MMD breakdown Wilt's 100-point game

This goes out to Gregg Hopps. He wanted to know how Mike and the Mad Dog would have dissected Wilt Chamberlain's 100 point game, if they had been on the air back then.

Russo: “Good afternoon, everybody!! How are you today? On this Monday afternoon, March 3^rd, 1962 on the Fan. WPIX is piggybacking. Hello, Mikey.”

Francesa: “Dog.”

Russo: “Well, Mike, the lead story today is the Knicks. Their defense is atrocious! They give up 169 points. Chamberlain has 100 of them. I mean, come onnnn. Could ya please put a man on Chamberlain? That’s horrible job out of Eddie Donovan. It’s his first year as coach, but the fans at the Garden are going to run him out of here with anymore nights like that.”

Francesa: “Dog, I’ve never been a big fan of Donovan and I am not a big fan of these athletes padding their stats. Chamberlain’s playing with Al Attles and Paul Arazin. Neither whom are a slouch. How about passing it once or twice? That would be nice. I can’t take Chamberlain seriously until he wins a title. He can score all the points he wants. But right now, the two most important numbers are 3…and…Zero. Russell and the Celtics have won 3 titles. Chamberlain. Zilch.”

Russo: “That is true, Mikey. Chamberlain in a tough spot(hyperventilating laughter creeping in), you start hearing Patsy Cline singing, I Fall To Pieces.(lots of laughter)."

Francesa: "I just don't trust him in a big spot."

Russo: "My wife, Jeannie won't stop singing that song. She loves Patsy...Still 100 points for the Stilt. Speaking of big performances, the Oscars are coming up. Who do you like, Mikey?”

Francesa “I haven’t seen any of the movies this year. I can’t offer an opinion.”

Russo “Sophia Loren is nominated for best actress.”

Francesa “She is a knockout. I would see anything that she is in.”

Animal Welfare on the Fan

This election there are several big issues, gas prices, the war in iraq, the economy but I want to make sure our candidates are focusing on another enormous issue. Homeless horses.

According to mike francesa, it is a huge problem.

"I take care of my horses but I can't find homes for all of them" mike said.

Chris Russo attempted to make a joke using a reference to the blockbuster movie Hildago, but Mike was not horsing around.

'This is a very serious problem,' Mike said as if he was talking about the yankees bullpen being cluttered with latroy hawkins and kyle farnsworth

So on behalf of mike we ask everyone to take up the cause. Barack, Mccain, Bush, Mr ed, everyone. Find a home for a horse. If you live in a fifth floor walk up, no problem the horse can do the steps. If you have just a studio, no problem, the horse is just a little bigger than a dog.

(note: This is a Lt. Sam Weinberg joint, but he can only type it on his Blackberry, not post it. So Gman26 is doing the honors.)

Mike and Chris Go Back In Time

Earlier on today's show, a caller up brought up Duke Snider bunting in Game 7 of the 1955 World Series to justify Carlos Beltran bunting the other night. After ripping the caller for making that comparison, Russo, talking about Duke Snider's bunt, added "Now I don't like bunting there if he did get a guy to 2nd base. I wouldn't have liked that if I was around at the time but I could make a case for it nothing-nothing game, Podres and Tommy Byrne, I could make a case for it."

So that got us thinking here at the Mike and the Mad Blog, what if we could send Mike and Chris back in time and have them breakdown a sports moment from the past, long before they were on the air. Well, that is what we are going to do. But we want your feedback. Which of these old classic sports moments would you like to see Mike and Chris analyze:

- Wilt's 100 point game

- Don Larsen perfect game in World Series

- Babe Ruth calls his shot in 1932

- Willis Reed limping out in 1970

- "The Immaculate Reception"

- Miracle on Ice

- Joe Namath's Super Bowl guarantee

- Louis beats Schmelling

- U.S. basketball team getting robbed in 1972

- JFK being shot (yes, not a sports moment, but Mike loves talking JFK)


Send us your picks and we will re-enact the Francesa/Russo analysis of the topic chosen. Or if you feel we left out a better one, let us know.

Why We Hate Mikefrancesa.com Part 2

Isn't there room for more than one mike and the mad dog site? We thought so. Francesca's ego demands it and if there are 1400 sites for Britney Spears, Mike and Chris certainly deserve two. So we were astonished by the terrible job out of mikefrancesca.com when they banned our posts under the belief that they are the only place for MMD. Even Timmy Russo knows that's an awful job. Below is the post on mikefrancesa.com yesterday that got us banned:

Could ya please with the mikefrancesa.com elitism? The whole idea that this site 'owns' Mike and the Mad Dog is absurd.
Son, we live in a world that has blogs. And those blogs have to be written by men with balls. Who's going to do that? You Captain2? You Joepeedrio?(names of posters who had criticized initial post) You criticize mikeandthemadblog and curse our website. You have that luxury.

Why do we hate mikefrancesa.com so much?

After posting a thread yesterday on mikefrancesa.com
which mentions Mike and the Mad Blog, Gman26's thread
was taken down and his IP address banned from the site.
First Time had a little talk with him to sort through
the heavyhanded tactics of their website.


FIRST TIME
Why do you hate them so much?

GMAN26
They beat up on a weakling, and that's all they did.
The rest is just smokefilled internet cafe crap. 
They tortured and tormented a weaker website.
They didn't like other competing blogs.  And they
so banned my IP address.  And why?  Because I can't
type very fast.

FIRST TIME
It's alright.  We've been working 20 hour days for
three and a half weeks straight trying to make this
blog work. Take the night off. Go see your wife, see
your daughters and son. Sam, do whatever it is you do
when you're not here.

ARROYO FIRES AGENT, HIRES FRANCESA

After weeks of hearing his name mentioned on the Mike and the Mad Dog radio program, Bronson Arroyo has decided to finally take action. Learning that co-host Mike Francesa has been seeking a trade for Arroyo to a certain New York team with a penchant for making postseason appearances, Arroyo inquired with his agent and was unable to get the same deal. On Thursday afternoon, Arroyo took action, dismissing his agent of 9 years and inking with Francesa Management. "He's had 3 wins in a row, he's 4-4, he strikes out a man an inning..there's going to be teams lining up for him," Francesa said upon completion of the deal with Arroyo. Stay tuned for further details.

Sign of the Apocalypse

Someone just called in and said they loved the Jon Heyman spot today and chris said "he does a great job."

Please see my older Jon Heyman posts on the right for my take on Heyman. To me, a good spot is someone that provides inside information or nuggets that we have not heard before. Aside from the Carlos Delgado story the other day, Heyman has NOTHING to ever report, and that was the case again today. How could someone have possibly loved that? His purpose is to just agree with everything Mike and Chris say. What do you think?

Why do we like them so much?

They're arrogant. Dismissive. Condescending. Frequently misinformed. And usually very rude. Yet they've been the number one rated afternoon radio show in the New York area for many years. The slots before and after them have been like a carousel, rotating colorful names like the Sweater, the Shmooze, Continent and Jody Mac to name a few. Yet Mike and the Mad Dog remain an institution. Why? You tell us. What is their appeal? Why do we keep coming back?

Summer Reading List by Mike and the Mad Dog

So you are sitting around thinking about how you plan on spending some time on the beach this summer listening to Kyle Farnsworth blow eighth inning leads and Aaron Heilman give up back to back bombs to extend the Mets losing streak to 7 games and you think, I would like to have a great book to read after i toss my radio in the ocean. Well, thankfully our friends Mike and Chris have some books for you... Of course none of them are about sports... (that's partly true)

1. Rome, 1960 A new book by David Maraniss, which Mike says is going to be "brilliant" because all of his stuff is brilliant. The author will stop in and say hello to Mike and Chris "because he always does."
** this is the only sports book on the list***

2. Dark Horse: about James Garfield. Chris was given this book by Evan Roberts. Now Evan Roberts must appear to illiterate, or dumb, or stoned while around WFAN and Christopher Russo because Russo was stunned, stunned that Evan Roberts could give him a book about James Garfield. I am not positive but i think Evan could've come up to Chris and said "me and Steve Somers are going to San Francisco and getting married" and Chris still would've been more shocked about this book recommendation.

"Shocked that Evan on top of it!"

3. Anything about John F Kennedy because Mike has read everything written on JFK. He collects books on JFK. And if you can find a book on JFK that Mike has not read about him you win a prize because Mike has read everything.

4. Truman: my favorite part of this recommendation was when Mike and Chris were discussing the amount of pages that the book had the banter went like this...

