Mike and Chris Reunite to Analyze Barack Obama and the Democratic National Convention

This comes courtesy of Lt. Weinberg:

Chris: Aaaaaaandddd good afternoon everybody and how are you today!!! The Mike and the Mad Dog radio program for this thursday in august. Lots to talk about today. Good afternoon mike and how are you today?

Mike: Good Dog

Chris: lots of places to go today. We could do mets big bounce back win from them. Jeez how many of those have we seen? We could do a terrrible loss by the yankees. I mean I know I buried them but could ya please show some fight. Maybe I buried them for good mikey.

Mike: I didn't listen that day. Don't know what u are talking about.

Chris: hahha. Ok so where should we begin? Mets, yanks..

Mike: I think we have to start with the Convention

Chris: Ohhhh that's right mike. Terrific job out of you. I hadn't thought of that.

Mike: tonight you got obama making his acceptance speech. He's doing it outside just like JFK. I know this because I read everything about JFK.

Chris: mikey, now I know this guy osama is great and he's got the speaking thing and the whole bit but can we please calm down about putting him in the football stadium. Obama does NOT need a new stadium.

Mike: Dog, the guy is an enormous speaker and the stadium just couldn't hold him. They needed a new venue.

Chris: Mike, I know and the chant the yes we do or whatever they say...

Mike: yes we can

Chris: right but Mike, can they chant in the pepsi center?

Mike: Yes but for this guy they need a better venue with more amenties to hold more people

Chris: Ohhhh COME ON!!. They do NOT need a new stadium. The denver nuggets play here. Is it big enough to hold them? When Dikembe Mutombo was there he was wagging his finger saying no you can't dunk on me. It held him didn't it? Mike, you cannot tell me that they need a new stadium for this oprah guy

Mike: obama

Chris: did Bill Clinton get a football stadium? How about George Bush?

Mike: This guy is a phenomenon. you need a bigger place, sky boxes for the celebs, more fans to see it in person. Big screen monitors..

Chris: oh COME ON!. This is a terrible job. I can't go too crazy about this guy omar minaya

Mike: Barack obama dog

Chris: you have to admit its a terrible job. Mike you're talking about watching it in person. Half the people are going to be sitting so far away they will think that its me giving the speech. They'll be up in the cheap seats wanting to vote for chris russo. Hahahahahahahaha. Say something funny mike.

(Mike is watching horse racing and no longer listening)

Chris: I mean mike this is just a TERRIBLE job, I mean I could understand it if it was Bruce Springsteen. At least he's playing thunder road for three hours. IS ANYONE ALIVE OUT THERE???

Mike: Time for the update and the mink man

Chris: Minko, does omar minaya really need a football stadium to give some speech? How about getting this team some relievers first? How about that? Could ya please? Before you talk to 75,000 people and screaming yes we am and change we can believe in can ya omar give jerry manuel some relievers for a change? I mean you say pipe down chris this guys a big deal. Big deal what? For what? Luis ayala. Terrible job. I wouldn't let this guy talk timmy to sleep at 1130 pm when he goes to bed which is a whole nother story. Mink take it away...

Minko: Thanks Chris and as you and Mike were just discussing Barack Obama will be speaking tonight at the democratic national convention...

ONE COUNTDOWN DOWN

Tonights Yankees loss means not only that the Bronx Bomb is dead and buried, it also means that we can knock one of the countdowns off the list.

RIP: Mike's declaration that the Yankees would need to win 5 of 6 in order to stay in the hunt. The Yankees did the easy part and swept the Orioles. Taking of the hard part, um, didn't go so well. The Yanks have lost two in a row to the Red Sox and are on the verge of being swept.

Mike, grab a shovel. The boys are dead.

(side note: If you are programming a radio station and that station happens to only talk sports and you have this guy who is supposedly the focus of your station, the headliner so to speak, and now you have this week in sports, remember you are a SPORTS RADIO STATION, and the two local teams, let's call one the Bankees and the other the Yets, and both of them are playing their top rivals for a series that will be pivotal to the season for these two teams, would you:

A: tell your host to get ready to hit the road because we are going to spend each show at a different stadium because this is a HUGE week for these teams that we cover at our sports radio station.
B: tell your host and your producer of said radio station to book the hell out of this show and get everyone and anyone who can talk about this rivalry, provide insight, give your audience a terrific the show that would be so much better than any possible show you might have - like one where you might invite people to a Bar called Anticipation and have people audition for someone without letting them speak.
C: Tell your host, you know what, you have worked about 16 hours the entire summer and you deserve a break, so don't worry about those games, you go and relax. Lay down, get a massage, watch horses run around a track, have a Diet Coke. You relax we have plenty of other radio hosts to cover it.

Mark Chernoff, which one would you choose if you were running this fictional radio station?

MIKE'S OPEN

Another Francesa-less day at WFAN. So once again, we will do the honors and write Mikey's open for him today:

"Mike Francesa on the FAN today. We’ll start the new show next week. The jingle is almost done. The lawyers are still working out the name. You'll meet some of our new cast of characters. The new show starts next week. But obviously a lot to talk about today. And the Mets are THE story today. This team has lost more brutal games than I can ever remember a team losing. They were up 7-0, they had a RARE rocking chair game last night. And I have to say, I’ve been a big Pedro fan, but that was a terrible performance by him last night. You have a 7 run lead. You can’t be giving up homers left and right. And listen, I know Met fans are going to make a big deal out of the bullpen today, but a 2 run lead in that bandbox is nothing. And I also don’t want to hear about the Mets not tacking on more runs. You had a 7 run lead!! Has Wright been good in big spots this year? No. Could Delgado have given you something more than that double play? Sure. But last night was about Pedro. He can’t let that team back in that game. I mean, the Mets have blown more of these games than I’ve ever seen. Now they always pick themselves off the mat after these games. But how many times can you go to the well? How many times can you rebound from these horrendous losses? And last night gave you flashbacks of last September. The Phillies have a bunch of gamers. Rollins, Victorino, Werth. The Mets just make you scratch your head sometimes. That Phillies team was dead last night. And the Mets gave them life and now you have to be careful. Tonight is a MUST win game. I’m not big on saying games are “must win” but tonight is a MUST win game for the Mets. If they ever lost tonight with Johan, the Phillies might be off and running. Tough loss for the Yanks last night, but today is all about the Mets. We’ll get to your Yankee calls tomorrow, but today is for the Met fans."

THE RUN STARTS TONIGHT

Since Mikey is on sabbatical yet again, in the heat of a pennant race, we figured we would pick up the slack for WFAN. Here is what Mike would likely have said today if he actually worked in the summer:

"Well folks, this is what you wait for. Beautiful day. Great day to be at Saratoga. But today is what we have waited for. The Yanks and Boston in a dog fight. Mets and Phils also. But let’s face it folks. Today is all about the Yankees. We’ll get to your Met calls next week. Today is about the dramah of the Yanks and Red Sox. The Olympics are over. The NBC guys called me all weekend about the ratings. But today is about the Yanks. The run starts tonight. Everyone has buried them. Said the season’s over. There used to be a guy sitting next to me who said the same thing. He is no more. Today is a Yankee day. And who better to take the ball tonight than Andy. Andy is gonna pitch a big game because that’s what Andy does. That’s his history. Cano is showing that he still has a bunch of hits left in that bat. Everyone wanted to kill the Yankee season, but let’s face it folks, they are only 5 out, with 6 left against Boston. And don’t forget, that is a totally different Boston team without Beckett and Manny. That team has to prove they can play in a big spot without those two. All you Yankee haters, all the members of the crack committee – Be CAREFUL. The run starts tonight. Also, we're still working on the new jingle."

THE DOG AND PONY SHOW: THE COUNTDOWN ANALYSIS PART 1: SPORTS KNOWLEDGE

(yes, it would be a large pony)

As we at Mike and the Mad Blog prepare for the DOG AND PONY SHOWDOWN between Mike and Chris, we wanted to breakdown Russo and Francesca in a variety of categories to see who is going to win when they go toe to toe at 2pm on September 15th.

Today we begin with SPORTS KNOWLEDGE

The question we present for you is not only who has the most sports knowledge but also who presents it in a way that is clear with insight and information. I think we have to look at this on a national level and not just New York because Russo is now in a national forum as opposed to just NYC.

So who gets the edge when it comes to Sports Knowledge: Russo or Francesca?

MIKE CELEBRATES YANKEES SWEEP

There is no Francesca on the Fan, Mike'd Up on the Radio, The Audition for Submission, The Bloated Blowhard, the Horses and the Hindenburg... none of that this week because Mike is.. WAIT FOR IT.. on vacation... I know, you are shocked, amazed, perhaps concerned, (or not at all), but Mike will return, he will emerge post Labor Day, like a Groundhog, see his shadow, then look longing at the shadow of his ego, and then walk forward, a sort of strut/wobble, carrying a case of Green Tea (his new drink), with Eddie Erickson playing the role of Bundini Brown chanting "The Mike is here. The Mike is here." and enter the studios of WFAN in New York with a new sports radio show bound to stagger and amaze (or the opposite).

The Yankees have just won 3 games in a row, which I am sure has given Mike immense pleasure. The question is how much pleasure? How does one Mike Francesca celebrate the Yankees sweep? I wonder...

Walked outside and did a cannonball into his pool filled with Diet Coke screaming JETAH
Pranked called Russo's house yelling "Manny is better than Ortiz" and hanging up
A marathon viewing of the Boelyn Girl
Going outside and laying out wrapped in a bathing suit made of his favorite pages from all the JFK books that he has read
Putting in the DVD "Bronson Arroyo: The Yankee Who Never Was."
Prank calling Brian Cashman every 8 minutes saying "Joba Relieva" and hanging up
Inviting Chris over to his house for a good will meeting and then laughing endlessly as he and Roe hide and don't answer the door.

Oh, there are so many ways Mike may have celebrated.. Any thoughts?

THE COUNTDOWNS: YANKEES, RUSSO, MIKE'D UP ON THE RADIO

We like countdowns. Especially the ones where you are counting down dates. It gives us something to look forward to. It helps us get through a day when you are watching a large man hold pretend auditions, speak to Jim Nantz about nothing that would ever interest the audience and 25 sets of Southside Johnny. Countdowns let us know that we are getting closer and closer to something exciting.

