And Now, A Note From Brian Powell
14 years ago
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Another's Man gain
quick update from the world of satellite...Russo started off his show gleefully. Why? Because his beloved Giants have entered the Sabathia fray. Dog was absolutely giddy. That would have been great to hear him say that sitting across from Mike, as Mike clenched his Diet Coke, stewing about the disrespect of the Yankees. But that ain't gonna happen. Instead, you read this short snippet and wipe the corners of your eyes as you remember the halcyon days.
"He doesn't know who the Yankees are!"
Apparently, Francesa's feelings have been hurt by C.C. Sabathia. The free agent pitcher has not bowed down at the feet of the great Yankees after they offered him a bunch of money. Francesa was appalled that they flew Reggie Jackson out there to court him. He's appalled at Cashman's feeble description of the negotiations.
"Get out of there. Don't act like this."
This is really not about the Yankees. This is about Mike. Mike doesn't like any challenges to things that he holds sacred. And he also doesn't like when people contradict his predictions and opinion. No doubt, Francesa thought that Sabathia would get all wet once the Yankees called. And when they didn't...
"Have a little pride, if you're Cashman. You're the Yankees! Act like it!"
What he's saying is that Sabathia has hurt his pride. And the Yankees should protect his pride by breaking negotiations off with him.
"I hope a lot that the Yankees don't get him. I don't want him. Get lost."
Now Mike might eat these words. Maybe CC will have a change of heart and sign with the Bronx Bombers. And then what will Mike do? Probably do the ole Favre turnaround. You remember when Mike and Chris complained about all the attention that Favre was getting when he was leaving the Packers? They called ESPN the Favre network. And as soon as Brett came to Broadway, Mike sidled up to him at training camp and sang his praises.
"He's made the Yankees look like fools."
Translation - He made me look like a fool.
"Get out of there. Don't act like this."
This is really not about the Yankees. This is about Mike. Mike doesn't like any challenges to things that he holds sacred. And he also doesn't like when people contradict his predictions and opinion. No doubt, Francesa thought that Sabathia would get all wet once the Yankees called. And when they didn't...
"Have a little pride, if you're Cashman. You're the Yankees! Act like it!"
What he's saying is that Sabathia has hurt his pride. And the Yankees should protect his pride by breaking negotiations off with him.
"I hope a lot that the Yankees don't get him. I don't want him. Get lost."
Now Mike might eat these words. Maybe CC will have a change of heart and sign with the Bronx Bombers. And then what will Mike do? Probably do the ole Favre turnaround. You remember when Mike and Chris complained about all the attention that Favre was getting when he was leaving the Packers? They called ESPN the Favre network. And as soon as Brett came to Broadway, Mike sidled up to him at training camp and sang his praises.
"He's made the Yankees look like fools."
Translation - He made me look like a fool.
Monday, December 8, 2008
RUSSO IS BEANO COOK
So whenever I check into Russo recently, it's like College Gameday. Who knew he was such a fan? Or maybe he isn't. But either way, he's taken to it like a drunk to free whiskey.
It does make sense though. He is talking to a national audience now. The only people in New York who care about college football are more concerned with the spread than any real passion for a school(although apparently hating Rutgers is some sort of NY/NJ metro area pastime. By the way, for all the haters from previous posts, how's that going? Seems Schiano has salvaged this season. And for the record, the only reason I care is because Ray Rice went to my neighboring high school. We don't have many athletes of note come out of 'the 914', so I must represent.)
But he has become very knowledgeable on the subject and he gets in a wide variety of guests in. So good job outta Doggie.
It does make sense though. He is talking to a national audience now. The only people in New York who care about college football are more concerned with the spread than any real passion for a school(although apparently hating Rutgers is some sort of NY/NJ metro area pastime. By the way, for all the haters from previous posts, how's that going? Seems Schiano has salvaged this season. And for the record, the only reason I care is because Ray Rice went to my neighboring high school. We don't have many athletes of note come out of 'the 914', so I must represent.)
But he has become very knowledgeable on the subject and he gets in a wide variety of guests in. So good job outta Doggie.
Mike on A-Game today(well...B+)
I'm not telling you anything new, but early December is really when Mike(even sans Russo) shines. That's because the NFL playoff scenarios are hotter than a nun's crotch on Easter Sunday. And this year, Mike has two playoff teams in town. And today, both are coming off a loss. There really is no better day than a Monday when callers phone in to gripe about play-calling, coordinators, officiating, etc. And Mike is the great ringleader. He'll look ahead to upcoming schedules, discuss permutations, calm anxiety, stoke fear, anything to keep listener's attention and at that, he excels. So for all the bashing you take on this site, big man(and we know you're reading), nice job.
