blonde wig, and posed for a photo with players Rick Cerone, Ron Guidry, Mike Pagliarulo and Dave Righetti. “YANKEES WELCOME DOLLY PARTON” read a message on the centerfield scoreboard.
It's 'Seinfeld' George Costanza bobblehead season at Yankee Stadium. This year, it's the calzone.
He’s back, baby! The Yankees on Thursday will hold their third annual Seinfeld-themed giveaway as the first 18,000 fans to enter the stadium for the game against Houston will receive a George Costanza calzone bobblehead. It’s one of the hottest days on the Yankees’ promotional calendar. Expect a sellout crowd, fans lining up hours and hours before the gates open, and immediate bartering going on inside the stadium as collectors offer to buy the bobbleheads on the spot for big bucks.
ESPN's Alan Hahn says fans got it right in Islanders jersey contest, gives team credit for creating buzz
Islanders fans got it right with their selection of the lighthouse in the contest for the fan-designed third jersey for the 2027-28 season, according to Alan Hahn of ESPN NY Radio and MSG Networks. Hahn, a Long Island native and former Newsday Islanders beat writer, led the charge against a reprise of the mid-’90s fisherman logo on social media and on the “Don, Hahn and Rosenberg” afternoon show on 880-AM.
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