So here are some things we are counting down:

Yankees Death Watch: Mike has refused to see dead people wearing pinstripes. But he has declared that the Yanks need to win 5 of 6 or he is declaring them dead. The countdown begins tonight vs Baltimore.
COUNTDOWN: waiting on tonights results

Mike'd Up on the Radio: I once interviewed for a job on a sports tv show and was told that this show was going to revolutionize television, that it was going to be like the early days of Saturday Night Live. The show in question aired and I believe did the opposite of revolutionize tv due to the fact that it got a zero rating. That show was called the McEnroe Show. We are counting down to Mike'd Up on the Radio and we wonder if it will remind us at all of that revolutionary talk show hosted by a argumentative tennis player.
COUNTDOWN AT: 11 days

The Mad Dog Sports Show: (aka the Tussle at 2pm when Mike and Chris face off as solo artists): The question here is will you pay for Timmy, Tony, fanny, terrible job, Lincecum, and the whole bit? After this week of Francesca, I tell ya I would much rather be listening to Chris. I actually think that Russo is going to be better on the national scene than people think. Remember, he's not a New York guy and he has always been the one with national interests. I have begun to no longer think of it as paying to listen to Chris, but rather investing in not listening to Mike.

COUNTDOWN AT: 24 Days

Which day are you counting down to?

Mike and the Mad Blog New York Magazine Mention

Press Box Confidential: Mike and the Mad Dog Backlash; Fat Lady Sings for the Yankees

It's been just a week since “Mike and the Mad Dog” called it a day, and the backlash has already begun. After an initial wave of goodwill — Chris Russo called in and cried during Friday’s final show, which turned into a wake of sorts, with Mike Francesa, humble as always, comparing the split to the breakup of the Beatles, and callers ranging from Russo’s dad to David Paterson phoning in to congratulate them on a job well done — the hyperbole died down, and then some.

On Wednesday, the Daily News printed three letters to the editor about the breakup: one pro-Russo, one pro-Russo and anti-Francesa, and one criticizing both of them. Then, yesterday, the Mike and the Mad Blog (the best, albeit only, daily source of this information) declared that Francesa's solo show was already so boring that they would no longer bother discussing how boring it is. At least, in sifting through all the obituaries, we discovered this gem, from Sports Illustrated: Pulitzer Prize winner Philip Roth is apparently such a big fan that he can do spot-on impressions of both hosts. We don’t think we’d pay money to hear Russo on satellite, but we’d definitely pay good money to hear that.

Full story can be found at: http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2008/08/headline.html

THE MIKE AND THE MAD BLOG AUDITIONS

We, at Mike and the Mad Blog have had an awakening, like Robert Redford in the movie where Robin Williams is the doctor with the beard, but not the sensitive therapist with the beard or the doctor without the beard but with the clown nose. We have figured out what is going on today, what has gone so wrong.

THEY ARE AUDITIONING FOR THE WRONG PERSON.

CAN WE ALL GO TO BAR ANTICIPATION TOMORROW AND AUDITION FOR MIKE'S PART?

SOUTHSIDE JOHNNY WON'T BE THERE. WE PROMISE.

The Worst Contest Ever?

As I sit here trying to watch these "auditions" I find myself asking (along with some commenters) if this is indeed the worst run contest ever? I mean, this is truly unwatchable and unlistenable. Somewhere along the Jersey shore, Mark Chernoff just drowned himself in the ocean. Mike is trying to be Mr. Funny, but everything he says falls flat. He doesn't allow the contestants to distinguish themselves, not that any of them were really any good. How is this the best of the "hundreds" that got thru the WFAN screening process? And how is someone there - a producer, a program director, an intern, anyone, not saving this drowning ship of a contest? Someone step in.

LAMAR AND SOME COMEDIAN NAMED DAVIN

This will definitely.. WAIT FOR IT... NOT BE FUNNY.

Davin likes the Jets. Yankees and the Devils. And also loves not being funny at all.
Lamar likes the Giants, bleeds Yankee pinstripes and likes a good chicken parm hero and reruns of I Love Lucy (i made up about 70% of that).

Davin goes with the gay jokes. Wow, that is cutting edge.

BREAKING NEWS: MIKE GOING GREEN TEA

CNN HAS SHOT DOWN THEIR ENTIRE NETWORK TO REPORT THAT MIKE FRANCESCA WILL NO LONGER BE QUENCHING HIS EGO WITH DIET COKE, BUT WITH GREEN TEA. THE RUMORED REASON IS THAT HIS EGO IS BLOATED AND NEEDS SOME CLEANSING.

WE WILL HAVE FULL REPORTS THROUGHOUT THE DAY BY THE BEST POLITICAL TEAM ON TELEVISION INCLUDING WOLF BLITZER, ANDERSON COOPER AND JOHN KING WILL BE DOING SOMETHING WITH THAT CRAZY ELECTRONIC BULLETIN BOARD HE USES.

ONCE AGAIN, CNN IS REPORTING THAT MIKE FRANCESCA HAS SWITCHED TO GREEN TEA

WOAH... FIREMAN MIKE GOES WITH THE CARL PAVANO AND 14 YEAR OLD JOKE!

Sitting next to a priest, Fireman Mike uses his time to say the following while sitting next to THE FATHER...

"Carl Pavano is going to stop messing around with the 14 year olds."

Hmmm... wonder if that was the best choice of words.

MIKE, THE PRIEST AND THE FIREFIGHTER

How about Francesca and the Father on the Fan?

First up we got Mike, a priest who began with a bad joke about oils, and a firefighter to attempt to fill Chris Russo's chair.

Here we go... JUDGES?

JON HEYMAN BURIES THE YANKS, MIKE STILL HOLDING OUT HOPE

Jon Heyman cold chillin at Bar Anticipation (what is the anticpation of, by the way? Getting drunk? winning at Beer Pong? seeing Southside Johnny in the urinal next to you?) and Mr Heyman has declared the Yankees dead.

Mike Francesca though is a special man, he sees life where others see death. He's like the Ghost Whisperer for dead baseball teams.

THE VERY SECRET NAME OF MIKE'S NEW SHOW

Mike revealed that they have a name for the new show, but they are dealing with some copyright issues and a group of lawyers from every firm in the entire nation are attempting to work this out.
So I ask you what could this name be that may have copyright infringement issues. Here are a few guesses:

1. The Tonight Show with Mike Francesca
2. Meet the Press
3. Jake and the Fatman
4. The View

What could this secret name be? Thoughts? Ideas? Just random musings on topics that have nothing to do at all with this post?

MIKE FRANCESCA IS NOT ONLY JOHN LENNON, HE"S ALSO ELVIS

Evan and Joe were holding down the fort before the beginning of Mike's appearance at Bar A and they spoke of Francesca's arrival in comparison to Elvis taking the stage.

In the last week, Mike Francesca has been compared himself to John Lennon and now Joe and Evan call him Elvis...

How does that happen? Isn't he just a large man who talks about sports or are my eyes fooling me and he is actually the combination of Elvis and Lennon? Did i miss something?

MIKE IS SIMON, IS EDDIE PAULA OR RANDY?

It is an American Idol inspired day here at Mike and the Mad Blog. We got Mike playing Simon at the auditions at Bar A and we have American Idle Carl Pavano pitching for the Yankees, and Randy Jackson's America's Best Dance Crew just completed it's finale last night. (I am betting none of you tuned in.)

We need to give Mike the role of Simon because.. we all know why. That leaves the roles of Randy and Paula and rather than allow Eddie or Sal or worse John Minko play these parts, we have decided to cast YOU, our loyal readers.

So to allow ourselves to follow the very creative high pop culture standards of this blog, we would love for your comments to be in the voice of the drugged out haze of Paula Abdul or the unintelligable wisdom of lead dog, Randy Jackson..

For example you might say:
"I thought your performance was like perfume but the kind that comes from a skunk after taking a shower in a bathtub." That would be as Paula.
OR YOU MIGHT SAY
"Dawg, I thought that was a little pitchy but it was still ahhhright but you can definitely blow." That would as Randy.

We have complete faith in you and we certainly know you all watch and voted for David Cook. So let the judging begin...

(and for a little further dose of American Idol, check our archives for our mock post on Mike and Chris analyzing the American Idol finale).

In the words of Simon Cowell..."Off you go..."

"So What Do We Do? What Do We Do?"

Yes, I have just quoted a line from the character Andrew Largeman from the movie Garden State which i am still uncertain if i liked or not, although my cousin told me that it was his generations version of the Graduate. I didn't necessarily believe that, but he is very smart. But, the reason i put those words "what do we do" into Google and came up with this quote is because I believe we as fans of the show formerly known as Mike and the Mad Dog need to answer this question.
I know you want answers, I'll simply give you the truth. (you see what i did there?)

We at Mike and the Mad Blog have decided to put an end to the Mike Francesca solo show is boring talk. The truth is, the show is boring. Mike is not as good as Chris solo, nor does he currently have the necessary big issue happening to give him a charge. He's boring. You know it. We know it. Let's all move on.

So What Do We Do? What Do We Do? Feel free to discuss how much you love Chris Russo and how you are going to install Sirius radio in every single room of your office and potentially on parts of your anatomy. Feel free to even buy subscriptions for us, your kind friends at Mike and the Mad Blog.
So What Do We Do? What Do We Do? Are you saying we cannot call Mike out for being arrogant, egomanical, ill informed or egomanical? NO SIR. Please continue to do that. You may also at all times site facts to prove him wrong. We love this.

To end, I return to where I began with the modern day Graduate, the Zach Braff opus, Garden State to answer the question that is the topic for this post.

Andrew Largeman: Let's just talk about good stuff.
Sam: Good stuff?
Andrew Largeman: Yeah. Glass half full shit. What do you got?

What Have We Learned

We have learned that there will be security at Bar A tomorrow. Mikefrancesa.com is welcome(No word on this blog). Sal Licata off the top of his head cannot name the center for the old Raiders teams. One of the doctors for a caller's son is apparently ranked 2nd in the world in aorta surgeries(he did not specify which rankings). We have also learned that "Sal has aspirations". Despite being the Toronto Blue Jays GM, J.P. Ricciardi has a hardcore Boston accent. Mike has taken a lot of grief from Rays fans. Mike Francesa and J.P. Ricciardi are both Italian. Pavano is the $45 million dollar man and his start on Saturday can be considered 'the Theater of the Absurd'.1 Bar A audition screening is from 10-12 tomorrow. Mike created the Marquis. Mike needs a year back from Carl Pavano for free...then we can talk. Mike doesn't like calling Anaheim, Los Angeles. Sal knows the Little Rascals via Eddie Murphy's SNL buckwheat sketch. Allysa Milano sat in front of Mike at Game 6 of the 2003 World Series.


1 The Theatre of the Absurd is a designation for particular plays written by a number of primarily European playwrights in the late 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s. Some characteristics coincide in many of the plays: broad comedy, often similar to Vaudeville, mixed with horrific or tragic images; characters caught in hopeless situations forced to do repetitive or meaningless actions; plots that are cyclical or absurdly expansive; either a parody or dismissal of realism.