Mike: If you are looking for a book and you can't find something just take David McCulloughs', Truman
Chris: (overlapping) Oh i totally agree with you
Mike: I guarantee that you are a 100 pages in, you will say "oh my god i am going to read this book all summer." It's the best biography i think EVER WRITTEN. It is like 800 pages
Chris: 993
Mike: is it 900 pages?
Chris: something like that.. (it was actually 1120 pages)

what i love about this is that along with the score during the second half with ten minutes left of the Illinois State v Indiana game in the third round of the 1975 NCAA Tournament, Mr Russo also has locked in his brain the exact amount of pages of Truman.

by the way, Mike had difficulty with McCulloughs books on Ben Franklin and John Adams. He doesn't like that era. It did shape our nation, but Mike finds it boring. Mike also has trouble with Teddy Roosevelt, Chris does not. Chris can do Civil War forward. Mike cannot.

Mike "1920s forward, I am big. I am hot and cold on Teddy."

WWCJS (What would Colonel Jessep Say...This is the section where Colonel Jessep responds to a pressing question from the show today)

Today we extend the boundaries a bit. Chris Russo (serving as Kaffe) talks to Joe Girardi (serving as Captain Ross) about moving Joba to the starting rotation:

Russo: I want you to know that I think the whole fucking bunch of you are certifiably insane. This owner and GM of yours makes me want to beat the shit out of something.

Joe Girardi: Don't you dare lump me in with Cashman and Steinbrenner just because we wear the same uniform. I'm your friend and I'm telling you, I don't think Joba belongs in the rotation but I don't get to make that call! I represent the New York Yankees without passion or prejudice and my team is in last place! Now I want you to acknowledge that I have made you aware of the possible consequences of accusing a Yankee skipper of a bad move without proper evidence.

Russo: I've been so advised.

Joe Girardi: You got bullied into that argument, Dog, by everybody. By Francesa. By Eddie Erickson. Shit, I practically dared you. You got bullied into that argument by the memory of a dead baseball team in San Francisco.

Russo: You're a lousy fucking softball player, Joe!

Joe Girardi: Your boys in Frisco are going down, Dog. I can't stop it anymore.

RUSSO OVER THE HILL?

It happens to everyone. That moment in life when age finally starts to catch up with you. Mike Piazza knew it all too well. Carlos Delgado is finding out about it right now. That point in your life where you have literally lost a good deal of pop on your fast ball. It's time to face a sad, but true fact - Chris Russo is starting to decline. Russo, 48, has been showing signs of his age all year long. Initially, fans assumed it was just rust. "I kept hearing Dog and it was like 'something's not right, but I just assumed it was my radio," said longtime listener, Gman. But over the past several months, it has become clear Russo might be over the hill. Those listening on a daily basis have noticed that Chris incessantly complains about the late starting times for playoff games – a sign, that at his advanced age, Russo needs his sleep. In addition, Chris is the one responsible for disconnecting each caller. Recently, we’ve heard some callers get in quality shots, whereas a younger, nimbler Mad Dog would have hung up on them sooner. “You can just tell he’s not as sharp as he was in the ‘90s,” Gman added. Even more disconcerting to fans of the Mike and the Mad Dog show are the alarmingly weakened “Goood Afternoon Everybodyyyy’s!” that have long been Russo’s trademark way of opening each show.. “Chris used to toss his headphones on in a matter of seconds, but now it seems to take considerably longer,” 20/20 update guru John Minko said. Chris Russo declined to comment for this story, but there are those who point to another possible factor in Russo’s weakened performance. “I think it’s Timmy,” co-host Mike Francesa added. “Ever since Timmy has gotten a little older, I think Chris is worried that he’s after his job.” Sports Radio psychologist Eleanor E suggests there could be hope. “Usually sports radio hosts peak in their ‘30s and ‘40s. But Chris has unusual amounts of energy. He might be going through a rough patch right now, but I think he has several good years left.”

Mike and Chris Drop the Ball with Jon Heyman

For ONCE in the history of the Jon Heyman report, Heyman actually gave us something. He was reporting on a real life actual thing that happened (not his typical "I agree Mike...Good point Chris" nonsense)..He got into it with Delgado. Now many of us saw the exchange on SNY yesterday, but we learned something new here - that Delgado tracked down Heyman afterwards and continued "berating" him about the question. This is big news to me. Here is what Heyman had to say:

"I asked him should Willie be the manager...and he gave me a big wink so I could see he wasn't too happy with the question and then he added if I was going to be an A---(Hole), he could be an A---(Hole), and then he starts telling me what a bad question it was, and I said well it's a question on everybody's mind, so later, I guess he wasn't satisfied with our exchange, he came up to me within one inch of me, one inch away from me, eyeball to eyeball, and again was berating me about the question..."

As a fan, the follow-up question needs to be any of the following:

a) What do you mean he got eyeball to eyeball with you and was berating you?
b) What exactly did he say when he re-approached you?
c) What did you say back?
d) How did the exchange end?

But no, instead we got "So you got the impression he's not a big Willie fan?" from Mad Dog. This is what I am talking about where Mike and Chris are sometimes not on the top of their game with the Heyman interviews. Usually, you can blow over everything Jon has to say because 99% of it is not news. But here finally, we had news and Mike and Chris dropped the ball in a major way.

BREAKING NEWS: 'Versus in a tough spot'

MMD are not too optimistic about viewers being able to watch the NHL playoffs. The network Versus is on channel 603 on DirecTV and apparently cannot be found by hockey fans. This is a great example of the use of their phrase 'tough spot'. The Penguins are also in a 'tough spot' down 2-0 to the Wings.

Callers never cease to amaze me

This one called in today and started his call with:

"Hey what's going on guys..I was the one who at the Super Bowl in phoenix, right before mic’d up, yelled at you like a lunatic and you came by and took a picture with me and my friends."

Now why in the world do callers feel the need to do this? Will it make you feel better if Mike and Chris remember who you are? Do you feel like it gives you a better standing with them? Does it justify your calling in? I never understand when callers do this. You have so little air time when you get through and you really want to waste 25% of it on being the "remember me" guy? This is something I will never get.

Francesa has Yanks back in World Series

If you watch or listen to enough of Mike Francesa, you know that he will NEVER admit that the Yankees are in bad shape. He will always downplay it. Well this afternoon, he out Francesa'd himself:

Mike: "To me, the Yankees are in great shape"

(really, cause I just looked at the standings and they are in last place, 6 games back of first and have 6 teams ahead of them in the wild card)

Mike: "I’m not worried about Tampa and Toronto yet. I’m sorry, it’s going to take me a while to get used to worrying about Tampa and Toronto. Talk to me in August. Talk to me in August. Those teams have to earn it. They got to prove they belong."

(umm, and don't the Yankees have to prove they have to earn it under a new manager, Joe Girardi. What has Girardi led them to, other than last place, through 2 months of the season? And also in case you haven't noticed Mikey, Tampa Bay and Toronto have Scott Kazmir, James Shields, Edwin Jackson, Roy Halladay, Marcum, Burnett, etc. Who do the Yankees have - Wang and Pettitte?)

What do you think of Francesa's Yankee confidence?

SNY is to blame for the Mets season

All of a sudden, there is a conspiracy in New York. At 1:12, Francesa revealed how SNY was unable to do a post-game for the Met game on Friday night. How this became the lead of the show, I have no idea. MMD have basically gotten off of Willie and now have focused on SNY. 'This is a story!' proclaims Mike. 'A collossal dropping of the ball here!' The Mets losing the NL East last year was 'a colossal dropping of the ball'. SNY not providing post-game at the end of a Colorado/Met game in May is not. Classic MMD.

Explosive Tuesday

Well if Met fans thought the world was coming to an end after the sweep in Atlanta last week, then surely today there is no way to categorize the mental state of those who bleed orange and blue. Mike and Chris return to the air today and there is going to be a lot to digest. Inevitably, the focus is going to fall on Willie Randolph. But in my eyes, the biggest factors for the Mets ineptitude, and the points that I truly hope Mike and Chris focus on today are the following:

1) Carlos Delgado: I'm sorry but post Memorial Day, you cannot be a starting First Basemen and have a .215 batting average and a .294 OBP. You just can't. Also, Carlos pretty much called Jon Heyman an asshole yesterday for asking if he supports Willie. Now listen, I am no fan of Heyman, but all the guy asked was if he supported Willie and Delgado had the nerve to say that that wasn't a good question for him to answer. Why isn't it Carlos? You have practically buried Willie with your play - at least show a little support, no? And that goes for Carlos Beltran too, who added this staggering boast of support for Willie, "That's not in our hands." Uhh, yeah, we realize that you are not deciding if Willie stays or goes, but how about a little public vote of support. Again, I am not a huge Willie fan, but the one thing he has never done is criticize Delgado or Beltran and those two couldn't offer the slightest bit of backing for Randolph.