To explain the B+...Well after setting the stage in the first segment about the two NY football teams, unprepared Mike finds out the results of the MLB Veteran's HOF commmittee. Joe Gordon, in. Everyone else, out. He doesn't have a lot to say on it except that he's surprised at the large margin from Gordon to the next guy. But as much as a baseball guy he is and this town is, did it really warrant a mention in the second segment? Couldn't this have waited til 3 or 4? It didn't matter. The lines were already full of people wanting to discuss pigskin.
To explain the B+...Well after setting the stage in the first segment about the two NY football teams, unprepared Mike finds out the results of the MLB Veteran's HOF commmittee. Joe Gordon, in. Everyone else, out. He doesn't have a lot to say on it except that he's surprised at the large margin from Gordon to the next guy. But as much as a baseball guy he is and this town is, did it really warrant a mention in the second segment? Couldn't this have waited til 3 or 4? It didn't matter. The lines were already full of people wanting to discuss pigskin.
Thursday, December 4, 2008
BS Open
So after opening the show saying how Antonio Pierce is going to cooperate with police and confirming that Plaxico is gone for the year, Mike mentioned the Rutgers game tonight and then dived head into previewing tomorrow night's MAC Championship. Mike is giddy about this game calling it "A fascinating game, a Friday night game, the MAC Championship game. Undefeated Ball State...they play Buffalo tomorrow night.."
Uhh, Mike, we are in New York City. Sorry for all you upstaters, but no one here gives a F_ _ _ about the Mac Championship. I don't give a shit about Nate Davis. I don't care that someone told you he is the next Tom Brady. I don't care about Ball State. It is New York F'ing City. Talk about baseball free agents for the Yanks or Mets. Talk about the Knicks. Talk about the Nets. Go a little crazy and talk Blueshirts hockey. Talk about Roe. Talk about anything but Ball F'ing State.
Uhh, Mike, we are in New York City. Sorry for all you upstaters, but no one here gives a F_ _ _ about the Mac Championship. I don't give a shit about Nate Davis. I don't care that someone told you he is the next Tom Brady. I don't care about Ball State. It is New York F'ing City. Talk about baseball free agents for the Yanks or Mets. Talk about the Knicks. Talk about the Nets. Go a little crazy and talk Blueshirts hockey. Talk about Roe. Talk about anything but Ball F'ing State.
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
MIKE'D UP REPORT CARD
It has now been about three months since the end of the Mike and the Mad Dog radio program...a few months since Francesa and Russo split and went their own ways. Since the holiday season is upon us - a season for giving - I have decided to give my Mike'd Up Report Card. Here goes:
SHOW NAME - GRADE: D
After Dog bolted from FAN studios, Mike made it clear that the Mike and the Mad Dog name would be retired. Just like the surviving members of the Grateful Dead can never tour again using that name, Francesa realized he too would have to rebrand himself. So what did he do? He reached into his NBC handbag and grabbed the name from his Sunday night show "Mike'd Up." This did not happen instantly. If you recall, there were "teams" of lawyers involved. Eventually, the big man got his way. But the problem is that Mike has consistently called the show "Mike'd Up, Francesa on the Fan." Mike, which is it? Mike'd Up or Francesa on the Fan? It can't be both. That's too long and clunky. Much like your questions to guests. But anyway, thank God the lawyers were able to come to an agreement on the use of the title "Mike'd Up." Because it has made all the difference in the world. Or not. You decide.
JINGLE - GRADE: F
After Mike embarked on his new show, much like President-Elect Obama, Francesa promised change. And that change started with a new jingle. No longer would listeners hear "They're talking sports going at it as hard as they can..." A new jingle would be gracing Mike'd Up. This was big news. This was exciting. Could this new jingle possibly rival the old one? Would I find myself humming it to my wife on Sunday afternoons? At first, Mike reported on the progress of the jingle on a daily basis. But then days turned to weeks and weeks turned to months. There were lots of excuses. The jingle company is out West, so it takes longer to get stuff from them. The company is on vacation. Okay, maybe the company is not so good. Okay, maybe we are willing to take jingles that callers create at home. But not some crap that you record on your I-phone. These need to be professionally recorded. Then there were days where Mike would play a few contenders on the air. They were awful, but he seemed to like one or two. Then the jingle talk died, just as quickly as the Jets hopes of a Francesa-guaranteed 2 seed in the AFC. So here we are. No new jingle.