Get Greedy

Greed, for lack of a better word, is good. Greed is right, greed works. Greed clarifies, cuts through, and captures the essence of the evolutionary spirit. Greed, in all of its forms; greed for runs, for Ks, for Home runs has marked the upward surge of mankind. And greed, you mark my words, will not only save the New York Yankees, but that other malfunctioning corporation called the FAN.

Early on, today, Mike knowing full well that the Yankees are 5 games out of the Wildcard in late August, started postulating how the Yankees were going to make the playoffs. He did the usual breaking down of upcoming series, 'You want to lose the first game to the Orioles and then win the next two? Ok.' But then when brought up the whole idea of the Red Sox having a 'rough' weekend, he went for the jugular. 'Yankee fans, you wanna get greedy?' Mike. Is the Yankee fan in a position to get greedy? How about stringing together a few wins? Could ya please? Of course, the reason for the optimism is the fact that 'Andy' had a nice game last night. Nothing like one of his favorite players coming through to get him back on the wagon.

You know what? I actually don't mind Mike getting a little excited. He's becoming a bit of a regular fan. It's not arrogance. I think he's excited by the fact that the Yanks are in real trouble. Every year for the last decade, he's had to play the smug Yankee fan, wallowing in their excellence and unending postseason appearances. This year however, the Yanks are answering the bell a little late. And he knows it. He's getting desperate. But, it's refreshing. So I say, go ahead, Mike. Put some lipstick on this pig. Get greedy.

It's all about Mike

NFL.com is reporting that Gene Upshaw, a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame and executive director of the NFL’s Players Association, died early Thursday morning after a bout with pancreatic cancer. He was 63

This is no doubt sad news. And will have a big impact on the NFL and the next collective bargaining agreement. But at Mike and the Mad Blog, we have to look at it from our perspective. Just how will his affect Mike Francesa? I mean, Mike and Tim Russert never made up before Russert passed. And Tim went to his grave with that knowledge. What was Gene Upshaw thinking about in his final moments? His last time on with Mike and Chris? How will his legacy be viewed in Mike's eyes? Stay tuned today to hear how Mike defines Gene Upshaw's legacy. It's the only opinion that counts.

SAME OLD, SAME OLD

Well, 3 days into his solo show, Mike Francesa has once again confirmed what we all already knew...that he refuses to come prepared for a show. Mike just had Jerry Manuel on and asked Jerry what he thought were a couple of very important questions. The questions were:

- Did Jerry feel that he needed to appoint one specific person to the closer role?
- Would Jerry fool with the idea of Maine as a closer?

Legit questions right? Only problem was if Mike decided to read the NY Post and the Daily News today, he would have already had answers to both items:

ON QUESTION 1 ABOUT CHOOSING ONE PERSON AS THE CLOSER..From today's Daily News:
"Still, Manuel, at least at this juncture, does not seem inclined to look for exclusivity in the closer role.
"What you have to be careful about," he said, "is anointing someone and then it doesn't work out."
"We'll just try to match up the way we have been and it'll depend on how the game is going (as to who will close). The good thing is, as we've gone through this, a lot of people have gotten saves."

ON QUESTION 2 ABOUT MAINE AS A CLOSER:...From today's Post:

"He needs more rest, needs those days off more than he needs to be a bullpen guy right now," said manager Jerry Manuel.

New show. Same old Francesa.

TOO BORING TO LISTEN, FILL US IN

Today's show was so boring that we here at the blog couldn't tolerate it anymore. I was around for the first few segments, but fill us in on what else we missed so far today...

MIKE TALKING RAYS BASEBALL

“Now Tampa is long gone. Kudos to them. I was dead wrong. I never even thought they would last into the race in August and they’ve just run away and hid. They’ve run away and hid from everybody. They now have the best record in baseball, which is hard to fathom. And raise your hands if you thought Tampa was gonna win the most games in the major leagues this year. I mean, they’ve done an incredible job. The Red Sox can still be had..”

I do love how Mike, after praising Tampa, continues to insist the Red Sox can still be had. I mean, the Yanks have really showed us a lot faith that they can catch Boston, haven't they?

COUNTDOWN TO THE SHOWDOWN: 26 DAYS AWAY

Mike and the Mad Blog today announce that we will begin counting down the days till the Showdown for Radio Supremacy (we need a better name) between Mike and the Mad Dog.

THEY USED TO BE PARTNERS

NOW THEY ARE RIVALS

SEPTEMBER 15th

2PM

THE BATTLE BEGINS

Mike and the Mad Blog will be providing daily analysis (which will likely be use making fun of both of them), predictions, we will have guests (maybe not), a tale of the tape, and much more.

First, we need a name. There was THE FIGHT, THE RUMBLE IN THE JUNGLE, ETC. What do we call the showdown between Mike and Chris?

MORE OF RUSSO ON SNY

Joe Benigno: When was the moment...that you said you know what, I may have to move on?

Russo: I’ll give you the moment when Mel the last few days said to me “Chris, here’s the deal. I’m giving you a movie. You direct it, you produce it and you star in it. I’m not going to offer you this job when you’re 54 years of age. I’m not going to give this job to anybody else if you say no. But produce, direct, star.” I just said you know what, it’s worth a shot. I’m looking forward to it. That’s when I decided to do this.

A Step Down for Russo?

By the way, isn't Russo simply appearing on Daily News Live an obvious step down? WFAN's Mike and the Mad Dog Chris Russo wouldn't be seen dead on that show. Now, he's yukking it up on there? I guess when you have 15 million dollars padding your fanny, those SNY chairs feel a lot better. Also does Russo realize that he was just on a show that was the LEAD IN to a show with Chris Carlin? WOW

But i am off track: Russo was asked what was the moment where he knew that he had to leave WFAN and he said that Mel Karmazin told him that he could be "Producer, Actor, Writer, Director," and that was an opportunity he couldn't pass up.

I guess the way to a man's heart is right through his ego. Russo, the Woody Allen of Sirius.

RUSSO SPOTTING: ON SNY DAILY NEWS LIVE TODAY

Here was Chris talking to Omar Minaya just a few minutes ago on SNY's Daily News Live

Russo: Omar, good to talk to you again. Six game winning streak, bad loss yesterday. Now we've seen the Mets be up and down here the last two years. Do you expect this ballclub to regain its equilibrium and have a big September even with this bullpen being in shambles?

Omar: Well you know we've been an inconsistent team Chris and I hear you are making a big time move, am I correct?

Russo: Yeah I was afraid of that. (Laughing) Yes I am Omar, I am going to miss you. I'm going to miss you.

Omar: Well I didn't know if I was listening to Cyrus radio...

Russo interrupting: SIRIUS OMAR! SIRIUS!!!

Omar: Sirius. (Russo cracking up) But anyway, I wish you the best Chris in what you are doing. You guys did a great job there for many years. It kept us all fans well entertained. (and yes, that is Omar's sentence).

AP: FRANCESA ON HIS KNEES

Associated Press

Reports out of New York Jets training camp today confirm that radio host Mike Francesa was spotted on his knees during his interview with new gang Green Quarterback Brett Favre. Sources on the scene reported seeing Mr. Francesa on his knees under the makeshift YES table, while Favre displayed a big grin on his face. More details as they become available.

MEDICAL HAIR RESTORATION: THE REAL REDEEM TEAM

You thought that the Redeem Team was playing in Bejing, well you are wrong.

The real Redeem Team is the collection of All Stars that Medical Hair Restoration has going for them in their commercial that just appeared on YES.

THE ROSTER:
Ken: don't know what he does
Mercury Morris: member of the Dolphins undefeated team
Scott:
Bobby: rides motorcycles
Wade Boggs:
Joey: he seems to play guitar.
Doug: skier
Gene: some sort of tennis player
Jaime: 2007 Mr North America.. looks like he doesn't only take hair supplements
Phil: hockey player
Hector Luis Bustamante: He was on "The Shield" and "Heroes," I think he played "The Extra"

And their manager: Jimmy "The Mouth of the South" Hart.

The question is who would win in a matchup between the Redeem Team and the MHR All Stars? I am not sure what sport they would play but this MHR All Star is some squad.

MIKE ARE THOSE ROSE COLORED GLASSES YOUR WEARING?

Is there some sort of special tint that Mike Francesca has in the sunglasses he is wearing? Does it allow him to see things that others don't? I want those. Can an ad for those replace the Guseppe Franco spots?

Mike through those sweet shades of his still sees this Yankees lineup as a dominant collection of Hall of Famers, amazing careers, and can't miss future stars. This is what he said from just outside his tent. (do you think mike during the break has eddie erickson building a huge campfire that they will snuggle around and tell ghost stories later?)

This is how he broke down the Yankee lineup that to everyone not wearing Mike's glasses is one of the prime, if not, THE reason for the Yankees failures this year.

"Damon has had a great career, Jeter is a Hall of Famer, so is ARod, Giambi has won an MVP, Matsui has had tremendous numbers and is a legend in Japan, Nady who is a good solid player, Cano who could win the batting title when he gets his head screwed on, and Pudge is probably going to be a Hall of Famer. So you got three Hall of Famers in the lineup, you got almost everyone on the team that has been on the All Star team with the exception of a couple of guys, and you don't have a guy who has been a weak hitter in the entire lineup. This is a lineup that should create enormous productivity. It is a tremendous lineup. It has great power, productivity, good average hitters, you got lefty, righty, lefty, righty.. It's a great lineup.... This lineup is so far down in terms of productivity in terms of last year should produce."

Mike, here is what is weird about sports and maybe you can make a phone call and have this adjusted.. but whether or not you are a Hall of Famer, an All Star, or someone who has had a great career, DOES NOT MATTER DURING THIS SEASON. It's funny because Mike, you hate fantasy sports, but you are talking about these guys as if they are players on your Strat O Matic team..

Here is what is real: Damon is good, Jeter is among the top guys in the league in hitting into double plays, AROD is hitting around .230 in the clutch, Giambi has been awful in the second half, Matsui has not played all season, and this will not be the year Cano wins the batting title.

Keep the glasses on Mike, they are doing a terrific job shading you from reality.

BREAKING NEWS

Mike just reported this moments ago:

"Pavano can pitch in a big spot...remember this, this is a guy who pitched GREAT against the Yankees in the World Series in 2003."

Uhh Mike, that was 5 years ago. Last time I checked, Carl's membership from the Big Spot Club was revoked a long time ago.

BREAKING FORMAT

Wow. Two days into the Fran-solo era, Mikey has already broken format. When talking to Jets GM Mike Tannenbaum(by the way, Mike keeps on referring to him as Mr. T. Um, you want to take that up with B.A. Baracus?) about Favre and his trade from the Packers, Mike said, "There was a premise that Favre wanted to go to Minnesota because he was familiar with the offense, blah, blah, blah..." 'There was a premise'? I thought there was an 'idea'. Not a 'premise'. Mike, we live in a blog that has a glossary. And that glossary has to be guarded by men with microphones. Who's gonna do it? Carton? Sommers? You have a greater responsibility than you can possibly fathom...You use phrases like 'Be careful', 'bad job' and 'this whole idea'. We define these phrases as the backbone to a blog spent defending the Mike and Mad Dog show.

