Mike & The Mad Dog could be finished

[ehh]

http://www.newsday.com/sports/ny-spmike0622,0,842426.story

"Mike and the Mad Dog," the most successful, influential show in sports talk radio history, could soon be history itself.

Barring a change of heart, the partnership between Mike Francesa and Christopher "Mad Dog" Russo is not expected to survive to see its 19th anniversary Sept. 5, industry sources with knowledge of the situation said.

They may have already done their final show together; their next scheduled broadcast is not until July 11.

It is not clear which host would remain on WFAN, only that it would not be both of them. One factor appears to be a fraying of their personal relationship in recent months.

Russo denied it on air today but they aren't even doing shows together anymore. Neither can survive w.o the other, IMO and both are know-it-alls who don't know nearly as much as they think they do.

I remember Francesca doing the NCAA tourney back in the day and it was brutal, the two of them trying to do a Mets' game made your ears bleed. Yet they feel they'll be successful in other media venues.

They show has provided some entertainment over the years but I think there could be a much better tandem in there.

[SPTO]

Re: Mike & The Mad Dog could be finished

I've only heard/seen about a month's worth of their show and I agree they're much better together. I remember one time when I was in NY Russo was doing the show by himself just taking calls and it was just terrible. He really needed a foil for his commentary.

They did a Mets game together once? When was that? I bet that was at least very interesting. I do think Russo could work better by himself then Francessa as he's a bit more of a brash personality who's got that NY thing going for him. Francessa doesn't seem to have much there there if you know what I mean.

[ehh]

Re: Mike & The Mad Dog could be finished

The Mets' game was a few years back, at least it was for a good cause. It was BRUTAL.

On May 25, 2006, Francesa and Russo broadcast a Major League Baseball game at Shea Stadium between the Philadelphia Phillies and the New York Mets on radio for local charities.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-34">[35]</sup> Russo did the play-by-play and Francesa did the color analysis except that they reversed the roles during the third and seventh innings. Their broadcasting performance was evaluated later on by Ed Coleman, Howie Rose, and Mets senior management. WFAN and the Mets claimed to raise over $40,000 from the event. During the game, when the two were shown on the scoreboard, they were loudly booed by the audience in Shea Stadium.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-35">[36]</sup>. It was believed that the boos stemmed from the fact that neither Mike nor Chris are Met fans.

Before Russo and Francesa entered the booth to be broadcasters for the day, Russo mentioned that he was unsure how to correctly score a swinging strike three or a pitch taken called strike three. Russo and Francesa aired on the radio waves, whereas Gary Cohen and Keith Hernandez were the television play-by-play broadcasters. Keith Hernandez jokingly (on May 25th, day of broadcast on TV) poked fun at Russo concerning his play scoring abilities on television where Russo, on the day before had reservations about the event; in the light that he was unsure about the quality of play-by-play that Francesa and Russo would give the audience. Days beforehand, it was entirely possible that Pedro Martínez was going to pitch, but was given the extra day off. On air (Francesa's and Russo's radio program) joked and jeered about the play-by-play calls which they practiced and intended to use regardless of Martinez's eventual non-start.

Prior to this event, Francesa and Russo had broadcast several college basketball games for charities.

[TarHeelMan]

Re: Mike &amp; The Mad Dog could be finished

Russo by himself is far more tolerable than Francesa, at least caller-wise. The caller will usually have more time to make his point with Russo, whereas Francesa will more often than not make a show of his "knowledge" and "expertise". He is on record as saying that callers are basically a necessary evil, and that he would be more inclined to have a show where he basically conducts interviews and offers "insight" for 5 1/2 hours.

There was a noticeable cool between them a little while ago when Russo appeared on the Letterman show, and Letterman said something like "that other guy is holding you down". Francesa didn't seem to appreciate it, especially when one of the callers the next day started asking, "why weren't you on Letterman, Mike?" It seemed innocent enough, but Francesa took exception, as if the caller was trying to imply something... I think the YES video of that call is on youtube somewhere.

[catcatch22]

Re: Mike &amp; The Mad Dog could be finished

I can't stand Francessa. He's so longwinded and such a know it all when he knows very little.

[LincSink]

Re: Mike &amp; The Mad Dog could be finished

When I was at Syracuse I used to watch these guys on YES every afternoon. If you want some laughs and can't stand Francesa's know-it-all BS and generally condescending attitude take a glance at this forum (the guys who own it have called in numerous times like This Gem):

http://mikefrancesa.com/forums/showthread.php?t=9

[Eton Rifles]

Re: Mike &amp; The Mad Dog could be finished

I listened to them quite often over the years. Amazing if they get split apart but they have different personalities so perhaps it's time to move on. Mike is a miserable person on air so I wonder if he can still get a good job on radio if he is the one that leaves.