2) Jose Reyes: Don't be fooled by the recent hot streak at the plate. Reyes has been MIA for over a year now. His defense is atrocious, and it seems that every time he boots a ball, it turns into a few runs. Something is not right mentally with Reyes.

3) Minor Leagues: When Alou went on to the DL for the 673rd time of his career last week, the Mets called up a 3rd catcher. That is how weak their Triple A system is. Yes, they then called up Nick Evans from Double A, but does anyone really believe he will materialize into anything? Mike Pelfrey is a joke. And when the Mets need to dip into the minors, they often have to go to these journeymen major leaguers who are hanging onto their careers (see Claudio Vargas, see Fernando Tatis, see Tony Armas coming soon). Sure Vargas has been okay, but where are the young studs in the minors - even a bullpen arm? And don't tell me they traded them away in the Santana deal because if you haven't noticed, Humber, Mulvey and Deolis Guerra have a combined ERA of about 5.00 in the Twins minor league system. So even those guys haven't proved to be good prospects. So where exactly is the Mets minor league talent? Last night's outfield of Endy Chavez and Nick Evans strikes fear into you, doesn't it? A lot of this has to fall on Omar.

What do you think? Sure, you can argue no heart and this team is lifeless. But that's easy to say when a team is losing. Where do you think Mike and Chris should focus their attention today?

WWCWS

With the Mets season teetering on collapse, we thought that Apocalypse Now was more fitting than A Few Good Men. So we will call this What Would Captain Willard Say. This is Fred and Jeff Wilpon talking to Omar Minaya:

FRED WILPON
"Well, you see Omar... In this season, things get confused
out there, power, ideals, the old morality, and practical
baseball necessity. Out there with these players it must be
a temptation to be god. Because there's a conflict in
every human heart between the rational and the irrational,
between good and  evil. The  good does not always triumph.
Sometimes the dark side overcomes what Kennesaw Landis called
the better angels of our nature. Every man has got a
breaking point. You and I have. Willie Randolph has reached his.
And very obviously, he has gone insane."

MINAYA
"Yes sir, very much so sir. Obviously insane."

JEFF WILPON
"Your mission is to proceed up the Grand Central Parkway to
Shea Stadium.Pick up Manager Randolph's path to the dugout,
follow it, learn what you can along the way. When you find
Willie infiltrate his coaching staff by whatever means available and
terminate the manager's command."

MINAYA
"Terminate? The manager?"

FRED WILPON
"He's out there operating without any decent restraint.
Totally beyond the pale of any acceptable human conduct.
And he is still in the dugout managing his players."

JAY HOROWITZ
"Terminate with extreme prejudice."

Poll Question

Which of the following is the worst performance this week?

A) Kyle Farnsworth imploding versus the Mets

B) Willie Randolph talking to Ian O'Connor

C) Mets getting swept by the Braves

D) Mike Francesa at 4:10 this afternoon singing the song "In the Summertime" on the air

send us your comments...

Francesa: Hernandez would take Mets job

I joke around about Mike and Chris, but Francesa just provided a nugget on why their show is a must listen if you are a New York sports fan. While talking about new Mets managers if Willie ever got fired, Francesa just confessed this bit of information:

"I asked Keith at Yankee Stadium last week, I said 'Keith, if they offered you the job, would you say yes?' And he said "Yes."

To me, this is fascinating news. Is there any other person that a Mets fan would love to see on that bench running the team? You think Keith wouldn't rip into the guys who aren't hustling? And now to hear that he would take the job when he has a nice cushy broadcasting gig...but here's the thing, why the hell did Mike just reveal this now? If it was off the record, then he would never have revealed it at all. But we have sat through fire willie talk for over a week or so and have had to endure dozens of managers names being thrown out. Do you think we would have liked to hear that tidbit earlier on?? Mikey, why are you holding out on us?

Francesa Breaks down Penguins/Red Wings Stanley Cup

1:57PM

Mike: Knowing nothing, I just have a feeling it’s Pittsburgh’s time to win a Cup. And I know nothing, so I have no idea.

thanks for the insight Mike. His stellar hockey analysis aside, what drives you crazy the most about Francesa?

Russo on a Rampage

Russo came out firing today...I know what you are thinking - oh boy, everyone on the Mets is fair game for Chris: Willie is in for an earful, Castillo is going to get ripped apart, Chris is going to go off on Johan...But wait a minute, that's not quite what happened. Instead, Doggie has focused his rage on Met Fans:

Chris: As a whole , the Met fan in the last week of the season last year did a terrible job, yet now, he’s always talking about last year, yet last year HE WASN'T THERE!!! That’s a problem....Last year, they were empty in that building, yet now they are so upset because the Mets let them down last year. Yet they didn’t bother showing up FOR THE GAMES! I have a PROBLEM with that one! There’s no way around it, if you have an empty building, and then you scream about a collapse, well hold on now, you didn’t even support them in that last week of the season! THAT'S ALL THERE IS TO IT!!...And now when they call up and say I want this guy fired and I want to boo this guy, I want Delgado out, I want Randolph out, I want this...Well hold on now, that’s a little rough when you A, booed the players on opening day, booed Santana, got all upset with Delgado, have given Willie a tough time and were not there at the end of the year when your team collapsed. THAT TO ME IS NOT BEING A GOOD FAN!

what do you all think - is the Mad Dog's rage being vented at the wrong set of people?

Big Friday Show

We're in store for a very chaotic show today with the Mets getting swept in Atlanta. The 1-6:30PM slot is going to be loaded with all of our favorite Mike and the Mad Dog-isms (That's a terrible job, Tricky spot, Be Careful, etc.) So with a few hours to go before Mike and Chris hit the airwaves, what's your favorite Mike and the Mad dog term:

Be careful: Mike and Chris' way of telling sports fans not to fall in love with a player or team ("Be Careful about falling in love with Pagan")

Let's be fair here: Russo's counter-argument to callers that attack someone ("Let's be fair here. If you are going to knock Rick Peterson, you gotta give him credit for John Maine")

Pipe Down: Russo's way of telling a player to shut up ("Pipe down there Figueroa")

Tricky Spot: This really means an awkward position. For example, Ian Eagle running into Marv Albert at the Garden. Or I'm sure that the Giants last game of the 2007 was a tricky spot. "Coughlin wants to get ready for the postseason but you have to try to end the Patriots' undefeated season. Tricky spot, Mike." And for clarification. This phrase is used primarily by Russo.

Say Something Funny Mike (When Russo can't control himself and breaks out into laughter and tries to egg Francesa on to keep it going. Picture Russo hysterically laughing followed by "Say Something Funny Mike")

I can't go too crazy - This is a Mad Dog special. Dog uses this phrase to throw cold water on enthusiastic callers("I can't go too crazy about the D-Rays in May. Talk to me in September.") or admit that he doesn't have strong feelings about a subject("I can't go too crazy about the Olympic torch protesters.").

Bad Job: This is Mad Dog's way of criticizing something. During extreme times, it escalates to "terrible job." It can be applied to players, coaches, general managers, fans - even networks, as in "That's a bad job out of NBC on the Derby Broadcast."

I'm not a big believer in: This is mainly a Mike comment. It means he doesn't have much confidence in something. And just like other comments, this is mainly used in negative, eg. 'I'm not a big believer in starting someone on 3 days rest.'


So what's your favorite Mike and the Mad Dog-ism? (See the Glossary on the right for more terms). Did we leave a good one out? Don't be shy. Send us your comments on your favorites.

Jon Heyman

Sports Illustrated's Jon Heyman was on with Mike and Chris yesterday. I blogged about the Heyman spots last week. I couldn't bring myself to state the obvious again, but for those that missed my Heyman post, here it is again (Note: you can basically apply this thinking to every spot Heyman does with Mike and Chris, including yesterdays)

(This interview happened last week) Someone please wake me when Jon actually has something to report (I've been waiting a few years now). Anyone else ever notice how he is essentially Francesa and Russo's yes-man?


4:11PM Mike talking about how the young fans like Joba's antics and the old ones don't. Guess how Heyman feels...hmm, shocking that he agrees.

4:12PM: Chris is saying the Joba antics are just too much. What does Heyman think? "It's too much."