Please, Mike. Stick to rules that were defined on your show with Mike. Don't tear down what you built up for 19 years. And stop referring to the general manager of the New York Jets as Mr. T.

MIKE BROADCASTING FROM THE WOODS TODAY

Mikey is on locale at Jets camp today and he looks like he is broadcasting from the middle of the woods. Could they not find a better looking spot to broadcast from today? Something with the view of the field behind them? Some players practicing off in the distance? Something to indicate they are actually at Jets camp and not at Bear Mountain State Park? Is that too much to ask? Am I being too picky?

DOG VS FRANCESA

'MAD DOG' JOINS SIRIUS XM RADIO
It will revolutionize how you listen to sports talk when Chris 'Mad Dog' Russo is unleashed beginning September 15!

Chris Russo’s loyal fan base will be amped up to hear him back on the air with The Mad Dog Sports Show on SIRIUS Ch. 123, weekdays from 2 pm - 7 pm ET. And newcomers to the Mad Dog experience will feed off of his high-energy passion and in-your-face approach to sports talk. Plus, Russo will soon surround himself with other like-minded sports personalities when he creates Mad Dog Radio, the ultimate destination to get breaking news and high-profile interviews, or get in the game yourself by talking sports with a national audience.

That means that Doggie will essentially be going head to head with Mr. Francesa, minus the first hour. So loyal Mike and the Mad Blog fans, who are you going to listen to?

WHAT WE HAVE LEARNED TODAY

A special morning edition of what we have learned today from Dog on the SIRIUS website:

We have learned you are not going to watch the Olympics because everything is on tape delay. We have learned that if Chris sees one more 5 minute segment with Phelps and Bob Costas, he is going to throw up. We have learned Chris does not need to see Phelps' mother on TV anymore. We have learned that Dog wants to see one more drive from Brett Favre before we put the Jets in the Super Bowl. We learned that we need to mellow out with Brett Favre. We learned that Chris does not want to hear about Yankee injuries. We have learned that no one feels sorry for the Yankees. We have learned "enough with the Yankees." What we have not learned yet as of 9:55AM, is why Dog was never that dressed up on WFAN.

Video can be found here:

http://www.sirius.com/siriussportscentral

Doggie on SIRIUS STARTS SEPTEMBER 15th

RUSSO MAKES HIS MOVE: SIRIUS ANNOUNCEMENT TUESDAY?

According to the smartest man in America, no, in the universe, the man who has never gotten anything wrong, Neil Best, Christopher Mad Dog Russo will be introduced by Sirius Radio on Tuesday. Here is the latest from Neil Best who you would be stupid to ever doubt, I never have. Well, i didn't doubt this story, or the one that said that Russo was leaving WFAN, but i did doubt the one about Mike Francesca to MSG and i might have been correct about that one, except for the fact that the whole show might go to MSG. Here's is what Mr Best has to say:

Sirius XM finally read to introduce Russo Tuesday?!
Sirius XM is planning to introduce a "major sports media personality'' Tuesday morning at its Manhattan headquarters.
Hmm. Take a wild guess. Go ahead. I'll wait.

With the announcement happening, I guess the next question is, how many of you are going to get Sirius just to listen to Mad Dog? What if he and Mike are on at the same time, who do you listen to? What if they both put in a request for Jon Heyman for the same time, where does he go? Wow, now I know what King Solomon felt like.

RUSSO THE NEXT DAVID CARUSO?

First Time Long Time just alerted me to a caller who compared Chris Russo leaving Mike and the Mad Dog to David Caruso leaving NYPD Blue. Now this is slightly different because Russo is not leaving a show that displayed Dennis Franz's ass, but that aside, Caruso's decision to leave for other challenges like the movies Jade and Kiss of Death, should certainly be a warning sign to those like Mad Dog seeking challenges from an otherwise healthy career.

In searching for information on Mr Caruso, who has now become one of the most mocked actors on tv due to his role in CSI Miami (just search Youtube), I found this list on a site called Wikki Gonzalez of the worst decisions in history. It has sports, pop culture, everything...

http://www.digamma.net/btfwiki/The_worst_decisions_in_modern_history

Where do you think Russo leaving Mike and the Mad Dog ranks among the worst decisions of all time? I am going to say somewhere in the middle of this part of the list, probably between Geri Halliwell and Ken Griffey Jr. That feels right.

Shaquille O'Neal acting.
Putting Tim McCarver within 50 miles of a microphone.
Morgan Bulkeley making the Hall of Fame.
ShelleyLong leaving Cheers.
Geri Halliwell (Ginger Spice) leaving the Spice Girls to pursue a solo music career.
Ken Griffey Jr. demanding a trade from the Seattle Mariners.
Grady Little leaving Pedro in for just one more hitter...then two...then three...
Charlie Dressen letting Ralph Branca pitch to Bobby Thomson.
David Caruso leaving NYPD Blue.

BREAKING NEWS

At approximately 6:25PM today, Mike Francesa of "Francesa on the FAN" took his first horse racing call. Mike's first solo show and it only took a couple hours. Mike saw Genuine Risk finish 3rd once. He didn't see her at the Derby though. A great Philly. Somewhere out in New Canaan, Dog is smiling, sipping a Mai Tai, crossing the "t's" and dotting the "i's" on his new SIRIUS contract.

JINGLE ALL THE WAY...

Mike is struggling with his new jingle. Weird because since he is John Lennon to Russo's Ringo, you would think the writing music thing would be no problem.

I don't want Mike to be without a jingle. It's bad enough that he is broadcasting from "the studio that shall not remember Christopher Mad Dog Russo." We need to help him. Help him get his jingle on...

So here's the deal: come up with lyrics, we will pass them along to Chernoff and if you hear them on the air, you can tell all your friends that Chernoff stole it from you.

Feel free to contact guitaritst/pitcher Bronson Arroyo to compose the music.

Things you might want to include in your jingle lyrics:

1. The name Mike Francesa
2. The name Mike Francesa and that he knows everything
3. The name Mike Francesa and that he is friends with Bill Parcells

Things you don't want to include
1. Mentions of his weight
2. Mentions of his liquid intake
3. Mentions of Mike and a dog that is not happy, perhaps angry that is talking sports on the Fan.

FRANCESA BROADCASTING FROM BOMB SHELTER TODAY

For those not watching Mikey on YES today, it appears as if he is broadcasting the show out of a bomb shelter. There are black drapes hung over all the WFAN studio walls, covering any and all images of one Christopher "Mad Dog" Russo. It's as if Francesa is hunkered down in the middle of the mountains of Afghanistan. I mean, really, black drapes over everything? I do have to give Mike credit. He also called out WFAN for doing this and how it's silly. He also mentioned it takes more than a day to create a new jingle. Mike seems very obsessed with filling the audience in on the status of the new jingle. He also remarked that they are still figuring out the name of the show. But in the meantime, if you want to watch Francesa over black, tune in to YES.

In other news, Mike admitted that if the Yanks would have lost on Saturday, he was ready to throw in the towel on the season. Pretty funny that two days earlier Mike mocked those who said the season was over. But if the Yanks lost that game, season was over for Mikey. He loves to do that. He did that earlier in the year when Mariano almost blew that game versus Boston. He tells you that would have been it...but of course we all know better. Mike today would have just said "the run starts tomorrow."

WWCRS

Until Mad Dog resurfaces on air, we would like to keep his presence around. So we came up with something called WWCRS or What Would Chris Russo Say. If Mad Dog were around today, I'm sure he would chime in about Jeff Kent. After hearing that Vin Scully suggest that Kent was doing better with Manny Ramirez batting behind him, Kent told the LA Times that Vin Scully 'talks too much'.

Russo: "That's a horrible job out of Kent. Could ya please wipe the scowl off your face and play baseball?! He's Vin Scully!!! Jeff, tell me how you did with Bonds hitting behind you? He turned you into a Hall of Famer!! And now Manny comes to LA and your batting average is up 20 points! Pipe down! I mean what are you doing listening to the broadcast anyway? Do you get home and watch it on your VCR? I mean, Scully is 90 years old and you're telling him he talks too much. You talk too much! Kent is a Hall of Famer on the field, but he stinks off it."

Welcome to the Future

Well folks, the day has finally arrived. As Neil Best types out 3,000 "I told you so" emails, the truth is here: The Mike and the Mad Dog show is history. As you all know, Dog is gone, leaving Francesa to captain the ship for at least the next five years. Those tuning in today hoping to hear about Lincecum's 10 strikeout performance yesterday are out of luck. Today marks Day One of Francesa solo on the FAN. It will be an abbreviated show with a Mets day game up first, but it is definitely going to be an interesting experience. What will the theme music be? How will Mike open the show? How many times will he slip up and say "The Mike and the Mad Dog show?" How long until some horse racing talk? When will the first handwave come? Who will be the first official caller that makes it on air for Francesa on the Fan? So many questions. Just a few hours away...

SOME SUNDAY NEWS: SIMULCAST TO MSG?

Francesca is locked in for five more years, but the rights to simulcast a man drinking lots of Diet Coke, scribbling on a newspaper, and handwaving callers is up for grabs and Bob Raissman believes MSG Network is a lock to take over this job.
Raissman also says that we are likely to see Russo on Sirius as early as the first week of September.

Francesa says YES to MSG
Friday, the day after he was named host of FAN's afternoon drive show, Francesa heaped praise on the Yankees Entertainment & Sports Network, which simulcasts the "Mike and the Mad Dog Show." He tossed many bouquets in YES' direction.
"They (YES) are staying with us for the rest of the contract," Francesa said.
Underline "rest of the contract." The YES/FAN simulcast contract ends at the end of the year.
And as soon as it does, look for Francesa to take the simulcast of his new show over to the Madison Square Garden Network.
"It's basically a done deal," a YES source said.
YES brass is already contemplating what it will do to fill the afternoon hours. Maybe they can pick up ESPN-1050's "The Michael Kay Show." Those who run YES are very familiar with Mr. Kay, right?

