bromances

Dave Zinczenko and Dan Abrams First Bonded Over Abrams’s ‘Ball Cancer’

Here’s a nice little vignette about one of New York’s most prominent bromances, from the Times’s write-up of the friendship between media maven Dan Abrams and Men’s Health editor Dave Zinczenko. Turns out the two weren’t really friends until Zinczenko made a vastly inappropriate joke at the Soho House. “In 2003, I had testicular cancer, and I didn’t tell anyone about it — maybe five people,” Abrams explained. “I had a fairly significant surgery. I was weak, slumped over. I told people at work I’d been in an accident.” Then one night, he went out and ran into Zinczenko at the tony social club. We’ll let them tell the tale.

Mr. Zinczenko jumped in: “I said, ‘Why are you so down? Life’s not that bad.’ 

I said, ‘All’s good,’ ” Mr. Abrams said.

And I said, ‘You look terrible, lighten up; it’s not like you have ball cancer.’ ” Mr. Zinczenko said. “Most random thing ever. And he laughed it off: ‘Ha, ha, great to see you, I’ll send you some drinks.’ 

And about four months later, I went on the ‘Today’ show,” Mr. Abrams said, “to support a charity for Sean Kimerling, who was at Sloan-Kettering with testicular cancer when I was, who died. And I hadn’t planned on going public, but Sean’s family touched me so much. …”

So I’m watching TV, I’m drinking my smoothie, and Dan’s on the ‘Today’ show talking about his testicular cancer,” Mr. Zinczenko said.

That’s the stuff of romantic comedy right there! But the quote of the piece comes from Vanity Fair editor Graydon Carter, who used to host them frequently at the Waverly Inn. (Abrams and Zinczenko later collaborated with Waverly chef John DeLucie on their own restaurant, the Lion.) “Every time I see them — and they seem to travel everywhere together,” he said, “I can’t help but think of those two brothers from A Night at the Roxbury.”

The Dan and Dave Show [NYT]

Dave Zinczenko and Dan Abrams First Bonded Over Abrams’s ‘Ball Cancer’