4:14PM: Breaking News: Heyman says that Arod and Posada are the last 2 guys you want to lose. Thanks for clearing that up Jon.

4:15PM: Heyman "Tampa has played very well but I'd be stunned if they beat out the Yankees" Thanks for going out on a limb.

4:16PM: Heyman: "I think the Yankees have an excellent shot to make the Wild Card" Another shocker.

4:16PM: Heyman: "Maine has been terrific. Really exceptional." It's a good thing we got Heyman on to report this.

4:17PM: Mike: "A big issue with the Mets Jon is until Reyes get back to being Reyes, they are going to struggle" Heyman: "Yeah he is just not swinging the bat. They definitely have issues."

4:18PM: Heyman: "If the mets dont make the playoffs, Willie will be gone." Really, eye-opening stuff here.

4:19PM: Russo: "I think the Mets pitching is a major problem"
Heyman: "You're right. It has been pretty average"

Another riveting spot with Jon Heyman. But what do you think? Do I have a point here or no?

WWCJS (What would Colonel Jessep Say...This is the section where Colonel Jessep responds to a pressing question from the show today)

Chris Russo talks to Colonel Nathan Jessep about the Joba situation:

RUSSO
We'll get to the Mets in just a minute, sir. A moment ago you said that you ordered Hank to order Cashman not to touch Joba.

JESSEP
That’s right.

RUSSO
And Cashman was clear on what you wanted?

JESSEP
Crystal.

RUSSO
Any chance Cashman ignored the order?

JESSEP
Ignored the order?

RUSSO
Any chance he just forgot about it?

JESSEP
No.

RUSSO
Any chance Cashman left your office and said, “The old man’s wrong”

JESSEP
No.

RUSSO
When Cashman spoke to Girardi and ordered him not to touch Joba, any chance they ignored him?

JESSEP
Have you ever spent time in a major league front office?

RUSSO
No sir.

JESSEP
Ever served in a bullpen?

RUSSO
No sir.

JESSEP
Ever put your future ace in another man’s hands, ask him to put his ace in yours?

RUSSO
No sir.

JESSEP
We follow orders, son. We follow orders or set-up men die. It’s that simple. Are we clear?

RUSSO
Yes sir.

JESSEP
Are we clear?

RUSSO
Crystal... Colonel, I have just one more question before I call up Mets and Spurs talk. If you gave an order that Joba wasn’t to be touched, and your orders are always followed, then why would he be stretched, why would it be necessary to transfer him to the rotation?

JESSEP
Joba was a sub-standard set-up man. He was being transferred out of the pen because...

RUSSO
But that’s not what you said. You said he was being transferred because the Yankees season was in grave danger.

JESSEP
Yes. That’s correct, but..

RUSSO
You said, “The Yankees were in danger”. I said, “Grave Danger.” You said...

JESSEP
Yes, I recall what...

RUSSO
I can have Eddie Erickson read back your...

JESSEP
I know what I said. I don’t need it read back to me like I’m a damn..

RUSSO
Then why the two orders?

JESSEP
Sometimes managers take matters into their own hands.

MIKE AND CHRIS SING MEET THE METS

umm.. to quote Vin Scully "I can't believe what i just saw..."

A caller asked Mike and Chris if the Meet the Mets song would change now that the Mets are not going to playing at Shea anymore. (now, why is this what someone is calling in about is beyond me, but I digress). Mike said that the inclusion of Shea was a new thing and not in the original song..

A caller then follows with a remark about how Mike once sang the Meet the Mets song. We come back from break and there it is on YES..

Mike and Chris and Minko singing MEET THE METS. Besides learning the Mike cannot sing, the big news here, already hardly a 20 20 news flash, is that Christopher Mad Dog Russo, could not find a beat if it was handed to him with a map, a compass and Ringo Star, John Bonham, telling him when to clap. He's just throwing his arms around and screaming...

Mike and Chris Analyze the American Idol Finale

(this is how i view a conversation between mike and the mad dog about last night's american idol finale might have gone)

Chris: So, Mikey, David Cook won the American Idol last night and I will tell you i was shocked. Shocked. You got Simon at the end of the first night declaring it a knockout for the Archibata kid (it is correctly pronounced Archuletta) and if you ask me, the kid did great and deserved to win. Now you might say, HOLD ON NOW CHRIS, Archibata sang two new songs and then brought back Imagine which he sang in week 3 and Cook did three new songs, and so he deserved it more. Now, here's what i will say to that. He did IMAGINE in week 3, it's not like he's pulling some song out that he did just a week ago (he moves his hands up and down) and i know there's all this YouTute or YouTube and the ITUNES and all that and everyone is doing the thing with the headphones. I understand that, but it's WEEK THREE and EVERYONE LOVED IT. Mike, the kid deserved to win. I thought it was a terrible job by the American voters.

Mike: I thought Cook was going to win (the night before he predicted Archuletta). I thought that, and here's the thing, sometimes and this is what i thought was going to happen, sometimes Simon can say something and people vote against him. I think that's what happened here. America and the voters resented the whole knock out thing and i think that what you saw here was the voters saying, Simon don't tell me what to do.

Chris: You may be right Mike but the kid... the KID DESERVED TO WIN... Here's another thing, can someone please tell Fox to stop plugging their movies during the show. I don't need to see this thing for this Mike Moyers (it's actually Mike Myers) movie GORU (it's actually GURU) being shoved down my face, it's not even funny. PLEASE SOMEONE.. YOU MAKE ENOUGH MONEY FOX. IT's bad enough i got to sit there and watch with Timmy and he's asking me for a Coke every ten minutes because i got RED COKE BOTTLES IN EVERY SHOT of Randy, Paula and Simon..

Mike: It's advertising dollars. They do it. Everyone is doing it.

Chris: It's terrible. Timmy is jacked up on Cokes running around till 4 in the morning because of these things.

Mike: Now, one other thing about the finale. You got Graham Nash on there

Chris: Great job to get Graham Nash. Very good job out of them. Donna Summer, ZZ Top that's another story, but Graham Nash, great job.

Mike: You got Graham Nash and the girl Brooke. Now i understand the girl is nervous. She stopped and started songs three different times this year.

Chris: I think it was two times, Mike

Mike: Three times this year is what i said.

Chris: Yes, but it was only twice, when she did that song by the band with Sting.. uh... EDDIE what's that band with Sting?

Eddie Erickson: (from the Control Room) The Police

Chris: The Police. She did the Roxanne song and had to restart and then she was doing the Andrew LLoyd Weber number and also had to do the restart. So two times.

Mike: Right, two times is what i said... So you are singing with Graham Nash and i get the whole thing, the girl gets nervous, but can she put some shoes on? You are on NATIONAL TELEVISION. There are millions of people watching. PUT SOMETHING ON YOUR FEET. This is Graham Nash, he played at Woodstock. I mean COME ON.. If you were playing with the Miley Sirus or whatever her name is would you put your shoes on? Put them on. Please. Show a little respect. Something on your feet. I am watching in high def on my four televisions, I got the Spurs Lakers on one tv, the Yankees on another, the Mets on another and American Idol on the big one. I look away, Kobe's knocking down a jumper to tie the game in the fourth, I turn back and there's a girl, sitting wtihout her shoes on with Graham Nash. He's a HALL OF FAMER FOR GOD'S SAKES. PUT SOME SHOES ON.

Chris: Great point Mike. I wasn't paying attention to that, but great point. Still Mikey, the Archibatta kid should've won. We got John Minko now for the update. Mink-Man what do you think, who should've won last night? Archibatta or Cook?

Minko: I didn't watch

Chris: You didn't watch?

Minko: It is not a show that I watch.

Chris: JOOOHN.. THAT IS A TERRIBLE JOB. IT IS THE FINALS OF AMERICAN IDOL. THE FINALS. THIS IS THE NUMBER ONE SHOW IN AMERICA. YOU HAVE GOT TO BE WATCHING THAT SHOW JOHN MINKO. WHAT ELSE COULD YOU HAVE BEEN WATCHING LAST NIGHT IN THE MINKO HOUSEHOLD?

Minko: I was watching the Spurs game.

Chris: THE SPURS GAME? THAT"S A 7 GAME SERIES. YOU GOT ABOUT 100 MORE OF THOSE TO WATCH. TERRIBLE JOB. WE GOT COOK AND ARCHIBATTA AND THEY ARE GOING AGAINST EACH OTHER, IT"S THE BEST FINAL IN YEARS, PROBABLY SINCE BO BICE AND THE UNDERWEAR GIRL ("underwood" is the correct pronounciation). YOU HAVE GOT TO BE WATCHING MINKO.