Doggie's now Sirius
After FAN announced the FranDog split, one Sirius XM wiseguy was cackling how "out in the open" the process of bringing Russo into the satellite world was.
"There's no cafeteria here (in Sirius' Manhattan studio)," the mole reported. "So I see Russo up here and figure he wasn't around to dust off Howard Stern's microphone - he was cutting a deal."
Word is Sirius XM CEO Mel Karmazin also invited Doggie to his Manhattan apartment for a private pow-wow where he made his intentions known. Karmazin (no doubt dangling dollar signs) swept Dog off his paws.
Russo likely will make his Sirius XM debut the first week of September (Sept. 4, maybe?) and may even get his own channel, which could mean 24 hours of Russo. Oh, joy!
By the way, wouldn't it be a trip if the Yankees miss the playoffs and Doggie is stuck explaining the significance to Beauregard from Biloxi?

MIKE AND THE MAD DOG BREAKUP: THE MOURNING AFTER

While you were sleeping in a bed of tears, a few New York writers were not necessarily feeling your pain. Phil Mushnick found the whole final show just another chance for Francesca to flaunt his healthy ego.

http://www.nypost.com/seven/08162008/sports/sportsshorts/dog_gone__mike_a_real_blowhard_124716.htm

The Post is also declaring that this was all about the benjamins and that Russo's ego could not deal with being paid less than Mike. Interesting because this follows what Neil Best said in our exclusive interview, that WFAN viewed Francesca as the more valuable property. Sirius waved the money and perhaps the all important "respect" card and got their man.

http://www.nypost.com/seven/08162008/news/regionalnews/mad_dog_rabid_for__124686.htm

Neil Best has a summary of Friday's finale:
http://www.newsday.com/sports/ny-spbest0816,0,1825479.story

The Daily News has very little interesting to add: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/more_sports/2008/08/15/2008-08-15_mad_dog_chris_russo_bawls_on_goodbye_cal-1.html

Not on my watch

Jo once asked Lt. Sam Weinberg, 'Why do you hate them so much?' Weinberg responded in kind, 'Why do you like them so much?' Well, this sort of sums up the conundrum which is Mike and the Mad Dog. Anywho, the point is love 'em or hate 'em, we remain dedicated to them. I don't care if one is digging ditches(not that there is anything wrong with that) and the other is selling his ass outside Hogs and Heifers.

We want to be clear. Crystal clear that the beat goes on with us here at Mike and the Mad Blog. We will cover Mike as a solo artist and we will track Chris and potentially purchase a subscription to Sirius if necessary.

One thing is for certain we will NOT be changing the name of this blog. We like it. And would any of you go to a site called Francesca on the Fan Blog? Neither would we.

So read away, we got you covered.

OUR EXCLUSIVE WITH NEIL BEST, THE MAN WHO BROKE THE STORY

Neil Best was the first to break the story of the breakup of Mike and Chris and he weathered all the doubters, inlcuding me and was proven right. He has been nice enough to not hold our doubts of him against us and responded to our questions. His comments on how WFAN sees Mike and Chris in terms of their value to the station are very interesting. Also pay attention to his prediction on what will happen to Chris.

What were the reactions of mike and chris when you first called them several months ago?

NEIL BEST: They were not thrilled, since Mike was on vacation, Chris was at the pool with his kids and Mark was at his stepson's wedding. I still feel bad about all that. Chris seemed particularly shocked, but he in fairness he was trying to keep one of his kids from drowning at the time!

MMB: Throughout the past several months you had posted thoughts that either mike or chris would leave. Why in the end do you think chris left?

NEIL BEST: Mike never wanted to leave, apparently. I guess Chris saw that if he wanted to strike out on his own, his best bet was to be the one to leave, and it helped that Sirius was offering him huge money.

MMB: How much are we to believe of russo talking about 'the new challenge' as his reason to leave?

NEIL BEST: I think that is a big part of it, but I think part of the challenge also is being able to shape his own show away from Mike.

MMB: Mike and chris seem to be downplaying their relationship issues as the reason for the split, what are your thoughts on this?

NEIL BEST: I do not think they hate each other. I do think professionally they had grown tired of each other and were ready to move on separately.

MMB: From our perspective it looks like chris may have lost out on a power play with chernoff and mike. Thoughts?

NEIL BEST: I do think the station views Mike as the more indispensable of the two guys, so in that sense this illustrates Mike's power. But I would not call it a "power play." Chris was ready to leave.

MMB: Any early news about the new show with mike?

NEIL BEST: Not really. Other than what Mike has said. He won't go it alone, but he won't have an official "partner." He'll have a supporting cast.

MMB: What do you think happens to russo if he does go to sirius?

NEIL BEST: He will make a lot of money, do some interesting radio, and for most of us will fade into relative obscurity.

MMB: In the end what is the legacy of the mike and the mad dog radio show?

NEIL BEST: They pioneered the sports talk partnership model, the radio row concept at the Super Bowl and numerous other aspects of the business. They had a lot of influence over New York fans and even teams. And they played a big part in many people's lives for many years.

MMB: Any final "I told you so" comments for bloggers like us who doubted you?

NEIL BEST: No.

GETTING OVER THE BREAKUP OF MIKE AND CHRIS

Anyone listening or reading this blog and others out there today can see that there is a lot of heartbreak over the breakup of Mike and Chris. I did a little web search and here are some little aids to help you make it through this difficult time.

STEPS:
what happened, and ask yourself why. You have to make it clear to yourself that this may not be entirely your fault - or not your fault at all. : YES, EVERYONE IT IS, I REPEAT NOT YOUR FAULT THAT CHRIS IS LEAVING FOR SIRIUS FOR MILLIONS OF DOLLARS! IT IS NOT YOUR FAULT!!!!

Accept your pain. Have your good long cries if you feel like it. CHRIS HAS CRIED, TONY HAS CRIED, ROE AND JEANNIE HAVE BEEN CRYING... CRY AWAY

Keep your distance. Even if you and your ex have decided to stay friends, take a complete break from each other immediately after the breakup. That means no seeing each other, no phone calls. NO PHONE CALLS. THIS MEANS YOU FIRST TIME LONG TIME. THE ONLY WAY YOU WILL GET OVER CHRIS LEAVING IS IF YOU... PUT THAT PHONE DOWN

Think through everything thoroughly, but not obsessively. Go ahead and mull it over, as many times as necessary, within reason. Consider all the reasons you two broke up. Understand that you enjoyed one another for a while, but even though everything seemed okay to you, if the relationship was not what your partner wanted for life, it would have ended eventually, no matter what. In this case, better sooner than later: I THINK THAT THIS WILL BE HELPFUL FOR OUR PAL FIRST TIME LONG TIME

Deal with the hate phase. This is where you want to just scream because you are so angry, even furious: THIS I BELIEVE MEANS YELLING AT FRANCESCA.

Write all your feelings down.: BLOG IT OUT

A LOOK BACK: My Guest Spot with Chris Russo

With Russo gone at WFAN, we felt it would be a nice tribute to Dog to look back on my call with him that helped put our blog on the map...This call took place back in June....Dog, thanks for taking the time....

I just spent close to 5 minutes with Chris debating Johan Santana and Tim Lincecum. I made my point to Dog that he was incorrect in talking about how Lincecum has gone deeper in games than Santana. After a lengthy debate, Dog caved in and admitted I was right and he was wrong. He also then allowed me to get in a plug for this blog. I felt like if I stayed on the phone any longer, Chris was going to invite me over for dinner. I am currently negotiating to see if I can take over Jon Heyman's weekly spot. Seriously though, for any new people finding us today because of that shout out, we hope you enjoy this blog. Take a look around at some of the older posts we have written. Feel free to comment. Enjoy.

UPDATE: BELOW IS A LINK TO MY CALL WITH CHRIS TODAY:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0DxFJT7TbY

Coke or Pepsi?

Always the topic of heated debate. Both offer a similar product, but people are very particular about which one they prefer. Well, the same can be said about Mike Francesa and Chris Russo. As Jim Calhoun calls in to stroke Mike and Chris' ego, and Governor Patterson waits in the wings, we ask the question: Did the better host remain at WFAN? What do you think? Who would you have preferred to remain in Astoria? What's your preference - coke or pepsi?

We Turn This Hour Over to You

We've been posting like crazy this afternoon. But it's time for us to turn things over to you, the fan of the Mike and the Mad Blog.
You can come on and talk about whatever you want. We do owe it all to you. 3 months and as much as you think we impacted your life, you impacted ours more. So give us your thoughts on how the last 24 hours have played out.

FRANCESA COMPARISON OF THE DAY

Mike just compared the success he and Chris had together and trying to replicate that going forward separately to Joe Torre's situation:

"Are we going to have as much success (on our own), I don't know. That will be hard. I mean we had a tremendous amount of success as Mike and the Mad Dog. I don't know if you get two of those in a lifetime..that's like winning 5 championships, that's like asking Joe Torre to go to the Yankees and then go win 4-5 Championships with the Dodgers. It's probably not going to happen. Joe's great successes were going to be with the Yankees. There's nothing wrong with that. It doesn't mean he's not going to have fun with the Dodgers."

SURPRISE CALLERS: WHOSE NEXT ON THE TRIBUTE LINE?

So far we have had Chris Russo and Tony Russo, Timmy Russo is on hold..

Who will we hear from next:

Ed Coleman
Howie Rose
Bruce Springsteen
Don Imus
Roe
Jeannie
Jeffrey Lyons
Minko (only way he can be heard)
Chazz Palmieteri
Yoko Ono
The author of the James Garfield book wanting to know how he will get any press

Who else?

What We Have Learned So Far

Literacy in the New York area has gone up during Mike and the Mad Dog's 19 years. Mike and the Mad Dog saved lives. Chris deceived all of us with his deceitful ways. Mike’s new partner will constantly be reminded of Chris. Imus is a heartless prick who took charities away from Mike and Chris. Tony has a special ‘Santa Fe’ line. The russo’s are criers. Mike pretends to be one. Callers love to kiss their asses. Lawrence Tynes will not kick in the Giants exhibition game. Chris won his golf flight the other day even after he whiffed one shot. Mike and Chris 'know' each other better than their respective wives do(potential hint of a secret affair 19 years ago?).

OVER/UNDER: WHEN WILL MIKE CRY?

So far we have had:

Chris Russo crying
Tony Russo crying and asking Mike if it's ok if he called him again.

What we are waiting for is tears from Mike. When will we see them? Time to play over under.

Mike crying will happen at Over/Under 330pm

I am taking the Under at around 2:45

We will also take the Over/Under on Minko crying...

We will set this at Over/Under 630pm (alone in his car, with Mandy by Barry Manilow playing at full blast)

DOG IN TEARS

This is pretty powerful stuff...here's a snippet of it:

TONY RUSSO IN TEARS

This show is insane today. Who is next - Timmy?

The Next Handwave

Mike said this a short while ago talking about the fans:

"You can come on and talk about whatever you want. We do owe it all to you. 19 years and as much as you think we impacted your life, you impacted ours more."