[ehh]

Re: Mike &amp; The Mad Dog could be finished

I listened to them quite often over the years. Amazing if they get split apart but they have different personalities so perhaps it's time to move on. Mike is a miserable person on air so I wonder if he can still get a good job on radio if he is the one that leaves.

From everything I gather he's a miserable person off air too.

Mike Francesa reflected on his relationship with Tim Russert when announcing his death on June 13, 2008. Francesa noted that his relationship with Russert became "strained" after the Imus incident, despite his respect for Russert's work on Meet the Press. Francesa also confessed that Russert had reached out to him on several ocassions since the incident, seeking reconciliation, but that he had not responded to these overtures.

[Kashanova]

Re: Mike &amp; The Mad Dog could be finished

i love the show and listening to it on the way back from work, nothing was better then mike reading the george steinbrener quotes

[TarHeelMan]

Re: Mike &amp; The Mad Dog could be finished

When I was at Syracuse I used to watch these guys on YES every afternoon. If you want some laughs and can't stand Francesa's know-it-all BS and generally condescending attitude take a glance at this forum (the guys who own it have called in numerous times like This Gem):

http://mikefrancesa.com/forums/showthread.php?t=9

I post there occasionally; hilarious forum... Especially the use of different code words, like Russo's constant use of a "scenario" or a "bad" or "good job in a big spot", or the word "element" to use Russo's word for someone of color. Someone speculated that if they did break up, they should pair Russo with someone of color, and the show would be "The Element and the Mad Dog"....

[catcatch22]

Re: Mike &amp; The Mad Dog could be finished

I post there occasionally; hilarious forum... Especially the use of different code words, like Russo's constant use of a "scenario" or a "bad" or "good job in a big spot", or the word "element" to use Russo's word for someone of color. Someone speculated that if they did break up, they should pair Russo with someone of color, and the show would be "The Element and the Mad Dog"....

LMAO!! That is so true.

I wish I as an big time athlete, just so I can go on the air and call them out for what they are. ARRGGHH, no one has any cajones anymore to just tell them you know nothing!! Geez I just wish one of these days an athlete with some brains goes on there and makes a fool of them.

I would love to use Russo's own quotes against him, "You are lost, you don't even now the difference between you elbow and your fanny".

[LincSink]

Re: Mike &amp; The Mad Dog could be finished

HAHA

I swear that some people call and if they see on TV that Mike isn't back from his Diet Coke/bathroom break they direct a question to him just to get Russo to say "Mike's not back yet" and make him look like an *** for not being there.

I also agree with catcatch22 that if I was ever on the show for an interview I'd have so much fun ripping on them. First I'd say "Mike I can hear you doodling while I talk, please stop" or wait for him to do his classic "preface my question with all this technical BS to show how superior my sports knowledge is" just so I could pull a Mike and go "This notion that (insert whatever Mike said) is totally ridiculous and the people who think that don't have ANY idea"

My friends and I used to actually "converse" in their language. I will never forget the time we were in a sport management class and my professor asked which sports league makes the most TV revenue. My friend raises his hand and with a dead straight face says: "The NFL, where they play...(dramatic pause)...for pay!!" just like Mike says it. I was almost crying trying not to laugh.

[TarHeelMan]

Re: Mike &amp; The Mad Dog could be finished

LMAO!! That is so true.

I wish I as an big time athlete, just so I can go on the air and call them out for what they are. ARRGGHH, no one has any cajones anymore to just tell them you know nothing!! Geez I just wish one of these days an athlete with some brains goes on there and makes a fool of them.

I would love to use Russo's own quotes against him, "You are lost, you don't even now the difference between you elbow and your fanny".

Michael Strahan has already done that; I heard he called the two of them out on that HBO special that Bob Costas moderated, about the sports media... Russo was a panelist (I think that's something else that pissed off Francesa), and I heard Strahan started getting on him. Of course, Francesa tried to make it seem like Strahan was mad because they never let him on their show....

[ehh]

Re: Mike &amp; The Mad Dog could be finished

Of course, Francesa tried to make it seem like Strahan was mad because they never let him on their show....

LOL, I love that about them - they think everyone is just DYING to get on their show.

[nyisles16]

Re: Mike &amp; The Mad Dog could be finished

Doggie, even though his voice is annoying, is the better of the two imo. Mike is just a pompus jerk