Minko: I need to do the update.

Chris: Are you at least including American Idol in the update?

Minko: Uh.. no

Chris: Mike come on, say something here. This is TERRRRIBLE. This is the biggest show. 92 Million votes. If Minko isn't going to watch, which he should've, then he has to at least include it in the update.

Mike: It should be in the update Mink.

Minko: Uh.. this is a sports station.

Mike: It should be in.

Chris: Mike is right.. TERRRIBLE JOB... We go to the update, here is the very American Idol uninformed, John Minko.

(cue update music)

Minko: Thanks Chris. A big win for the Yanks and another loss for the Mets, but first, David Cook declared the upset winner in American Idol. Here's Ed Coleman with reports from the winners circle...

Fireworks in Astoria

Mike and the Dog almost came to blows discussing Game 1 of the Lakers/Spurs series last night. Chris thinks it was a bad loss by the Spurs, while Mike of course is brushing it aside:

Chris: That’s a bad loss!

Mike: Well then I guess this series is over too after one game.

Chris: I didn’t say the New Orleans series was over Mike.

Mike: Oh yes you did.

Chris NO I DID NOT! Wrong, Mike.

Mike: Yes you did. You said they were buried.

Chris: NO I DIDN’T!! THE CALLERS SAID THAT! Mike, that’s not accurate.

Mike: Dog, you said they were not coming back in that series.

Chris: I picked New Orleans in seven, but I said red flag after 2 games.

Mike: After 2 games, you said they were not coming back

Chris: No I didn’t. I said red flags Mike. That’s what I said. Get it right!


So here’s the question, if Mike and Chris ever actually came to blows, who are you going with?

CAN WE GET IAN O CONNOR ON THE PHONE PLEASE??

It has been days since the Willie Randolph story broke in the Bergen Record. Mike and the Mad Dog have taken numerous calls, several interviews including a vital one with Baltimore Orioles manager Dave Trembley, along with a 10 minute call with Tony Russo, who is not happy with the way that the Yankees are playing. I might have not been watching but there is a good chance they talked with Jim Nantz about some book his plugging. They love Nantz. GREAT JOB OUT OF NANTZ!

But i would like to say that it is a TERRIBLE JOB out of EDDIE ERICKSON to not have booked Ian O Connor. How difficult is that booking? Does no one have his number? Is his headshot not ready? Are they not allowed because of their weekly informational sessions with Jon Heyman?

Wouldn't an interview with Ian O Connor provide some necessary information to Mets fans.

Question 1: Ian, was the conversation off the record?
Question 2: What was Willie's state during the interview? Why was he so angry after just beating the Yankees?
Question 3: How did the race issue come up?

There would be more like this and I bet we would get some new information that we never had up to this point..

Since it doesn't look like that's happening, here is Ian O Connors quotes from today's Bergen Record about what Willie said on the WFAN

O’Connor responded to Randolph’s claims, stating, “I’m sorry Willie feels the way he does. But when I interviewed him in the visitors clubhouse at Yankee Stadium Sunday he never asked for any part of the conversation to be off the record. Nor did I offer to put any part of the conversation off the record. I asked him pointed questions and tape recorded the interview. If he had made the request for any portion of the interview to be off the record of course I would have honored it.”

Tell us how it is Mike

2:17PM - Francesa:

"Here’s what teams don’t like. Here’s what teams detest. They don’t want the manager taking on the fans and they don’t want their managers creating controversies."

Good point Mike. You would certainly know because you were the General Manager and former coach of the New York...oh wait, come to think, you have never actually been in a major league front office. Hmm, so maybe you don’t know for sure what teams do and don’t like.

Don’t you love when Mikey goes into lecture mode?

The Arsenal Was Empty

You guys know that if you make it on the air with Mike and Chris, you better know your stuff. If not, they will expose you fast. That happened just a few minutes ago with this exchange:

Arsenal from New Haven: I never liked the Randolph hiring in the first place..last year's debacle, a good manager would have definitely gotten them out of that...that's my point.

Chris: Well, was Gene Mauch a good manager?

Arsenal: No.

Chris: Oh, he wasn't ok...Do you know who Gene Mauch is?

Arsenal: No


Good stuff. What are your thoughts on when Mike and Chris attack the callers?

Big Poll Question

With about an hour to go before show time, here's a question for you fans. What type of callers bother you the most?

A) The callers that say they have 4 comments and a question (seriously, do you think you are really going to get all that in?)

B) The callers that say there are going to make a comment and then hang up and listen (why would you try so hard to get through and then not want to have some back and forth banter?)

C) The callers that feel they need to list their fan credentials first before making a point ("I've been a fan since 1968...")

D) The Bruce From Baysides of the World (These are the guys that seem to have a secret phone number to WFAN and get through all the time)

send us your comments with what your answer is, or if we left a key one out...

Today's Scouting Report

A look at the scouting report for today's show:

BE CONSISTENT: Mike said he would be “shocked” if the Spurs took Game 1 and that they would barely stand a chance. Well, they came pretty damn close. Will the Big Man admit he was a bit off base, or will he spin things and point to the fact that San Antonio was dead tired in the 4th quarter, which was his point all along?

GO FOR THE JUGULAR: Need Mike and the Dog to stress that this is the end of the world for Mets fans. Their season is on the brink. Alou is injured again. They are an enigma. Willie has lost the clubhouse. This is rock bottom. Let’s blow this one out today boys.

THE JOBA CHRONICLES: Yesterday Mike and Chris both pointed to the fact that it now appeared the Yanks were going to leave Joba in the bullpen, which was the RIGHT thing to do for the season. But then last night, the schizophrenic Yanks had Chamberlain toss 2 innings in a blowout to stretch out his arm. What are the Yankees doing? They contradict themselves on a daily basis. Come on Dog, make reference to the days of the Bronx Zoo. Push the panic button.

What Mike Said.. What Actually Happened..

Often on Mike and the Mad Dog, Mike and Chris talk about sports events and they seemingly know what is going to happen. But often what really happens is a very different thing and Mike and Chris rarely admit that they are wrong. Yesterdays show is a perfect example.

Mike was talking about the Spurs Lakers series and he, in his all knowing voice said "The Spurs are going to get blown out of the building." Now this was due to the fact that the Spurs had slept on the team plane two nights before and this was going to create easy pickings for the Lakers.

What actually happened: The Spurs had a 20 point lead thru the third quarter and held the lead up until the final minutes of the game. The Spurs actually for the majority of the game appeared to be the more rested team. Yes, they seemed a bit tired at the end, but this was far from the blow out that Mike guaranteed.

I plan on keeping track of these sorts of proclimations. I am not sure that Mike has made a correct pick since the day when he picked Seton Hall to make their Final Four run!

A Preview to the Willie Randolph Interview

Willie comes on with the boys at 5:05 today. Here's a glimpse of how things can unfold:


FRANCESA: Willie, those quotes of yours make it look like your motive is to kill the Mets.

RANDOLPH: Gotcha. And the Mets are.... who?

FRANCESA: Your team.

RANDOLPH (to Russo): Write that down.
(to Francesa): Am I correct in assuming that these quotes don't paint a flattering picture of my team?

FRANCESA: Yes, among other--

RANDOLPH: And am I further right in assuming that a protracted investigation of these quotes might cause some embarrassment for the Wilpons?

FRANCESA: Fred, Jeff, yes, but--

RANDOLPH: Twelve games.

FRANCESA: I'm sorry?

RANDOLPH: Twelve games. I can get it turned around. In Twelve games.

FRANCESA: You haven't talked to a beat writer, you haven't looked at an episode of SNY’s SportsNite.

RANDOLPH: Pretty impressive, huh?

FRANCESA: You're gonna have to go deeper than just--

RANDOLPH: Mike, do you have some sort of jurisdiction here that I should know about?

FRANCESA: My job is to make sure you do your job. So my jurisdiction's pretty much in your face. Read the quotes. You're not under any obligation, but I'd appreciate a report when you get back from Atlanta.

OOPS

Always fun when these moments occur. In case you're scoring at home, this exchange went down at 1:59PM.

EJ from Allentown: Did they make a mistake booing Santana?...don’t forget the Mets were 1-3 coming into their home opener..(RUSSO CUTS HIM OFF)

Russo: How were they 1-3...See I can’t even take you seriously!! They were 3-3!! They won 2 in Florida and lost 2 in Atlanta. 3 up and 3 down. You didn’t even KNOW WHAT THE RECORD WAS ON OPENING DAY!!!!