So, how long will it take Mike to give his first handwave to a caller? Will he give callers a grace period for a few days? 10 seconds instead of the customary 5?

MIKE AND CHRIS BREAKUP = BREAK UP OF THE BEATTLES

Mike Francesca just said that their breakup was referred to as being like the breakup of the Beattles and that he was John Lennon and Russo was Ringo.

That sounds about right. Right?

DOG COMING UP

Lt. Weinberg called it. Mike opened the show talking about how much the show has meant to him and that he would take calls all day answering any questions people have. He also just revealed that Dog will be on with him right after the break...Stay tuned. We will post video clips later.

THEME MUSIC THE SAME!

someone forgot to change it...mike pays tribute using Russo's signature open...nice touch..

MIKE AND THE MAD DOG: MIKE EXPLAINS THE BREAKUP

The guy on the Sports Sprint on YES even seemed stunned, fumbling Mike’s name when saying “Mike Francesca is up next…” (excuse the typos below.. )

Here we go… And WE HAVE THE THEME SONG!!! But to a scenic of the empire state building.

OH PULL ON THE EMOTIONS… RUSSO’S VOICE RECORDED..

You know for 19 years, a week short, that is how we welcomed new York to this program, every day and most days. That was the sound that beckoned everyone to the start of the Mike and the Mad Dog radio program. As you learned last night that the Mike and the Mad Dog raido program will be no more as dog has decided to move on. The response has been to me overwhelming. We started this show on September 5th 1989.. It was a shotgun wedding and almost a quickie divorce, we did not get along in the beginning. The show was considered to be a collassal misjudgement early. But by 9 months in we were the toast of the town. Fortunately for Dog and myself it remained that. It has remained the show that has been at the top of th e ratings because of you. Iknow for many of you and for me and for Dog, this is a very sad occasion. What makes radio so special it allows you into people’s lives in a very personal way. They feel your anger they get angry with you. They feel your pain when something go wrong in your life. They are jubilant when something good happen. In 19 years we have expeirrneced a lot here. Not only our fights which seem to get accentuated. But remember, five or six nasty squabbles in 19 years is not that many. We have gone through marriages, we have gone through the birth of 7 children, the passing of loved ones. We have gone through some very memorable days with you with us all the while. And thankfully we were able to be here all those years and become the fabric, part of the fabric of this great city and part of the foundation. Someone who called me said that you and dog became the sports soundtrack of everyone lives during 19 years. That mike and the mad dog became a must listen was always appreciated and never taken for granted and a part of our lives forever. Anything else that happens in our lives, I am 54 years and just agreed to stay here five more years, and after a quick vacation, I will put together a new show that will have new elements. I have said that I will never have another partner and I won’t. That’s not the idea. The idea is for me to have some folks along that can offer some opinions, have some fun, offer some different perspectives and personality. And I am looking forward to it. We haven’t talked to anyone, we haven’t even discussed it. We have not even talked to anyone and we are in no rush. We will put together a name, some jingles, some people to join us on the program as we go along.

First I want to tell you that I know what you are feeling because I feel it to. This show has been a major part of my life, my heart for 19 years. So many of the days have been so special. Don’t think for a second that dog and I have been fortunate to hit everything in new York to be a part of this and to have the lasting effect that it has had for 19 years. We were number 1 within nine months when we came on and we were number 1 this winter and this spring. The most important part is when you have someone tell you that I grew up with your show, I learned about sports listening to your show, I was home sick, from a job, listening to your show, you have been a part of my day every day for 20 years. And a guy who said that I lost my job and didn’t feel good about myself but at least I have you guys to be there for m e so that I could look forward to it. And frankly that is what the show has given me for 20 years , something to look forward to. It has been a pleasure doing it and honor doing it and something that we never took for granted. I know that sometimes we may have seem like we did and we were wrong. But don’t think for a second that we haven’t understood and respected and loved the relationship we had with the audience. The idea that this city would allow us to have a show that lasted this long. Everyone talks about 19 years. 19 years is a long time to be a part of a team. It’s not always easy to be a part of a team. There were times when I was not a good partner, many times. And I am sure that Dog felt the same way. But don’t think for a second that we haven’t loved every minute of this. And I heard the folks this morning talking about what happened and.. it’s a silly show and I understand that it has become a part of people’s lives and that is the greatest part that anyone can give us that we have become a part of the soundtrack of the city, of something that became must listening

Why did it happen, our relationship might be part of it, opportunities, our contracts were coming to an end, the stations has gone thru a lot of upheaval.. A lot of opportunities presented to both of us… I really wanted to stay. I want to finish. I want to finish my career here. I wanted to hopefully begin and end this career at this one station. It’s very important to me. Dog decided to take a different avenue. We have had our up and downs and had a hard time these last sixth months, but you know what we have lawyas been able to work together. And this afternoon I am going to open up the phone lines and answer any question you have and you can call and talk about the program, ask any question you want I will answer as honest as I can. When I came on that day at Yankee Stadium, I said the show was at the crossroads and I thought it was. When dog addressed the audience originally he did not know what is going to happen.

(some stuff here about the stations)

The way that I look at it is this. I could not be prouder of anything than of the work that we have put forth here the last 19 years. Mike and the Mad Dog probably happens to you once in a life time and happens to very few people onece in a life time. It is a very special gift and has been a very special gift. I will move forward from here…

Take the time after labor day and put together a new show. I know that I have been left the best piece of sports real estate in this town. Dog made it that way. I made it that way. If I would left with dog, whoever would have taken over would have wlaked into a situation and received the same piece of real estate. With it comes pressure to live up to what we created with Mike and the Mad Dog. Dog will go on, he will make some announcements with his future. He is not retiring he has some kids to put through school. He has a lot of country clubs to join, a lot of tennis balls to hit.

I think that you will get a chance to ask hi why he made the decision that he did. I will not answer his questions because that’s not fair. I will take all your calls today. Nothing is out of bounds.

First we are going ot take a quick break and then we are because I thought it was important and might have over stepped our ground with a corporation.. when we come back Dog will be with us!!!!

10 MINUTES AWAY FROM THE MOST ANTICIPATED OPEN OF ALL TIME

We are 10 minutes away from Mike putting the final punctuation on the Mike and the Mad Dog era.

Mike will attempt to claim that it wasn't about the relationship. Mike will call it a sad day, an end of an era. A day when we cannot possibly talk about the Tampa Bay Rays being 9 games up on the Yankees.

I have no inside info on this but just a gut feeling that Chris will call in. I think that they have to realize that Russo not saying goodbye is an issue for the fans. I think you will hear Chris on the show today. And if you do, please refer to me as a prognosticating genius for all things Mike and the Mad Dog.

Lock the radio dials in, set the Tivo to record... We are 10 minutes away...

MIKE AND THE MAD DOG KICK THE BUCKET LIST

The show has kicked the bucket and to our disappointment we were able to cross off very little from our original Mike and the Mad Dog Bucket List. Boy do I wish they would've hugged. Just once. Just a loving embrace that said everything and nothing at the same time.

But to follow up the memorial for Russo's terminology we pay tribute to the other elements of the duo with...

THE MIKE AND THE MAD DOG KICK THE BUCKET LIST: WHAT WE WILL NEVER SEE AGAIN FROM MIKE AND THE MAD DOG

- "Nothing can get by them, turn them on and try em, it's Mike and the Mad Dog on the Fan." (at what time last night did Chernoff scream out.. "Get those people into a studio we have to record a new song. I don't care what you call the show, just get his name out of it!!!)

- Good afternoon Mikey and how are you today?

- The YES SPLIT SCREEN: Does a camera man get fired now that Russo is no longer there? Do they do a split screen today of just the empty chair with a single rose on it?

- The YES commercials for the show

- THE HUGE RUSSO PICTURE IN THE STUDIOS AT WFAN: Does this get replaced with a variety of Mike Francesca action shots? Mike with Diet Coke, Mike on horseback? Mike looking at Mike. Or perhaps it's a group photo of the update guys? That would be swell, give Minko something please!

- Russo as Mike's wingman, covering for him during his long strolls around the WFAN compound during commercial breaks. Does he go to the bathroom? Does he get caught up in a conversation with Mr Met about last nights Desperate Housewives? What goes on there?

- RATINGS: Will Mike just test himself? Kind of the way that you would cover up an answer when you were studying for a test in high school? Will there be a voice of God that will just ask him... "Sunday 4pm, Giants Lions, local and then national." Could they get Regis to do this and make it a game show with Mike as the only contestant?

- The Tony Russo guest spot: Does this mean that Tony will just call Chris at home? Do you think they only talked on the air? What happens to the father son relationship if Tony called in to Mike?

- Mocking John Sterling calls: Mike can laugh alone, but there is nothing better than their shared amusement over the bombasity that is John Sterling

- Over/Under: By the way, the Over/Under on Mike and Chris being a duo together is Under 20 years. The Over/Under on Russo being unemployed, is 20 days. The Over/Under for Francesca to claim the show is better solo, 3 hours.

- The Done Report: Today's Done Report is brought to you by Sirius Radio. Mike and the Mad Dog are officially done.

- Fights about: Don Nelson being a Hall of Famer, Manny vs Youk, the bathrooms at Yankee Stadium, horse racing, sitting in the same studio together, who should get paid more, changing the name of the show to Mad Dog and the guy that sometimes isn't on vacation.

- The worst play by play team ever during the NCAA tournament

- THE MARQUIS: Does Mike now get Minko to wear the costume? Did Russo get this in the divorce? Was he told to never return and leave the wig behind?

- Uncomfortably close seating at remotes.

- FINALLY...

THE MIKE AND THE MAD DOG RADIO PROGRAM HAS KICKED THE BUCKET

RIP: Pipe Down

Chris Russo's Terminology, 19 years (1989-2008):

Former talk show host Chris Russo's terminology passed away yesterday at approximately 6:43PM. A funeral service will be held at WFAN studios in Astoria. Among the phrases to be buried will be:

- Anddd Goood Afternooon Everybodyyyyy!
- Pipe down
- Is anybody alive out there
- This idea
- Terrible job
- Stinks
- Be Careful
- Be Fair
- Tough spot
- Tricky spot
- Loosey Goosey
- Timmy
- I can't go too crazy
- Bad job
- The whole bit
- Scenario
- Lincecum
- Fanny
- The world of sports
- Away we go
- Say Something Funny

Eulogy to be performed by John Minko.

WWCJS (What Would Colonel Jessep Say)

With Russo bolting WFAN, we turn to A Few Good Men for guidance:

MIKEANDTHEMADBLOG:
You really gotta hand it to those WFAN Execs, boy. It's not like Russo hanged himself by his shoelaces or slashed his wrists with a concealed butter knife. This guy got into full tennis uniform, stood in the middle of Chernoff’s room, drew a nickle plated pen from his holster, and fired a bullet of a signature onto his contract... Anyway, since we seem to be out of a talk show, I thought I'd drink a little.

