Mike and the Mad Dog, the most significant duo in the history of sports talk radio, has broken up.
WFAN, the New York radio station that has broadcast the show for 18 years, announced that Chris "Mad Dog" Russo is leaving the station and Mike Francesa will host the afternoon show himself. Neil Best of Newsday, who has been way ahead of the pack on this story and reported in June that a split was near, writes that Russo is expected to land at Sirius Satellite Radio.
Russo and Francesa didn't always see eye to eye, but it's hard to envision either of them ever doing anything as influential as Mike and the Mad Dog. Even when they clashed -- especially when they clashed -- their personalities made them a great radio duo. They'll be missed.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
8-14-2008 @ 10:37PM
bo said...
neither one knows anything about sports, they are all hype and probably were the last ones picked in choose up games
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8-15-2008 @ 10:02AM
paulito bregante said...
You must not be from the NY, cause you have no clue what your talking about. Mike and The Mad Dog are icons. Don't hate just appreciate.
8-15-2008 @ 7:00PM
Bill said...
While they are frequently wrong, and I had to stop listening years ago, you are obviously an ignorant, wannabe jock who still revels in the fact that he got picked on the playground, as if that's the measure of a person for life. Many of us got picked on the playground, but don't carry the memory with us as a validation of self-worth. Broadcasters do not have to be great athletes to be good at what they do. And the past 40 years has shown us that ex-athletes are, more often than not, terrible broadcasters. I wish they'd get the meathead jocks out of the booth, and let the pros do their jobs. That said, Mad Dog can't speak either, so he's, at best, an amusing character from time to time, while Mike is just an arrogant blowhard who doesn't know nearly as much as he'd like everyone to think.
8-16-2008 @ 8:44AM
TJ said...
You are out of your mind if you think that neither one of them knew nothing about sports! What do you think warrants knowing about sports? Stats? if it is that that then you are sadly mistaken.Ok sports guru..You tell me what it takes to KNOW about sports!?
9-16-2008 @ 2:51PM
ray said...
mike is one of the most informative sports persons to be on radio or tv . when russo started he knew very little of sports, and was on more for how he sounded not his sports knowledge. i love sports and if you ever wanted to hear accurate info mike was the man to listen. mike worked with ed coleman before russo, and it was always sports with mike. russo hardly knew what he talked about concerning sports, he learned sports on the job.
8-15-2008 @ 12:06AM
smearthebeard said...
I think I speak for all of us on the West Coast. We could give a rats ass some east coast bias sports nerds! Good ridance!
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8-16-2008 @ 8:53AM
tj said...
With a screen name like smearthebeard speaks volumes about your eccentricness! Smoke much rope or dope lately?Probably because that's all you would care about out there! Who gives a rats ass about your impaired opinion!
8-16-2008 @ 8:54AM
tj said...
With a screen name like smearthebeard speaks volumes about your eccentricness! Smoke much rope or dope lately?Probably because that's all you would care about out there! Who gives a rats ass about your impaired opinion!
8-15-2008 @ 2:00AM
Chris said...
As someone who lives on Long Island and listens reguarly, its kinda a sad occurrence. You kind of knew it was coming, but still, I honestly think they chose the wrong guy, Russo for all his faults is goofy and pretty fun a lot of the times, Francessa is a lot more serious and has a lot of know it all ness at times that comes off as smug.
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8-15-2008 @ 2:08AM
Chris said...
As a Long Islander who listen to the show reguarly, its a sad day. You kind of knew it was inevitable, but still, it was a big time radio show even today, which is saying something. I also kinda feel WFAN chose the wrong guy. Russo, for all his faults, is goofy and usually fun. Francessa has a know-it-all-ness to him and comes off as smug sometimes. Not a great scenario
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8-15-2008 @ 6:34AM
jack said...
mike is a big four-eyed jerk. thank you, jack
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8-15-2008 @ 6:44AM
mike said...
its definitely sad to see chris russo go. i didnt always agree with him, but i was alwasys entertained when he was on the air. i also think wfan made a HUGE mistake by letting him go. they shouldve let mike go. francesa is an egotistical elitist who thinks the yankees are the greatest thing since sliced bread and cannot take any criticism about the yankees. and he puts fans down by making them think he knows so much. whenever anyone challenges him on his knowledge of sports, he cuts them off the air and ALWAYS gets the last word. i will listen to today's show, august 15th, for the last time and hopefully chris, if youre out there, you WILL go to sirius radio and finally give me a reason to switch. GO MAD DOG---- your fans will follow you!!!
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8-15-2008 @ 10:10AM
Jerry said...
Never understood how Mad Dog lasted this long. Not the brightest bulb in the pack. How can you keep a radio announcer on board who can't speak the language correctly? I often got tired of his inane ramblings and foot in mouth slip ups. Mike will be much better off without him.
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8-15-2008 @ 10:47AM
Grandmama said...
I for one am sorry to see them part. I would like to see Craig Carton depart. He is insulting to many callers who really do not deserve it. I can't stand him.
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8-15-2008 @ 5:00PM
alexis said...
Yeeahhhhh, that voice is gonnnneeee. i have to congratulate mike francesca for not knockin him out after 19 looooooong years. Go Mike and go Yankees (2009)
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8-15-2008 @ 7:17PM
Tom said...
Too bad. I really enjoyed the show and looked forward to it every day.
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8-15-2008 @ 9:20PM
Goflight said...
Sad day for NY Sports Radio. I always thougt Chris didn't want to be in Mike's shadow anymore.....I will miss them, WFAN just isn't the same. I don't think Mike will do as well in a solo show as he did with Russo.
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8-16-2008 @ 12:46AM
Bill said...
Uneducated, ignorant, hot air pair. That is why Fox football bounced Mike almost in a heartbeat years ago. When they talked about money and other economic/political issues it scared me. The harm they did by influencing public opinion through this media platform, with no understanding/education on the issue, can never be truly measured. I think what scared me more is the number of simple minds that followed these two for 19 years. One moronic process down, one to go - getting out of Iraq .
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8-17-2008 @ 1:15PM
Jeff said...
Hey Bill,
Before you post a comment, do your research moron! Francesa previously was employed by CBS, not Fox! And if you chose not to listen to them, that's your business. And frankly, who gives a rat's ass what you think anyway. Despite what you may believe, Mike and the Mad Dog were GIANTS in the sports talk show industry! Deal with it! Millions of people across the country listened to them during the week. They were entertainment! Being rated #1 in the ratings in the New York City market for many, many years speaks volumes as to their popularity!
8-18-2008 @ 9:06PM
doc said...
bill--well said--those 2 buffoons took the unwashed ignorant rabble and actually made them even less informed--true demagogues--now if we can get the other ass canned, the hopeless lumpen proletariat will have to find someone else to suck dry what little intelligence the new york sports fan