(Caller gets hung up on)

8 Minutes later.

Russo: All right, lets correct one thing that EJ said. We were both wrong. He said 1-3, I said 3-3. It was 2-3. They had a rain out in Atlanta.

Umm Doggie, that was not a very good apology. How about “Let’s correct one thing both EJ and I said.” But seriously Dog, You didn’t even KNOW WHAT THE RECORD WAS ON OPENING DAY!!!! I can’t even take you seriously.

A FEW EARLY THOUGHTS

The show is just an hour old and there are a few things that i am thrilled about:

1. Best Caller: Early in the show the very frustrated Met fan who called in a RAGE about Willie Randolph and over and over again said that Willie could not manage a lemonaid stand. Just beautiful rage.. and you have the feeling that this guy uses that line about 800 times a week.

2. Callers ripping on Chris for getting on the Mets fan. I mentioned this in a earlier posting about how it is amazing that Russo essentially hates New York teams and yet hosts the highest rated sports radio show in NY. In moments like today that undercurrent of feeling that fans have that Chris is anti New York and not one of us, rise to the surface.

3. First guest: Dave Trembley? Umm... what? Does anyone care on a day like today what the manager for the Baltimore Orioles has to say? How about booking Ian O Connor? How about Hernandez or Darling? I can just see the meeting prior to the show

Mike: Big show today, the Mets fans are going to be heated up and the Yankees fans are not going to be happy either. We got this whole Willie and the race thing.

Chris: You're right Mikey, big big show. I love it. This is exactly the show i love. I get a chance to stick it to the Met fan for five hours.. Same something funny Mike.

Mike: (says nothing)...... So Eddie who is our first guest?

Eddie: (with enthusiasm knowing he is going to get killed) Dave Trembley

Chris: Who?

Eddie: Dave Trembley, he's the Orioles manager.

Chris: OH MY GOD. That is a terrible job out of you. JUST TERRRRRIBLE. Come on now. We got Mets fans wanting to throw Willie Randolph off the Triboro Bridge and you got me Dave Trembley? That is just a terrible job. Can we get Malusis back? Can SOMEBODY BOOK THIS RADIO SHOW. MIKE COME ON, Dave Trembley???

Mike: It's a bad booking. No questioning that. Bad Booking.

Chris: BAD BOOKING? BAD BOOKING? It's a terrible BOOKING. JUST TERRIBLE. I got BRUCE FROM BAYSIDE READY TO COME TO SHEA AND FIRE WILLIE HIMSELF AND WE ARE TALKING ORIOLES BASEBALL AT 2:05???? THE METS ARE COLLAPSING, THE YANKEES ARE FALLING APART AND WE ARE TALKING NICK MARKAKIS? (Russo badly misprounces his name) OH THAT IS JUST AWFUL. JUST TERRIBLE.

BREAKING NEWS PART II FOLLOW UP

Just quickly before the 1:05 start time of Wednesdays Mike and the Mad Dog show, I wanted to follow up the Breaking News item about Kevin Garnett being a player with little or no offensive skills.

Last night the Big Ticket brought his Mike Francesca described "limited offensive" game into the conference finals and was able to somehow with barely any knowledge or ability to put the round ball in the peach basket muster up 26pts and 9 boards.

My question to Mike is, why do you hate KG so much?

Mike: The Celtics beat up on weaklings like the Hawks and Cavs, and that's all they did. The rest is just smokefilled press room filled crap. KG tortured and tormented guys like Al Hofford, a rookie and then Ben Wallace, who is completely shot. KG didn't like them. And they beat the Hawks and the Cavs. Why? Because they were lesser players, couldn't run as fast.

Why do you love him so much?

LT Weinberg: Because KG stands on a wall and says nothing is going to beat me tonight. Not on my watch.

Stormy Wednesday

A lot of controversy swarming over the two New York baseball teams makes for a very interesting and potentially tense show today. First, on the Randolph side of things, Gman pointed out this morning, " Ok. Now Willie is not long for New York. I think this will seal the deal. Not necessarily soon, but it will happen. this also ensures very awkward segments with Mike and Dog. They won't see any racism. They're callers will be sometimes openly racist. It's going to be a rough day on the show."

Mike and the Dog navigating through race issues is somewhat akin to watching Private Downey on the stand. You know they believe wholeheartedly what they are saying, as did Private Downey ("Pick up and me did it in 45 flat"), but you are just waiting for them to somehow put their foot in their mouths, just like Downey ("Well, how could you be in your barracks room at 1620 if you didn't make it back to the Windward barracks until 1645?).

The only difference here is that Captain Ross isn't here to nail Mike and Chris. That's up to the callers, who often come off sounding as shaky as Lt. Galloway with her "strenuous objection."

What does this all mean? Well, throw in the abysmal performance by the Yankees last night and both teams are going to have to deal with the "bulletts, and the bombs and the blood" today from Francesa and Russo.

Mike Francesa's Head Explodes

FRANCESA'S HEAD EXPLODES

According to eyewitness accounts, the cause of the explosion was arrogance. One witness on the scene in Astoria had this to say, “Mike was talking about the Spurs having plane problems last night and the last thing I heard him say was “Call our guys at Net Jets...or call Eddie Erickson, he will put you in touch with Marquis Jets. Can we get Net Jets involved? We can’t be putting the Spurs on a plane that has mechanical problems.”’

Stay tuned for further updates.

Fired up Francesa

You could tell this was one of those days where Mikey was salivating to get on the air. He wanted a Mets loss in Game 1 of the doubleheader in the worst way. He was sick to his stomach that they swept the anemic Yanks..So the big man came out firing:

"So much for the yankees. So much for them turning the page. Just a collossel mess... The mets today did absolutely nothing...an absolute awful performance by the mets today...so right back into the muck today for the mets off that yankees win...pound the ball, pound their chests and go back into their typical nonsense...(the same nonsense that Joba does??)

"Willie Randolph met the media for 16 minutes and tried to mend fences today. .just like wagner the other day, willie went in to a complete backtrack today. This is a headache the mets don’t want...that mets hierarchy doesn’t want... You can take this to the bank (Mikes loves that phrase). There’s no love lost between gary cohen and willie randolph (What does this have to do with anything?)..But its part and parcel with what were talking about here (umm, what does that mean?)..but he cant turn around and backtrack... Willie Can’t. (umm, why can’t he. players and coaches do it all the time. Hell, you guys do it.). You cannot run and hide. That’s what willie did today. If they ever, ever, hit a big losing streak, hit the skids, heads are gonna roll. That’s all there is to it! (thanks for clarifying that for us Mike)

Big thing to take from this is that Mike has now turned on Willie. He will not admit that, but he has. You can hear it in his voice. Just like Francesa and Russo saved Tom Coughlin's job a few years ago, you are starting to get the sense that Francesa has turned and is getting ready to toss Willie out of town...

Abbreviated Show Today

With the Mets playing a double dip today, we've got a shortened show today from 4:30-6:30. Francesa will also be flying solo with the Dog taking a much deserved day off. The Big Man was hoping for a solid night from Bronson Arroyo before he officially pulled the trigger on the deal to bring the righty to the Bronx. But Arroyo got knocked around once again. Look for Francesa to back off that trade. But Mike's Spurs came through in Game 7. So Francesa will turn his attention to that and take the credit for the victory. Look for him to educate us on why he knew they would prevail.

BREAKING NEWS PART II

20 PTS and 11 BOARDS no longer a sign of offensive skills for National Basketball Association players.

Mike Francesca declared today that Kevin Garnett had no offensive skills, i.e. an inability to put the basketball into the net. As Francesca was continuing on about the lack of offensive skills of KG, our friends at YES put the full screen graphic up that illustrated Mike's point to a T. Garnett is averaging 20 PTS and 11 rebounds throughout the playoffs. A complete lack of offensive skills.

COME ON NOW!! Mike, please KG did not average 20 pts throughout the entire playoffs on luck, they don't start the games out with the score 18 to 0 and Garnett has all 18 points and then he somehow manages to actually score 2 points in the game.

Oh by the way, KG has averaged 20 pts and 11 boards throughout his entire NBA career. It's quite an amazing feat without an offensive skills. How did KG do that Mikey?

BREAKING NEWS

MIKE FRANCESA NEARING DEAL WITH BRONSON ARROYO

5:44PM, Associated Press

Reports out of New York indicate that talk show host Mike Francesa is close to pulling off a deal that would send Reds pitcher Bronson Arroyo to the New York Yankees. "The guy I've got my eye on and he pitches tonight in LA matter of fact, is Bronson Arroyo...he pitched a superb game his last start...he's 2-4, he's got a very high ERA, but I still like him...he's got a temperament, he used to beat the Yankees..he's the kind of guy that I've got my eye on. He misses bats," Francesa said. Phone calls to actual Yankees GM Brian Cashman were not returned.

