New York Mets announcer Gary Cohen struggled to wrap his brain around the fact that Chicago Cubs third baseman Matt Shaw skipped a game to attend the memorial service for assassinated conservative commentator and Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk.
Cohen, announcing Tuesday’s game between the Cubs and the Mets alongside former MLB player Todd Zeile, remarked on the fact that Shaw had missed a game over the weekend — one the Cubs ultimately lost to the Cincinnati Reds — and that he’d missed it to attend Kirk’s memorial service.
WATCH:
Mets announcers Gary Cohen & Todd Zeile mindblown that Matt Shaw would skip a game to attend his close friend, Charlie Kirk’s, memorial.
“The thought of leaving your team in the middle of a race for any reason other than a family emergency really strikes me as weird.”
What’s… pic.twitter.com/O3vkKTbQ5N
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) September 24, 2025
“I don’t want to talk about any of the politics of it, but the thought of leaving your team in the middle of a race for any reason other than a family emergency, really strikes me as weird,” Cohen said.
Zeile appeared to agree with Cohen’s assessment, adding, “It’s unusual, I think it’s unprecedented at least from my experience as a player, and I think it made it a little more unusual that it was not revealed until after it came to issue because he was thought to be in the dugout and maybe available, and was not, and that’s how it was revealed.”
Shaw defended the move, saying, “My connection with Charlie was through our [Christian] faith. And that’s something that drives me every day, the reason why I’m able to do what I do every day, and that’s something I’m extremely thankful for. I know without my faith and without the many blessings I’ve been given in my life, that I wouldn’t be here, be able to talk to you guys, able to help this team eventually go and win championships.”
Shaw said that he’d met Kirk when they lived in the same apartment complex in Arizona, and that they had been friends since. It was Kirk’s widow, Erika Kirk, who reached out and invited Shaw to attend her husband’s service.
“When [Charlie was shot], a lot of emotions came over me. I didn’t foresee that happening. I don’t know how to describe everything that happened, how I was feeling, but I will say I was tearing up pretty good,” Shaw said, describing the moment he’d learned of his friend’s death. “I had a lot of [teammates] supporting me, and that will be something I’ll remember for my entire life.”
Kirk’s chief of staff at TPUSA, Mikey McCoy, responded to Cohen by sharing video of Kirk and Shaw together just one month before the assassination.
WATCH:
A little over a month ago Charlie’s dream came true… he got the opportunity to walk on Wrigley Field and after – see his friend Matt Shaw hit a home run.
A month later, Charlie is gone and Matt Shaw is receiving backlash for attending his friend’s memorial.
Shame on Gary… pic.twitter.com/pUErnV3OKb
— Mikey McCoy (@Michael_McCoyy) September 25, 2025
“A little over a month ago Charlie’s dream came true … he got the opportunity to walk on Wrigley Field and after — see his friend Matt Shaw hit a home run. A month later, Charlie is gone and Matt Shaw is receiving backlash for attending his friend’s memorial. Shame on Gary Cohen,” he said.
McCoy was not the only one criticizing Cohen, either.
“Last night, New York Mets broadcaster, Gary Cohen tried shaming Matt Shaw for going to Charlie Kirk’s memorial. Today, Matt Shaw went 3-4 w/ 3 runs & an RBI in the Cubs 10-3 win Poetic justice,” Jon Root posted.
Last night, New York Mets broadcaster, Gary Cohen tried shaming Matt Shaw for going to Charlie Kirk’s memorial.
Today, Matt Shaw went 3-4 w/ 3 runs & an RBI in the Cubs 10-3 win
Poetic justice 👏
— Jon Root (@JonnyRoot_) September 25, 2025
“Matt Shaw saw his friend get shot and killed…his wife requested that he be there and Gary Cohen’s got a problem with that because the Cubs are in a pennant race?” Greg Giannotti added.
“Matt Shaw saw his friend get shot and killed…his wife requested that he be there and Gary Cohen’s got a problem with that because the Cubs are in a pennant race?” – Gregg Giannotti took issue with Gary Cohen questioning Matt Shaw attending Charlie Kirk’s memorial service pic.twitter.com/QEXL3iktsn
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) September 24, 2025
“Mets Announcer Gary Cohen was very confused that Matt Shaw of the Cubs took off a game to go to Charlie Kirk’s funeral. But had no issue with THE ENTIRE TEAM forfeiting a game for George Floyd… This is the liberal brain rot,” another posted.
Mets Announcer Gary Cohen was very confused that Matt Shaw of the Cubs took off a game to go to Charlie Kirk’s funeral.
But had no issue with THE ENTIRE TEAM forfeiting a game for George Floyd…
This is the liberal brain rot pic.twitter.com/pL7aP2w0Hl
— kevin smith (@kevin_smith45) September 25, 2025
A number also said that Cohen owed Shaw an apology.
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