EDDIE ERICKSON:
I still think we can win with Francesa.

MIKEANDTHEMADBLOG:
Then maybe you should drink a little.

MIKE AND THE MAD DOG: THE FULL COVERAGE

If you are among our loyal readers or just finding this site for the first time due to the news that Chris Russo is leaving WFAN, we want you to know that we have the full story from all sides. (Newsday, NY Times, Daily News and NY Post) The links are below and on the right side of the page.

We've been posting since news broke and you can find links to the various newspaper reports with quotes from Mike and Chris along with our takes on what happened, where we go from here and what we will never hear again now that Mad Dog has run away.

We want to be clear. Crystal clear that the beat goes on with us here at Mike and the Mad Blog. We will cover Mike as a solo artist and we will track Chris and potentially purchase a subscription to Sirius if necessary.

One thing is for certain we will NOT be changing the name of this blog. We like it. And would any of you go to a site called Francesca on the Fan Blog? Neither would we.

So read away, we got you covered.

NEIL BEST UPDATE WITH RUSSO AND FRANCESCA QUOTES

And the quotes just keep on coming. Neil Best though has some of the best ones we've seen tonight.

Check out the link but here are some highlights

http://www.newsday.com/sports/ny-sprusso0815,0,4065290.story

- Russo had hoped to do a farewell show, but WFAN opted to part ways immediately after releasing him from a contract that would have run through next spring.The announcement was made after Francesa left the air Thursday, but he said he will answer all questions about it on Friday's show.

"It's kind of a sad day," Russo said Thursday night. "It's a very strange day in my life."Said Francesa: "I think it has to sink in. It'll be very different when I finally get back in the fall."

Operations manager Mark Chernoff said all parties agreed "the show has kind of run its course." But Russo said that was true only to a point.He said he could have carried on but was motivated to explore other opportunities."Basically, I'm looking for a different challenge in my life," Russo said. "I'm 48 years of age. This might be the last chance I'm going to get for a challenge if I want to take it."Russo swore on his children's lives that he has no firm agreement or contract, but industry sources say he is likely to land at Sirius Satellite Radio for a lucrative deal worth up to $15 million over five years."I have four or five options," he said. "Sirius would be one of them ... Obviously, I'm not stupid. I'm not going to leave FAN unless I have something relatively secure."

- Because there will be no farewell show, their final joint appearance was an Aug. 5 remote at Giants camp in Albany. Other than that day, they had not spoken for weeks until Wednesday."I told him if I don't re-sign [with WFAN], it has nothing to do with him and I," Russo said.Francesa said the two agreed to talk again when Russo cleans out his office next week.The hosts' relationship has been strained in recent months, and at least to some extent, they apparently were ready to move on from each other as well as the show."I think the relationship was part of this," Francesa said, "but I think in the end this was probably more of a different .vision about what the future may hold."

PHIL MUSHNICK, WELCOME TO THE CHRIS RUSSO FAREWELL PARTY

It took him a while but Phil Mushnick of the New York Post has finally chimed in with his words on the Russo exodus. Chris, don't let Mushnick's jabs hit you on the way out

http://www.nypost.com/seven/08142008/sports/good_or_bad__mike__dog_made_history_124474.htm

NEW RUSSO QUOTES IN THE DAILY NEWS

Here are some updated quotes from Russo in the Daily News. Russo can go to Sirius and they are reporting that he has an offer, but he cannot go to ESPN Radio.

Russo likely will become the marquee sports talkie at Sirius XM Radio, the nation's only satellite radio provider. Sources said Russo has been offered a multiyear deal worth anywhere from $2.5 million to $3million per year.
"I don't have any signed agreement with anybody else, but I'm not stupid," Russo said in a telephone interview with the Daily News on Thursday night. "I know there is something I think I can get. I do have four little children to feed."
WFAN operations director Mark Chernoff said Russo would not make a final appearance on the station.
Russo said that was just part of the radio business.
"That's it. No goodbye shows, no final shows, no nothing," Russo said.
Russo said his departure has "absolutely nothing to do" with his relationship with Francesa. "That stuff is overblown," Russo said. "We had many more good days than bad ones."
In order to get to this point, WFAN, which is owned by CBS Radio, had to release Russo from a contract that runs until next spring. While Russo will be permitted to take a satellite radio gig, he would not be, according to the release, allowed to work for ESPN-1050, WFAN's only local sports-talk competitor.
Chernoff said Russo did not want to commit to a multiyear contract. Russo confirmed that assertion.
"I think WFAN realized I was lukewarm about making a long-term commitment to them," Russo said. "They knew getting me to sign would be dicey. I guess they didn't want a lame duck working with Mike."

RUSSO IN NY TIMES: "“The idea that we hate each other and I had to get out, trust me, that’s not true,"

Radio Alert: It’s Now Mike Minus Mad Dog
By RICHARD SANDOMIR
Published: August 14, 2008
Martin and Lewis broke up, and so did the Beatles.
And on Thursday, WFAN’s “Mike and the Mad Dog” became just Mike, when Chris Russo left the station abruptly, ending a nearly 19-year partnership with Mike Francesa that had made them perhaps the most formidable duo in sports-talk radio.
Russo’s divorce from the station came in the early evening, leading WFAN to swiftly name Francesa the sole host of the popular afternoon drive-time show, starting immediately. For now, it will be called “Francesa on the FAN.”
Russo’s departure marks the second time in little more than a year that one of the station’s stars has left: Don Imus’s long-running show was canceled by CBS, which owns WFAN, after he made racially insensitive remarks about the Rutgers women’s basketball team in April 2007.
Russo and Francesa have had an occasionally fractious personal relationship, but Russo insisted that his decision to leave had nothing to do with the friction.
“The idea that we hate each other and I had to get out, trust me, that’s not true,” Russo said. “I’m 48 years old. It’s time for a change, and I’m looking for a new challenge.”
He said he had no other jobs waiting for him.
He and Francesa have had rocky moments as a team. Russo said the most recent one lasted from late February to mid-May until station management asked them “to get along better because we’re important to the fabric of the station.” Francesa called the recent period “our first prolonged stretch of ugliness in about eight years.”
There had been speculation that either Russo or Francesa might not work through the end of his current contract. Russo and his agent, Sandy Montag, had been negotiating a possible extension beyond the March expiration of his contract.
But Russo was unwilling to commit to five more years and WFAN officials needed to plan for the post-Labor Day period, when the football season starts and the baseball pennant races and postseason heat up.
“We mutually agreed today that if he were going to leave, now would be the time to do it, from both parties’ standpoints,” Montag said.
Russo’s sudden departure means that he will not have a farewell show. He had been on vacation this week, but admitted he would have liked to say goodbye to his listeners.
“I’ve learned this,” Francesa said. “You only get a goodbye show when you retire. No company gives you a goodbye show unless you’re no longer going to be a competitor. And we all know that Dog will work again.”
Both men know that some listeners and critics have noted that they were better as a team. Each faces a future in which his efforts will be compared with the partnership.
Francesa will surround himself with other personalities, but his plans are evolving.
“I don’t think anyone wants to hear one voice for five and a half hours,” he said.
Russo said: “I’m not sure I’ll take another partner on, but before Mike, I was solo. I can do a talk show. Solo, partner, anything I’m on, I’ll do a good talk show.”

Great Duos

Well, it had to happen, didn't it. All great duos eventually break up. Martin and Lewis, Simon and Simon, Captain and Tennille, Fire and Ice(Monroe and Corchiani, duh), you name it, they have all gone their separate ways. Where do we rank Mike Francesa and Chris Russo? Well, that's a personal question for all of us to contemplate. But, I'm going to state my favorite duos of all time for the record:

1) Mike and the Mad Dog
2) Harold and Kumar
3) Maverick and Goose(may he rest in peace)
4) Hall and Oates
5) Taggart and Rosewood

NEIL BEST WINS ONE FOR OLD FASHIONED JOURNALISM

As someone who certainly was a non believer in Neil Best and his stories about the breakup of Mike and Chris, I congratulate him on having the story right from the beginning and breaking the final piece of it tonight. Gotta give credit where credit is due.

Neil Best, great job out of you.

TOMORROW'S OPEN

What will the theme be? Do you think they leave it the same one last time as a nod to Russo? Are they working furiously tonight on a new theme? Will they go no theme? What will we hear tomorrow at 1:04PM?

RUSSO QUOTE THAT SAYS IT ALL

From Neil Best recap of Mike and the Mad Dog there is this quote from Russo:

Said Russo Thursday night: "I loved that show."

http://www.newsday.com/sports/ny-spmmd0815,0,2127797.story

THE SHIT HITS WFAN: NO MORE RUSSO MEANS NO MORE...

(i can't get enough of the SHIT HITS THE WFAN. i find it incredibly clever)

Russo leaving WFAN puts the end to:

1. They're talking sports going at it as hard as they can... It's Mike and the ....
2. AAAAAAAANNNNND GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYBODY
3. The FUCKING STINKS LIST
4. Timmy (he's not dead or anything but we don't get to hear about him or..)
5. Timmy's hamster
6. Bad job
7. Great job
8. Terrible job
9. Pipe down
10. Watching a grown man chew on a headphone wire for five hours
11. IS ANYBODY ALIVE OUT THERE?
12. The Marquis (i kind of hated the marquis)

What else will we never hear on WFAN between 1-630 again?

THE SHIT HITS THE WFAN: QUICK ANALYSIS

Here is what we know:

1. Russo is out
2. Mike signed a new deal
3. RUSSO WILL NOT MAKE ANOTHER APPEARANCE ON WFAN

It looks to me that Russo lost in a power play. Mike and Chris were not going to work together again. There was a power play like many others that we have seen in sports and Russo lost. I believe what happened here was it became Mike and Chernoff against Chris and Chris was not going to win that battle. Russo will likely land at Sirius according all web gossip.

This one is tough because I think that majority of us on this board and other blogs agree that the better solo show is Russo. I am not happy with the idea of the Mike Francesca solo show. Given that he has a new deal, he probably has set the terms on who his partner could or would be. I wonder if there would be some kind of option where Mike would have rotating guest co-host. Phil Simms one day, Jim Nantz another, all the authors of JFK books another.

