THEY'RE TALKING SPORTS GOING AT IT AS HARD AS THEY CAN IT'S.....?

Mike AND The Mad Dog BACK on the FAN...

Some quick takes from the first segment of Mike and Chris back together again

We are live from the MLB ALL STAR FAN FEST

Chris and Mike open the show barely looking at each other. Mike looking around doing the "i know you because i know PEOPLE." Russo pumped with live audience. They are sitting very close together. I think that being away from the studio in close quarters could be a good sign. No barriers, although their last live event at the Belmont produced some of the divorce friction. Can they handle being so close to each other? Something to watch for...

Mike wonders why the fans all have cameras and shouts out to the fans that they can take a picture of him and Chris together. They stop and pose and then Mike makes the first remarks about the rumors saying that it's only 50/50 that you were not going to ever see them together again. An off handed joke... and that's it. They are moving on and talking Yankees baseball.

Mike talks Yankees hitting and has yet to blame the weather and he says that he can't blame the pitching. He blames a lot on ARod. WAY TO GO OUT ON A LIMB MIKEY! We are getting a new mantra from Mike which it looks like we are going to hear a lot.. "the Yankees have put a lot of bad line ups on the field."

Chris told Mike he had an excellent point. (Love rekindled?).

In talking about Posada and the catching issue, Chris says that the Yankees are in a tough spot and Mike then agrees "it is a tough spot." (Code for: Yea, i know we've been fighting, but I love you.?")

HIDDEN NEWS FLASH... Russo just said in talking about the Yankees and Rivera "WE TALKED yesterday YOU AND I by Mariano the other day..." MIKE AND CHRIS TALKED TO EACH OTHER AND THEY WERE NOT WORKING TOGETHER. THIS IS HUGE. According to Chris, they don't even talk on Christmas. But THEY TALKED YESTERDAY. Chris remembered Mikes number, he dialed it on his rotary phone. THEY TALKED!!!

Third mention of "weak lineup on the field" by Mike within about 8 minutes. As i type this "weak lineup" mentioned again by Mike. It has officially joined the canon of Russo and Francesca phrases.

Mike does by the way (while they talk about Yankee games that happened two weeks ago) look very tan or sunburned.. one or the other.

I am very excited because Mike is THIS close to saying the name "Bronson Arroyo..." STILL WAITING... I CAN FEEL IT IN THE AIR...

Chris asks the question about where do we stand now with Tampa and Mike does not use the phrase "talk to me in August." He is doubting the 10 wins of Andy Sonnestein, although somehow Mike Mussina's 10 wins are legit. He does not believe that Tampa can play above .500 the rest of the way.

Quick note, we have Diet Coke for Mike in a cup, not the big glass. That means some intern is going to have a big day refilling that cup all day.

Ok, along with the weak hitting mantra from Mike he came back from vacation and also brought "they are fooling themselves if they don't get another pitcher," to the show with him. Yup, as i type we hear it again "they cannot delude themselves and not pick up a pitcher."

OH WE ARE GETTING CLOSE... YES YES YES.. HERE IT IS....

ENORMOUS BREAKING NEWS: MIKE FRANCESCA NO LONGER REPRESENTING BRONSON ARROYO...

Chris Russo: He's been terrible, how about Arroyo, you off him now?"
Mike: He's pitched so badly.. I can't even in fairness reccomend him after his last four starts."

QUICK ANALYSIS OF THE BREAKING NEWS: We at Mike and the Mad Blog believe that Bronson Arroyo was the other woman in the Mike and the Mad Dog breakup and that Mike's announcement that he can no longer reccomend Arroyo means that the romance with Arroyo has ended and that Mike and Chris can resume relations."

The first segment of the Mike and the Mad Dog reunion show ends with the fourth or maybe tenth collection of these words from the mouth of Mike Francesca

"But i think that they have to get someone.. They have to get someone."

1:17 and we are back after this.... WELCOME BACK BOYS