CO-HOSTS - Grade: F
With the new show Mike'd Up, Francesa promised that there would be some new blood in the studio with him. While he initially said he would never again have a co-host, he did say he would put together a few sort of revolving regular guests. He even opened the process up to the Fans, holding auditions at the debacle of a show that was known as the Bar A Disaster. Mike tried out several different people that summer day. They were mostly terrible. Mike's experiment failed miserably. So what did Mike do next? He just pretended that the Bar A auditions never happened. He never spoke of them again. Instead, he moved on to bigger targets. At least, that's what he hinted at for weeks and then months. There were BIG discussions going on. These were COMPLICATED folks. Just give us some time. It takes time to work these things out. We gave you time Mike. And instead of rewarding us, you tortured us with shows featuring Kim Jones, Chris Carlin, Evan Roberts, Joe Benigno and any other Daily News or Post writer you could assemble. This was not what you promised. This was not revolutionary. Now, almost three months later, you told us yesterday that were will be 2 weeks of Legends shows coming up, where legendary New York sports figures will be co-hosting with you. Mike, that's a nice gimmick, but it doesn't solve the issue that you cannot exist doing this show solo. You need another voice in that studio with you on a daily basis. Not for 2 weeks. And not another WFAN staffer. You promised fresh blood. You promised something new. You have not come through in a big spot.
HANDWAVE - Grade: A
Despite every aspect of his show falling to pieces, the one staple that has remained and appears stronger than ever is Mike's dismissive handwave to dump a caller from the line. It's almost as if, in a post Dog world, that this handwave has become more ferocious than it ever was. It's even got to the point where Mike has discussed the handwave on air with a caller. The handwave, in many ways has become the last line of defense for Francesa.
HOST/OVERALL SHOW GRADE: D -
Since Dog went packing to Satellite radio, Mike Francesa has promised a lot. A new jingle. A new format. A new set of co-hosts. A completely new show - one that would make loyal listeners forget one Christopher "Mad Dog" Russo. He has delivered on none of these promises. Instead, he has bemoaned the lack of positive media coverage he received after the break-up, continued to come to work unprepared, launched a war with one of his old-time callers Mike from Montclair, and bored the rest of the audience to death on a daily basis. Perhaps the most alarming aspect of this post Mike and the Mad Dog world is that Francesa seems somewhat oblivious to all of this. He continues to exist in his cocoon of arrogance. He talks and boasts of number 1 ranked shows. He continues to fancy himself as the one and only authoritative voice on sports. He still considers himself the General Manager/Coach of all New York sports teams. To quote my good friend, Colonel Nathan Jessep "You can't handle the truth!" There is no getting around this - Mike'd Up, Francesa on the Fan has failed miserably in its first term. Hell, if it wasn't for the handwave, I would have given the show an "F."
SHOW NAME - GRADE: D
After Dog bolted from FAN studios, Mike made it clear that the Mike and the Mad Dog name would be retired. Just like the surviving members of the Grateful Dead can never tour again using that name, Francesa realized he too would have to rebrand himself. So what did he do? He reached into his NBC handbag and grabbed the name from his Sunday night show "Mike'd Up." This did not happen instantly. If you recall, there were "teams" of lawyers involved. Eventually, the big man got his way. But the problem is that Mike has consistently called the show "Mike'd Up, Francesa on the Fan." Mike, which is it? Mike'd Up or Francesa on the Fan? It can't be both. That's too long and clunky. Much like your questions to guests. But anyway, thank God the lawyers were able to come to an agreement on the use of the title "Mike'd Up." Because it has made all the difference in the world. Or not. You decide.
JINGLE - GRADE: F
After Mike embarked on his new show, much like President-Elect Obama, Francesa promised change. And that change started with a new jingle. No longer would listeners hear "They're talking sports going at it as hard as they can..." A new jingle would be gracing Mike'd Up. This was big news. This was exciting. Could this new jingle possibly rival the old one? Would I find myself humming it to my wife on Sunday afternoons? At first, Mike reported on the progress of the jingle on a daily basis. But then days turned to weeks and weeks turned to months. There were lots of excuses. The jingle company is out West, so it takes longer to get stuff from them. The company is on vacation. Okay, maybe the company is not so good. Okay, maybe we are willing to take jingles that callers create at home. But not some crap that you record on your I-phone. These need to be professionally recorded. Then there were days where Mike would play a few contenders on the air. They were awful, but he seemed to like one or two. Then the jingle talk died, just as quickly as the Jets hopes of a Francesa-guaranteed 2 seed in the AFC. So here we are. No new jingle.
