1. I understand that most of you reading this likely hate the Yankees and don’t want to hear a Yankees fan complain about anything, but I’m going to vent on something that affects all sports fans.
Don’t let the media tell you how you can or cannot criticize your team.
While the Yankees after coming off a season in which they went to the World Series and sit at 49–41, New York fans are unhappy because 1) the team has completely collapsed in recent weeks; 2) the roster is a mess and 3) it’s the same old, same old every year with general manager Brian Cashman getting a free pass and manager Aaron Boone saying everything is great on a daily basis.
The Yankees haven’t won a World Series since 2009, and the fans are restless. You can call that entitlement, but that doesn’t change the fact that Cashman has been the GM since 1998 and has been responsible for one World Series championship. The titles won in 1999 and 2000 were not with his players. Those teams were put together by the previous front office regime. But the media won’t tell you that.
Instead, we have ESPN’s Jeff Passan telling Yankees fans to “shut the f--- up” on The Max Mannis Podcast.
“It’s also why when I hear Yankees fans complain, I’m like, ‘Shut the f---k up,’” Passan said. “Listen, would you rather have a team that is competitive every year and might not win a championship, or a team that stinks? Would you rather be a Yankees fan or a Pirates fan?”
Passan is very smart, so I was surprised he’d go with an apples and oranges comparison and act like the alternative to being a Yankees fan is being a Pirates fan. The Pirates being a complete joke of an organization has nothing to do with the Yankees.
This was especially surprising given that not long ago, Passan criticized Yankees ownership for not spending more money.
In addition to Passan, Yankees play-by-play guy, Michael Kay, took New York fans to task on his radio show.
“And I love, by the way, Yankees fans that say, ‘They should rebuild,’” Kay said. “‘They should reload.’ Really? You couldn’t take losing in the World Series. You went to the World Series last year, and now you’ve had a bad three-week stretch, and you want the manager and GM fired. And you want to reload? And you’re going to be able to handle that? You can’t handle losing in the World Series!”
Actually, some of us have wanted the GM fired for many years. Cashman has been in New York for 27 years. It’s not crazy to think the organization should change things up. Obviously, Kay is never going to be overly critical of Cashman because Kay works for the Yankees!
Listen, it would be surprising to fire any GM or manager coming off a World Series appearance, but if you watch the Yankees day in and day out, and see how the roster is problematic—the base running is pathetic, the defense is shoddy and pitchers haven’t been developed in a couple of decades—you have every right to voice your displeasure, despite what people in the media tell you. That’s what being a fan is all about.
2. During a recent podcast appearance, Kirk Herbstreit shared quite a story about Pat McAfee. There was a time when ESPN was going to make some budget cuts to College GameDay. According to Herbstreit on Net Positive with John Crist, McAfee stepped up and offered to cover the costs for the behind-the-scenes people who would be impacted.
3. Season 2 of Netflix’s Quarterback, featuring Joe Burrow, Jared Goff and Kirk Cousins, is out now. Here’s a new preview clip.
4. This was an excellent quote from new Spurs center, Luke Kornet.
Newest #Spurs big man Luke Kornet cracks that he chose #7 because he wants to be a third of the player Tim Duncan was.
— Nate Ryan (@nateryansports) July 7, 2025
Added that he loves multiples & factors. pic.twitter.com/ygvu93g2nE
5. If you missed this over the long holiday weekend, you need to see what 38-year-old Novak Djokovic did at Wimbledon.
NOVAK DJOKOVIC. 🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) July 6, 2025
One of the points of the year.
38 years old.
The man is timeless.
pic.twitter.com/SCDa6btwYx
6. The latest SI Media With Jimmy Traina podcast features a conversation with ESPN’s Jeremy Schaap.
Schaap talks about ESPN’s upcoming E60, Southpaw–The Life and Legacy of Jim Abbott, which covers the career of the pitcher born without a right hand who threw a no-hitter as a Yankee. Schaap also discusses another great E60 that he worked on, The Great Imposter, about the life of Barry Bremen, who was known for sneaking into various sporting events.
Other topics discussed with Schaap include his famous interview with Bobby Knight, whether he's ever come close to leaving ESPN, the story he missed out on that hurts the most, the state of journalism in 2025, hosting the hot dog eating contest and much more.
Following Schaap, Sal Licata from WFAN radio and SNY TV in New York joins me for our weekly "Traina Thoughts" segment. This week, we discuss the new price for NFL Sunday Ticket on YouTube, the "torpedo bats" discussion completely going away, celebrity encounters and more.
You can listen to the SI Media With Jimmy Traina podcast below or on Apple and Spotify.
7. RANDOM VIDEO OF THE DAY: Today is the 15th anniversary of “The Decision.” A lot of people knocked LeBron James for doing “The Decision,” but I will always be grateful because “The Decision” led to this.
Be sure to catch up on past editions of Traina Thoughts and check out the Sports Illustrated Media Podcast hosted by Jimmy Traina on Apple, Spotify or Google. You can also follow Jimmy on X and Instagram.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Why Yankees Fans Should Ignore Calls to Stop Complaining About the Team.
