When the clock struck 10 a.m. in New York City, a new era of WFAN officially commenced with the launch of the new midday show featuring Brandon Tierney and Sal Licata. About 10 seconds in, the duo set off fireworks by coming out firing with a disagreement about the New York Yankees and whether or not the team has a chance to win a World Series. There was no protracted welcome to the show or pleasantries exchanged between the co-hosts, at least not initially. Instead, Tierney and Licata gave WFAN listeners what they had been waiting for ever since the revamped station lineup was announced following the departure of Craig Carton: hard-hitting, sports talk radio.
“This is the start of a new day – it’s a new day, obviously. When you wake up it’s a new day,” Tierney said. “It’s the start of a new era, and it’s the start of our first disagreement.”
Licata, a die-hard fan of the New York Mets, believes the Yankees have a legitimate chance to qualify for the World Series and offered his perspectives on the situation. The team recently swept the Kansas City Royals but is still without superstar outfielder Aaron Judge after he suffered a toe injury in early June.
“This Yankee team still has everything out there in front of them to make a run in the postseason,” Licata said, describing the turbulent state of the American League. “….You guys make it like, ‘Oh, this team’s dead.’ They’re not dead!”
In the middle of the argument, Tierney had a brief aside and expressed just how pumped he was for the new program. Within about three seconds, he resumed the argument and expressed his chagrin towards the notion of patience. The Yankees have not won a World Series, let alone won an American League pennant, since the 2009 season – and fans are growing more agitated by the day. Tierney is among that cohort who is less than pleased with the job that general manager Brian Cashman has done in building a championship roster, and outlined his rationale engendering despondence.
“I need something tangible,” Tierney said. “I don’t want, ‘There’s time,’ and, ‘They’re only two-and-a-half out of the wild card.’ Tangibly speaking, why are the Yankees going to go on a run?”
Tomorrow night, the New York Mets visit the Bronx to take on the Yankees in the second installment of the Subway Series in 2023, which is currently even at one game apiece. While the Yankees are coming off a sweep of the Royals, the Mets lost two of three games to the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park and will aim to get their season back on track. The two-game set comes at a critical juncture for both teams, and the melodious dissonance of Tierney and Licata offers a new sound to one of the summer’s most anticipated matchups. It is a chance for Tierney and Licata to establish themselves as a dynamic duo and captivate shares of listeners.
