Imagine doing a sports talk show on an ordinary Tuesday night and suddenly receiving a call from Jerry Seinfeld himself, ready to chat. That’s exactly what happened to WFAN host Chris McMonigle this past Tuesday, and it turned into a memorable moment for everyone listening. The reason behind Jerry’s unexpected call was both fantastic and hilarious.
During the show, McMonigle was venting about the bright, garish courts being used in the NBA’s in-season tournament—something he found visually offensive. He compared them to the bright-red Kenny Rogers Roasters sign that famously blinded Jerry in an episode of “Seinfeld.”
This led to McMonigle’s producer, Paul Rosenberg, making a bold and somewhat controversial statement: “One of the few good Seinfeld episodes.” Naturally, this sparked a discussion about whether “Seinfeld” truly was one of the greatest sitcoms of all time, as many would argue.
As fate would have it, Jerry Seinfeld happened to be listening to the show at that exact moment. Not one to shy away from addressing his critics, Jerry called in to share his thoughts. He quickly reassured everyone that Rosenberg’s opinion didn’t bother him in the least.
“It doesn’t bother me, I’m O.K. with it,” Seinfeld said with a chuckle. “One out of two is fine.”
McMonigle, taking advantage of the moment, reminded Jerry that Rosenberg had said there were only a few good episodes of “Seinfeld.” Jerry, known for his sharp wit, responded with a sports analogy that fit perfectly.
“Look, we made 180 Seinfeld episodes. So, we made three good ones. We’re like the Giants. We’re 3–177.” The self-deprecating humor had everyone laughing, and the sports reference connected perfectly with the show’s audience.
RELATED: Greg Olsen Takes a Jab at Aaron Judge’s Disappointing Yankees Postseason
E
Since Jerry was already on the line, McMonigle took the opportunity to ask the lifelong Mets fan about his thoughts on the team’s incredible 2024 season. As always, Seinfeld had plenty to say, and his enthusiasm for the Mets shone through.
“You could make a pretty good argument that this season was the most magical Mets season, not counting the two World Series wins,” Jerry said. “It was a chemistry, an energy, and an emotional thing with guys that weren’t supposed to be that good. I don’t know what can beat that. Does winning with Juan Soto and Shohei Ohtani, would that be as fun as this? As an adult, to be jumping up and down and screaming—what makes you jump up and down and scream as an adult? Nothing.”
While Jerry was clearly thrilled with the Mets’ success, he was also keen to rib McMonigle, a Yankees fan, about the Bronx Bombers’ heartbreaking collapse in the World Series. Seinfeld wasted no time poking fun at the painful memory.
“But tell me about the pain of the fifth inning,” Seinfeld asked McMonigle with a mischievous tone. “Tell me about that. I wanna know, what did that feel like as a fan?”
“Really?” McMonigle responded, slightly exasperated. “Do I have to go over that with Jerry Seinfeld right now?”
“Yeah, I wanna hear your pain,” Jerry insisted, clearly enjoying the moment.
McMonigle reluctantly recounted the embarrassing fifth inning of Game 5, admitting, “A day hasn’t gone by yet where I haven’t thought about it for a little bit.”
Jerry’s response was priceless: “It makes me feel so good to hear that. Your pain is my pleasure.” He continued to twist the knife, adding, “Did you notice the next day after that game, the Yankees hats per block in Manhattan went from six to zero in one day? As a Mets fan, that was a very thrilling moment for me.”
The conversation eventually circled back to the original topic of Seinfeld’s supposed lack of good episodes. As the call drew to a close, Jerry thanked McMonigle for sticking up for him and for letting him join the show.
“Thank you for taking my call,” Jerry said graciously. “Thank you for sticking up for me. I just want you to know my feelings were not hurt.”
The entire exchange was packed with humor, wit, and classic Seinfeld charm, but perhaps the best part was Jerry humbly saying, “Thank you for taking my call.”
Any host of a radio or TV show would jump at the chance to take a call from Jerry Seinfeld, and this spontaneous moment became one for the books.