Mike's Tardiness

Here’s a pet peeve that drives me somewhat crazy watching mike and the dog on YES...Francesa constantly walks in late to the start of segments. Russo is always there on time and inevitably has to field the first call of a segment on his own. Case in point today. The YES cameras started on a wide shot revealing that only Russo was in the studio...then as if in panic mode, YES switched to the tight shot of Chris so viewers just tuning in wouldn’t realize that Mike wasn’t in studio. Russo opened the phone lines and Bruce from Bayside kicked off the segment saying hello to Chris and Mike (little did he know there was no Mike). 30 seconds later, Francesa decided to grace us with his presence. Now if this was a one-time thing, I could understand. But it’s not. Why is this okay? What is Francesa doing that is so important that he can’t be in the studio for the start of EVERY segment. I wonder if any of the WFAN execs have ever talked to him about this, though I see the conversation going something like this:

Mark Chernoff: Mike, we need you in the studio for the start of every segment.
Francesa: (Deep Long Island accent) Ughh, have you taken a look at our ratings recently?

Would they ever let Joe Benigno or Evan Roberts get away with this? Mike gets on athletes all the time for not hustling. For dogging it. Just last week, he made reference to the fact that Lastings Milledge has been late to a few games this year. Well, how is what Francesa does any different? He shows up late to segments. Isn't that sort of dogging it? Does this bother anyone else?

WWCJS (What would Colonel Jessep Say...This is the section where Colonel Jessep responds to a pressing question from the show today)

Coming off last night's Mets/Yankees ESPN game, Colonel Jessep discusses the broadcast duo of Joe Morgan and Jon Miller with Russo and Francesa:

RUSSO: What is the story with Morgan and Miller. That's a bad job out of them last night.

JESSEP: You want answers?

FRANCESA: We think we're entitled to them.

JESSEP: You want answers?!

RUSSO: We want the truth.

JESSEP: You can't handle the truth! Dog, we live in a world that has games. And those games have to be broadcast by men with voices. Who's gonna do it? You? You, Francesa? I have a greater responsibility than you both can possibly fathom. You weep for Miller and Morgan and you curse ESPN for putting them on the air. You have that luxury. You have the luxury of not knowing what I know: That Miller and Morgan’s broadcasts, while tragic, probably saved Sunday Night Baseball. And ESPN’s existence, while grotesque and incomprehensible to you, saves sports... You don't want the truth. Because deep down, in places you don't talk about at parties, you want Miller and Morgan on Sunday Night. You need them there...We use words like Worldwide, Leader, Sports...we use these words as the backbone to a life spent defending something. You use 'em as a punchline. I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to two men who rise and sleep under the blanket of the sports ESPN provides, then questions the manner in which they provide it. I'd prefer you just said thank you and went on your way. Otherwise, I suggest you pick up a microphone and sit in a booth. Either way, I don't give a damn what you think you're entitled to.

RUSSO: Did you order the hiring of Miller and Morgan?

JESSEP: I did the job Al Jaffe sent me to do.

FRANCESA: Did you order the hiring?

JESSEP: You're goddamn right I did!

Behind the Scenes

I know a lot of you wonder about what goes on behind the scenes here at the Mike and the Mad Blog. Instead of waxing poetic about the goings-on here, I've decided to provide you a glimpse into an email conversation with a longtime reader of the mike and the mad blog (Except for "I" -that's me- all other names have been changed). This conversation started during Friday's show and offers a peek into the psyche of all Mike and the Mad Dog fans:

> >> On 5/16/08 2:14 PM, "Ted" wrote:
I'm tivoing the start right now. I'm off today, ready to go sit on the couch. My plan is to start 20 minutes behind and get three
free fast forwards. I'm going to count how many times I hear "train wreck, anemic, enigma, disarray, and wilpon".

> On 5/16/08, 2:37PM, "I" Wrote:
Sort of a weak start to the show today.

> On 5/17/08 4:57 PM,"Ted" wrote:
Why is there more negative surrounding the Mets this year and why is there more pressure on the Mets this series... It's probably all due to the Mets' September from last year but in all honesty the Yankees , are far more pathetic and have been bailed out by all the Metss fans venom this year.

> On 5/17/08, 5:59PM "I" Wrote:
As francesa and russo love to say, the yanks have a history of turning it around (but they fail to neglect that they havent done it under girardi). But away we go till tomorrow night. if the yanks ever lost tomorrow night, gonna be a great show on Monday. A yankees win takes so much away from Monday. Just how Friday was killing the mets, Monday can be killing the yanks.

>On 5/18/08, 5:59PM, "Ted" Wrote:
As a Yankees fan I even say we need a Yanks loss. A 5-2 Yanks win, Wang solid for 7 innings....does nothing. It's a split, both teams can't get out of their own way...and away we go. But a Mets' win and you have two stories. 1. The Mets maybe finally beginning to string together something good....the meeting, two big wins etc. but more importantly full blown Yankee panic/ bashing. We need a Mets win tonight for some good radio tomorrow.

5/16 On the eve of the Preakness, Col. Jessep, Francesa and Russo interview Eight Belles trainer Larry Porter:

Francesa: Mr. Porter, I had the pleasure of seeing your filly win the Grade II Fantasy Stakes just this spring.

Porter smiles and nods

Col. Jessep: Eight Belles?

Porter: Yes sir

Col. Jessep:
Well, what do you know. Dog, this man's filly made a lot of enemies down in your neck of the woods. Eight Belles vs Big Brown. The folks down there said a filly couldn't run with the boys in the Kentucky Derby. Eight Belles said we'll see about that. Last time I saw her, she was galloping across the finish line in second. How the hell is Eight Belles?

Porter: She was euthanized on the backstretch, sir.
Col. Jessep: Don't I feel like the fucking asshole?
Porter: Not at all sir.

Russo's Fidgeting & Francesa's scribbling

2:55PM: The boys are on location today at Yankee Stadium for the start of the Subway Series. I have to say that the first few segments have been a bit weak. Even Gman commented that Russo put forth a very substandard "Good Afternoon Everyboddyyyy." Mike and Chris seem to be lacking some energy. But one of the interesting things when the duo are on the road somewhere is that they are forced to sit awkwardly next to each other, which gives you a great head on view of both men. This has led me to focus on 2 staples of the Mike and the Mad Dog radio program ever since the show has been televised on the YES Network: Russo's Fidgeting & Francesa's Scribbling.

Let me explain further. This is something hardcore fans have noticed since the boys have hit YES. Usually Russo keeps his fingers tangled up with the wire connecting his headphones and enjoys to ravel and unravel the wire over and over again. It's like some kind of mental release for the Dog. On the other hand, the Big Man is in a constant state of scribbling notes into an opened page of either the New York Post or Daily News. These 2 elements are ingrained into the fabric of every single Mike and the Mad Dog broadcast (Element 2A are Russo's hand gestures, which I will save for another post). Today, with a different set-up, the fidgeting and scribbling have taken over my focus as they are both facing the camera and it's hard to escape it all. The only difference is that today Russo has fixated on a couple of different items. Case in point:

2:57PM: Russo shuffling papers on desk in front of him
2:58PM: Russo opening and closing his eyeglasses case
2:58PM: Russo picks up eyeglasses case and moves them to the front of his desk
2:58PM: Francesa scribbling away madly at what appears to be the classifieds of either the Post or Daily News. I often find myself wondering what page of the classifieds Mike might be looking at and taking notes on. Here are my best guesses:

- GE Custon Refrigerator. $250. Purchased it for $500. Can hold unusual amounts of food.
- Used '93 Honda Civic in mint condition. Looking for Best Offer. Will self for scrap.
- Single white female seeking SWM. 40s or 50s. Clean. Likes to eat out and has a passion for Saratoga Springs.

3:00PM: Russo reaches back for eyeglasses case and moves them on top of stack of papers.
3:01PM: Russo picks up piece of paper in front of him and moves it to the side of the desk.
3:01PM: Russo flips open and close eyeglasses case
3:01PM: Francesa just circled a possible ad (Staten Island cable access show looking for anchor. $500/week. Great opportunity to learn the television business)
3:02PM: Russo again with the eyeglasses case.

Even when these guys aren't at their most entertaining, they still are. You got to hand it to them. What's your favorite Russo/Francesa fidget?

