Goodbye Mike Francesa: The Most Loved (and Hated) Broadcaster in New York

For as long as I live, I’ll never forget the call.

It was a Friday night, around 8:00, when my phone rang. It was Mike Francesa. Sports broadcasting pioneer. Radio icon. New York legend. Mike Francesa.

And he wasn’t happy. “Joe, it’s Mike,” the gruff voice on the other end of the line said. “I just read your story. And you’re not gonna like what I have to say.” A Tribute to Retiring Sports Radio Giant Mike Francesa: The Most Loved (and Hated) Broadcaster in NY

 

I imagine like a lot of things, Francesa is a "New York thing" I just don't understand, or someone who is mainly famous "because" they work in New York. There are better talk hosts out there, better interviewers, more interesting personalities, from what I've seen on simulcasts - there really isn't anything there I couldn't find in Tulsa, San Diego, Boston or El Paso.

 

This guy, and the illusion that the Knicks are ever a relevant franchise, are two NY things I have never understood as to why the rest of the country is supposed to be interested.

 

If Sweeny doesn't say "Mike", he might still be asleep.

 

I was a religious listener to he and the Dog. Back in the day (pre-Twitter), if there was a major NY sports story, you had to tune in at 1 p.m to hear what they said.

Once he went out on his own, he turned even more humorless and know-it-all, which I didn't think was possible.

One thing I always liked about him (solo or with the Dog) is that they never turned the show into a juvenile boys' club.

 

You just don't get it, man.

It's the utter contempt for most of his audience and his blithering ignorance topped off by amazing hubris that makes him special.

 

Nobody else in the country gives a shit. We all have our own wackadoodle.

 

I don't even have a ranking wackadoodle, and I don't give a shit.

 

He was first (along with Russo). It's really that simple. He and Russo defined the genre, made sports talk radio a viable business model and gave every wackadoodle thereafter an opportunity to do their thing.

 

I was just thinking of this. That one, and his 1776 one crack me up.

As for the real Francesa, I found him fine to listen to for short bursts of time, but he'd drive me nuts if I tried to listen to him for hours.

The worst was when he and Russo used to try to guess how high or low TV ratings were for different games.

 

Heeeeeee STINKS!!!!!