The Best in Sports News and Analysis, from Danielle McCartan · Danielle McCartan

WFAN June 2, 2024

·2 hr 8 min·20 clips

Danielle McCartin opens from the Mike Francesa studio in Lower Manhattan and sets the tone like a host who expects the room to stay awake with her. She welcomes listeners on the radio, the website, and the app, and asks them to call in on the new number. She also teases a special announcement, which gives the first stretch of the show a little extra charge. From there, she moves into New York sports and starts working through the night's conversations. She notes the fourth annual Luke Gehrig Day across Major League Baseball and uses it as part of the evening's baseball backdrop. The Yankees come into focus as she turns to that night's discussion and keeps the pacing brisk. Her tone stays direct and immediate, which fits live radio better than anything polished ever could. When Rangers talk arrives, she does not hide her view. She argues that the team should not blame its goalie for the result and pushes back hard on that idea. She points to the defense in front of him and the lack of support from the stars. She also says she wanted to see Alexis Lafreniere get time on the first power play unit. She floats another player as someone who might have deserved a longer run. The point is not just to criticize. It is to point to the kind of lineup shakeup that actually makes sense. A caller from Memphis brings up Caitlin Clark and asks why her teammates are not responding more forcefully when she is targeted. McCartin answers in the same plainspoken way she uses throughout the show. She says she does not understand the passive reaction either. She says she would be the kind of teammate who would fight every game. The exchange widens into a discussion of how stars are treated and how quickly new fans can be pushed away. She calls that a shame and makes the point that the damage is already happening. Late in the show, she returns to baseball and gets the answer she wanted from Brian Cashman. She also notes that the Stanley Cup Finals are set, with the Oilers and Panthers facing off. The ending lands like a proper wrap-up of a live sports radio shift. She thanks the callers, thanks Connor Green behind the glass, and reminds listeners how to catch the show again through Odyssey Rewind or on social channels. The whole hour feels built around immediate reaction, live argument, and the kind of sports talk that sounds like it is happening in the moment because it is.

As heard by us

Brisk late-night New York sports talk that comes alive once the callers get going.

Danielle McCartan's late-night New York sports-radio slot gets moving once the callers start rolling. It begins with a little setup, then settles into Yankees talk, Rangers frustration, Caitlin Clark discussion, and a late-breaking Stanley Cup Finals update.

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Why you'd press play

Press play if you want New York sports talk that feels live, not packaged.

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