Keys to the Show Today

Here's what we need from Mike and the Dog for a successful outing today:

- STAY IN THE ZONE: Keep the talk to Subway Series. Don't stray too far with NBA playoffs talk - couple segments at the most.

- NO HORSE-ING AROUND: Do not waste our time with talk of the Preakness. Mike is a big horse racing nut, and he loves to flex his thoroughbred muscle, so he is bound to talk ponies for a bit today. But for this to be a successful show, he needs to limit his horse talk.

- BE AGGRESSIVE: Don't fall behind on the callers. Get them in early and often. They will be the pulse of the show today. Keep their calls coming. Knock them around when you have to.

- RELY ON YOUR BEST STUFF: Mike, for you, this is Wagner. You hate him. Let's delve further into his criticism of the players that always avoid the media. Chris, for you this is accentuating the train wreck that both the Yankees and Mets both are right now. This series is life or death.

Stick to these points and we'll see a quality outing.

WWCJS (What would Colonel Jessep Say...This is the section where Colonel Jessep responds to a pressing question from the show today)

5/15 Question of the Day: Colonel Jessep, What should we do about Willie Randolph?

Russo the Anti New Yorker

Just listening to Russo talk after Eddie C's report on the Mets and he states that "what we need is for the Yankees to lose today and then the pressure to be on both the Mets and Yankees going into their games." Here's the thing, how many sports radio talk show hosts in NEW YORK would openly say that they are rooting for the Yankees to lose to set up more drama for the series.

The thing is Russo doesn't root for the Mets or the Yankees, he roots for the Mike and the Mad Dog radio program. He roots for the fans of both teams be going crazy prior to the subway series and that he will have 5 hours to talk about how both teams are in dire straits.

It's pretty amazing when you think about it that a San Francisco Giants fan is half of New York's most listened to sports radio program and one of the most powerful sports radio shows in the country. I love that Russo never hides it either, he never pretends to like the Yankees or the Mets.

Oh by the way, Francesca said that the Mets never had a player better than Beltran, i would argue that Piazza, Strawberry were better.

Big 2 run homerun by the Rays, Russo probably cheering at WFAN.

The Enigma Count is On - First Couple Segments Recap

4:09PM: Russo: The Mets are an enigma.

what is the over/under on how many times the Mad Dog drops this word today?

4:22PM: First segment of the show just ended and the boys tossed it to 20/20 update guru John Minko.  Got to say that this was a very disappointing lead segment for Mike and Chris.  I was expecting more fireworks from Russo about seeing the Mets go 3-4 to a pair of awful teams.  Francesa is starting to show his hand.  For the 2nd time, this week, he has revealed that he was "listening a little bit" this morning and heard the Met fans begging for Joe Smith last night.  Francesa likes to go the other way on his thoughts. He does not want to be perceived as going the obvious way.  So I have a feeling that he "listens a little bit" in the morning to Benigno and Roberts quite often, so that he knows to go against that grain of thought.  So clearly this is going to be a show where Mike sort of mocks the mets fans who are calling for Willie's head.  He has already brought up how the Tigers are in a much worst spot with Leyland, which they are...but that is not the point.  Anyway, was hoping for more fireworks there.  That open reminds me of the time I drove to Virginia Beach like 12 years ago to see Phish open their summer tour, and they began the night with like 5 or 6 new songs.  It was such a buzz kill. That is what this opening felt like.

P.S. 4:31PM - 2nd enigma of the day from Russo

4:32PM - After sort of mocking Met fans hysteria in the open, the boys have now moved on to Willie's replacement.  Lee Mazzilli maybe?  (Guess where that name was first thrown out today - Benigno and Roberts show - coincidence? I think not...)

Russo: "You could go to Mazzilli." 

Mike: "I do think that they would do something by July."

Caller Making a Great Point: Bobby V gets more out less. Willie gets less out of more

Mike: I wouldn't put that as an impossibility either. I think Bobby desperately wants to manage again. Omar has a good relationship with Bobby. That's not impossible.

Chris: I could see Mike's point but I know he loves Japan. He should come. 3 or 4 teams called him in the offseason and he blew them off. Cincy called him.

Mike: Cincy's a terrible job.

4:39PM: Breaking News - Mike: there is a story that Wagner may have gone off now after the game.  We are trying to track it down...it's always Wagner (side note: Mike hates Billy Wagner)

5:05PM: The Eddie Coleman Report - Eddie C. revealed that Wagner called out the Latin players on the Mets who are never around to answer questions.  He also dropped this statement: "Santana is Mr. Invisible. He is never around."

This will become a big theme with Mike and Chris throughout the season.

5:11PM: Russo talking to Eddie C.:"The mets are an enigma. They have been an enigma all season long. They are an enigma."

The Anticipation

Sometimes there is nothing better than the anticipation of that 1:04PM "Goood Afternoon Everybodyyyyyy!!" from Chris Russo. Those days when either one or multiple New York teams are struggling. Those Mondays after the Yanks or Mets get swept.  Those days where you were half rooting for your own team to lose on Sunday because you knew it made for a better show on Monday (Jed, you know what I am talking about).  Well today CAN be one of those days.  If the Mets lose today, we will hear the names Bobby Valentine, Larry Bowa, Gary Carter.  The fans will be packing Willie's suitcase for him.  We will be shipping out everyone associated with the Mets, even Jay Horowitz.  You will hear the word "enigma" a lot.

But here's something to consider.  Perhaps the Mets stagnant play can be attributed to just one player. Take a look at Jose Reyes this year, compared with a former Met shipped away:

Jose Reyes: .258 BA, 22 runs, 2 HR, 14 RBI, 12SB

Carlos Gomez: .272BA, 22 runs, 3 HR, 14 RBI, 16SB

How in the world is Gomez outplaying Reyes? Let's hope Mike and Chris realize how much Reyes has destroyed this team.  Where in the world has Jose Reyes gone?

3:14PM Update: Jose Reyes just made one of the worst plays of his career, trying to go first to third on a sac bunt to kill a Mets rally. If the Nats hang on for one more inning, Mike and the Dog could be legend-wait-for-it-dary.  Stay tuned.

Where should we go Mike?

Since Russo and Francesca seem to enjoy never deciding what they are going to talk about to start the show until they start the show, I am going to take a shot at where they today's Mike and the Mad Dog radio program will begin.

I think that while the Yankees 2-1 win after a clubhouse meeting and Mussina being solid again and the Yankees doing it "how you draw it up.. Mussina, to Joba, to Mo," i think that the Mets and Heilman are the story. Russo may ask Francesca if he wants to talk NBA but we know they are not going there, there may be some Kentucky Derby later in the day (i hope not) and then they will let Mets fans carry the show for the next two hours with calls about how Heilman is the worst pitcher in the history of the franchise...

A quick side note and I would not call in to say this because A) i don't call in unless it was 2am and Steve Somers was talking about the Knicks after Patrick Ewing blew the layup against the Pacers and B) because i don't want to start the Joba fist pump debate again... BUT after Joba struck out whoever the final Rays batter he had last night, catcher Jose Molina pumped his fist in excitement.

Yes, it was a close game, but there was no one on base, no threat happening, it was simply a strikeout.. Why is Molina allowed to do that? When is a fist pump a good fist pump? Can someone show me in the rule book where it says when it is and is not ok to fist pump? I just need to be clear here.

What if i put up a really good comment that shows up the person who commented before me, can i fist pump after that or is that "bush league?" I might have to call in to Mike and Chris to find out the rules on this.

To get back to the point.. The Mets are the lead story, followed by the Yankees and Mussina and Kennedy pitching a big game today, then later segments on the Celtics and Lakers but much of the attention will be on the Spurs MUST WIN TONIGHT. Mike will definitely tell you exactly what is going to happen.

And awaaaaay we go...

Adjusted Schedule Today

The Mets play an afternoon game today, pushing Mike and the Dog to the 4:30-7PM time slot.  This can be good and bad for a few reasons.  It can be good if the Mets lose, because then you get the instant satisfaction of Mets panic discussion ("Willie's in trouble", "The Mets are an enigma").  That is like instant relief if you are a Mets fan.

However, the bad is if the Mets win.  Then all of a sudden, Wednesday night's Aaron Heilman meltdown has some of the sting taken out of it.  If Pelfrey pitches a gem, then some of the attention shifts to that.  And all of a sudden, we are getting less "Fire Willie, Trade Beltran, Trade Reyes" talk.

So if you are a true Mets fan and you know that you have Francesa and Russo after the game today, there is only one outcome you can possibly want.  What do you think that is?