Brian Schneider owns two Shih Tzus, dogs former NFL lineman Tony Siragusa describes as “frilly” and having “little sparkly necklaces.”
“You would think he would have like a pit bull or a rottweiler,” Siragusa says.
Nope, it’s Shih Tzus. And to borrow a line from “Fight Club,” we know this because Siragusa knows this. Schneider, the Mets’ catcher, and Siragusa, an on-field analyst for NFL games on Fox, are buddies.
Schneider lives in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., and his neighbor is Ed Toner, who played three seasons in the NFL from 1992-94 with the Indianapolis Colts. While there, Toner roomed with Siragusa, who was a Colt from 1990-96 before landing with the Baltimore Ravens from 1997-2001. Siragusa was part of the sensational Ravens’ defense that crushed the Giants, 34-7, in Super Bowl XXXV in 2001.
In November 2007, Siragusa and Toner, who was working as Siragusa’s sideline producer, hooked up Schneider, getting him on the sidelines for a Giants-Lions game in Detroit.
Schneider is a low-key guy, and Siragusa appears louder and more outlandish. But they still have become friends.
“I think with Tony, what you see is what you get,” Schneider says. “He doesn’t sugarcoat anything. He speaks his mind.”
Schneider says he thinks at some point Siragusa will come to Citi Field. Siragusa said he hopes to someday take batting practice with his 9-year-old son, Anthony.
Schneider said he didn’t believe he would follow Siragusa’s path to the TV booth.
“I thought about it. I don’t know if I could do that, what those guys do,” Schneider said. “It’s something I could think about doing. But after the game, I want to be close to the family.”