IF YOU THOUGHT MIKE'S EGO WAS BIG FIVE MINUTES AGO. WAIT TILL 1pm FRIDAY

MORE OF THE SHIT HITTING THE WFAN: CHRIS RUSSO OUT: DAILY NEWS STORY

Here is Bob Raisman on Russo leaving WFAN

WFAN announced Thursday that it has released Chris (Mad Dog) Russo from his contract.
This means the end of his 20-year partnership with Mike Francesa on the highly successful “Mike and the Mad Dog Show.”
Russo, whose contract was to run until the Fall of 2009, has been rumored to be headed to Sirius XM Radio. Sources said Russo has no signed agreement with the satellite company.
Russo will not make a final appearance on WFAN.
Renowned for his signature greeting - "AAAAAAANNNNNNDDDDD good afternoon everybody! How are you todaaaay?" - and his tirades, Russo joined WFAN in December 1988 as an overnight, weekend and fill-in host.
He caught the attention of Don Imus, who brought Russo on board the "Imus in the Morning" show as his sports reporter. By early 1989, Russo had his own regular weekend show on Saturday mornings, and when Pete Franklin's drive-time show from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. was not renewed by WFAN station management, WFAN paired up Russo with Francesa, who was a co-host on the mid-morning show.
The "Mike and the Mad Dog Show" was launched on Sept. 5, 1989.
The show mixed Francesa's hard-hitting style with Russo's outrageous, and sometimes unintelligble style, and proved to be a huge success, becoming the most influential sports talk show in the country.
Prior to joining WFAN, Russo worked for WKIS in Orlando and WMCA in New York. During his career at WKIS, when it became clear that the people of Central Florida were having trouble understanding his New York accent and peculiar elocution, the station sent him to see a speech therapist twice a week

THE SHIT HAS HIT THE WFAN: RUSSO HAS LEFT: CHERNOFF STATEMENT

Chris "Mad Dog" Russo has left WFAN
BY NEIL BEST neil.best@newsday.com
7:17 PM EDT, August 14, 2008
Two weeks shy of its 19th anniversary, the "Mike and the Mad Dog'' show is no more.WFAN announced early Thursday evening that Chris Russo is leaving the company, making Mike Francesa the sole host of the popular afternoon drive time show."Mike and Chris pioneered the genre more than 18 years ago and have shaped the sports talk format into what it is today," WFAN operations director Mark Chernoff said in a statement."As we embark on this next step in WFAN's history, we wish Chris nothing but the best and look forward to all that Mike will do in a role in which he has excelled at for years.''
Chernoff said he did not know where Russo was headed, but he is expected to land at Sirius Satellite Radio.The announcement of Russo's departure coincided with the announcement of a new contract for Francesa, whose deal was believed to be expiring around the end of the year.For now, he will be the sole host of the show, including Friday. But over time new elements might be added.Newsday first reported June 22 that the partners likely would part this summer.

THE SHIT HAS HIT THE WFAN: CHRISTOPHER RUSSO HAS LEFT WFAN

NEIL BEST IS REPORTING THAT CHRISTOPHER RUSSO HAS LEFT WFAN.

Breaking News: Chris Russo has left WFAN
Chris Russo has left WFAN. Mike Francesa to go solo for now. Details to come

http://weblogs.newsday.com/sports/watchdog/blog/

What we have learned

We have learned the CRACK committee is alive and well. We have learned Mike would like to have a thousand of Josh Beckett's babies. We have learned that although we are big in Sao Tome and Principe, some people mask their IP addresses. We have learned that Saratoga is a miserable place on a rainy day. We have learned that racing fans looooove turf races. We have learned that the Beijing Olympics is a ratings success. We have also learned that Mike is not a big believer in the bunt. We have learned that good right hand RBI men, ground into a lot of double plays like Jeter and Piazza. What we have not learned, we could write a book on.

BUD FOX SAYS DON'T GET EMOTIONAL OVER FRANCESCA BUT I CAN'T HELP IT

Bud Fox to Gordon Gekko in Wall Street: "You once told me, don't get emotional about stock. Don't!"
He also i believe told me to never get emotional over Mike Francesca but i can't help it. This Joba thing is driving me crazy. I think Mike's ego is actually offended that the Yankees disobeyed him and took Joba out of the bullpen where he believes he belongs. This is a major insult to Mike. Now perhaps Mike also knows that this is a hot button issue with callers and he likes to stir the pot, remember Mike is the one that lit the fire about the Joba fist pump issue.

Mike is completely missing the point. Joba to the starting rotation has had little effect on the fate of the Yankees this year. The Yankees have not hit and their starting rotation has not been good.

Now, I know that Mike is never one to let facts get in the way of bombast, but I decided to do a little research. Here's the evidence:

1. ESPN.com Jerry Crasnick in a recent article ranks the Yankee bullpen that does not have Joba Chamberlain in it as the third best in the American League. (http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/columns/story?columnist=crasnick_jerry&id=3520869)
2. They rank 2nd in batting average against and are tied for fourth in K/BB ratio
3. This stat is from an article on July 26th in the Newark Star Ledger: At that time the Yankees were a major league best 47-1 when leading after six innings. Another sign of post Joba success(http://www.nj.com/yankees/index.ssf/2008/07/ny_yankees_bullpen_plan_has_pa.html)

Mike, these are the facts of the case and they are undisputed. Joba is a very talented pitcher. He would probably have success either in the bullpen or the starting rotation but what this season has proven, FOR A FACT is that the New York Yankees need STARTING PITCHING. The New York Yankees have been unsuccessful in the playoffs because they have not had good STARTING PITCHING, especially in a short series.

We all have things that we disagree with. I disagree with you not having to work all summer and never being in the studio when a segment starts and not knowing the actual title to the movie the Boelyn Girl. These are things that bother me. But I went to therapy, talked it out and moved on. I suggest you do the same.

Mike, Joba is a starting pitcher, GET OVER IT.

BREAKING NEWS

Mike is still not sold on Joba as a starter:

"Now I happen to be one that still thinks that he still may turn out to be a closer...he was a dominant back of the bullpen guy and I think he had the attitude to carry that to the 9th inning. I don't think that would have been a hard transition for Joba. I think he's built that way."

WHAT MIKE SAID TODAY VS YESTERDAY

Mikey just schooled a caller on who costed the Yankees last year in the postseason. Mike blamed it on Wang but the caller mentioned blame belonging to Joba also. Mike was flabbergasted at that notion. Here's what Mike said today:

"Have a clue!! Please. It wasn't Joba Chamberlain. It was Wang..It wasn't Joba's fault. C'mon he only pitched that one game, I mean c'mon. That was one game."

HERE'S WHAT MIKE SAID YESTERDAY TO A CALLER:

"Last year they got in the postseason... and Joba, everybody's wonder boy, didn't get the job done. Blame the flies or the wiggets or whatever the heck those things were...Joba didn't get the job done!! Okay."

The Defenders

A caller just compared Cano's lack of effort to Arod and Mikey was none too happy about that comparison. Correctly so, Mike went off on the caller for accusing Arod of not playing with effort. But that got me thinking of how there are certain athletes that Mike will ALWAYS defend. Now, again, Mike was right in his defense of Arod today, but Madonna's boy-toy is one of the few that will always be defended by Mikey. Here are a few guys that come to mind:

- Arod
- Manny Ramirez
- Josh Beckett
- Johan Santana
- Chad Pennington
- Posada
- Jeter
- Pettitte
- Eli Manning

I'm having a bit of a brain freeze here...help fill out The Defenders..

Total Disconnect

We all know how little Mike actually knows about sports. But it is shocking to hear him talk about the Olympics. Not that he doesn't care, but how out of touch he is. Mike started around 1:38 talking about the huge ratings that the Olympics are doing. 17 for the diving, cycling and beach volleyball last night. Then he had Minko and whoever that is in the booth(Licata?) fill him in on the Olympics. TV expert Francesa did not realize that the swimming and the Gymnastics were actually being broadcast live, 'Phelps is racing but we'll know the results already, right? No? What time is it over there?'

I think this shows two things - 1) He is totally out of touch with the human race. Not that everyone cares about the Olympics, but he doesn't care about much outside of the NFL, New York Baseball and Horse Racing. 2) He totally has one foot out the door. Before Neil Best came out with the scoop that Abbott and Costello might be breaking up, we all discussed how MMD had lost something off their fastball. Then Best wrote his article, and that seemed to be a B12 shot for the two. But that has worn off. Especially with Francesa. These days he just shrugs off the Olympics as a sideshow, even as it gets an 18 rating in New York. He lets FTLT rip into him on the show. He's gotten slightly delirious with these mancrushes that aren't even based in reality(see McLouth and Arroyo). And in the past, if the Yankees were struggling, he might be able to dazzle us with some analysis like Stick losing control in Tampa or Jeter going out too much. But what does he come up with to explain this $200 million dollar train wreck? Melky Cabrera. Yeah, that's it. That's the ticket.

Welcome World

Using our stat tracking service, we've found out that we have some international visitors. Sure we've had the frequent London visitor, Germany, Japan, Argentina, New South Wales, etc. But our map showed that we had someone from the equator. Not a country, but from the equator. It came from just due west of Gabon, just south of Nigeria. I looked on the map and Sao Tome and Principe is there. Maybe it was one of those tiny islands. Or maybe it was someone making mad money on a Nigerian oil rig, taking a little time off to find out that Francesa likes his center fielders to have blond locks and his starting pitchers to play the guitar. Either way, welcome!

The appetite for Mike and the Mad Dog criticism reaches far and wide. Who knew that Mike and the Mad Dog had such an international appeal? Let's not tell them though. It will only go to their heads.

WHAT WE HAVE LEARNED TODAY

We learned that Mike is not a fan of Robinson Cano. We learned that Robinson Cano will win a batting title some year. We learned that Joe Nathan is wonderful. We learned that the Yankees offense is not. We learned that Melky Cabrera is single-handedly the cause of the Yankees 3rd place position. We learned that both Mike and Jerry Manuel both feel the Mets are in good shape. We learned that it might be asking a lot of Ryan Church to do anything this season. We learned that Mike loves to ask Jerry questions that Manuel can easily agree with. We learned that new Islanders coach Scott Gordon has nothing to look forward to regarding the New York Islanders. We learned that Hank Steinbrenner quit on the season. We learned you never quit on a season. We learned that Hank offered the Yanks a golden parachute. We learned that it’s an insult to use the words Joba and Beckett in the same sentence. We learned that Mike has two books at his bedside, the Saratoga Springs Daily Racing Form and the Baseball Encyclopedia opened to Josh Beckett's postseason stats. We learned there’s no reason the Bombers can’t catch a Red Sox team that blew a 10 run lead, made a stupid trade in unloading Manny and made a desperate move for Paul Byrd. We have learned that Mike needs to take daily shots at Theo Epstein. We learned that the YES Network pretends Hank Steinbrenner doesn’t exist. We learned Mike tried to get him on today, to no avail. We learned Mike would trade Cano or Hughes for Granderson. What we did not learn, as of 6:30PM today, is why Yankee fans should have any hope that their team can overcome 6 games in the loss column.