CO-HOSTS - Grade: F
With the new show Mike'd Up, Francesa promised that there would be some new blood in the studio with him. While he initially said he would never again have a co-host, he did say he would put together a few sort of revolving regular guests. He even opened the process up to the Fans, holding auditions at the debacle of a show that was known as the Bar A Disaster. Mike tried out several different people that summer day. They were mostly terrible. Mike's experiment failed miserably. So what did Mike do next? He just pretended that the Bar A auditions never happened. He never spoke of them again. Instead, he moved on to bigger targets. At least, that's what he hinted at for weeks and then months. There were BIG discussions going on. These were COMPLICATED folks. Just give us some time. It takes time to work these things out. We gave you time Mike. And instead of rewarding us, you tortured us with shows featuring Kim Jones, Chris Carlin, Evan Roberts, Joe Benigno and any other Daily News or Post writer you could assemble. This was not what you promised. This was not revolutionary. Now, almost three months later, you told us yesterday that were will be 2 weeks of Legends shows coming up, where legendary New York sports figures will be co-hosting with you. Mike, that's a nice gimmick, but it doesn't solve the issue that you cannot exist doing this show solo. You need another voice in that studio with you on a daily basis. Not for 2 weeks. And not another WFAN staffer. You promised fresh blood. You promised something new. You have not come through in a big spot.
HANDWAVE - Grade: A
Despite every aspect of his show falling to pieces, the one staple that has remained and appears stronger than ever is Mike's dismissive handwave to dump a caller from the line. It's almost as if, in a post Dog world, that this handwave has become more ferocious than it ever was. It's even got to the point where Mike has discussed the handwave on air with a caller. The handwave, in many ways has become the last line of defense for Francesa.
HOST/OVERALL SHOW GRADE: D -
Since Dog went packing to Satellite radio, Mike Francesa has promised a lot. A new jingle. A new format. A new set of co-hosts. A completely new show - one that would make loyal listeners forget one Christopher "Mad Dog" Russo. He has delivered on none of these promises. Instead, he has bemoaned the lack of positive media coverage he received after the break-up, continued to come to work unprepared, launched a war with one of his old-time callers Mike from Montclair, and bored the rest of the audience to death on a daily basis. Perhaps the most alarming aspect of this post Mike and the Mad Dog world is that Francesa seems somewhat oblivious to all of this. He continues to exist in his cocoon of arrogance. He talks and boasts of number 1 ranked shows. He continues to fancy himself as the one and only authoritative voice on sports. He still considers himself the General Manager/Coach of all New York sports teams. To quote my good friend, Colonel Nathan Jessep "You can't handle the truth!" There is no getting around this - Mike'd Up, Francesa on the Fan has failed miserably in its first term. Hell, if it wasn't for the handwave, I would have given the show an "F."
Monday, December 1, 2008
I'M BACK...
...And I'm gone again.
I haven't listened to Mike's show in awhile. Probably 3-4 weeks. But I was intrigued to tune into this afternoon's show. All sorts of good sports headlines...Plax flexing a glock, High Noon for Starbury, the Jets sh*t their Super Bowl bed, BCShenanigans, etc.
So I was encouraged when Mike showed up today as our moral conscience. He told us that what Plax did is wrong(no duh) and his career might be over(uh, Mike. He didn't string up any dogs by their hindquarters.) I love how he brings in Sean Taylor into the discussion even though there is no logical reason to. Taylor was killed in a home invasion. He didn’t have a gun. If he did have a gun, he might still be alive. Plax was showing his heat to a couple of hardbodies at the Limelight and clipped his leg accidentally. Not sure how they’re related but it was nice to see Mike not care about any tangents. He just saw these words 'Black athletes and guns' and it's time for him to spout his cliche stereotypes. (by the way, do we have the club that Burress, Bradshaw and Pierce like to walk heavy into yet? Was it Pastis in the Meatpacking district?)
But then, he starts to show the cracks again. At the end of the first segment, he doesn't even mention the Marbury situation with the Knicks. I mean this is a 'he said, she said' situation with one of the major sports franchises in the city. It's pretty easy talk show fodder. Not even a mention. Then in the next segment, he talks about his sick kid show, which is fine. But then he 'teases' us again with some 'legend' shows. These will be shows where legendary athletes('These are big names people') will sit in with him for a show. He lets us know that most of them will be from yesteryear.
I couldn't believe it. Doesn't this guy get it? Is this like the movie The Producers where he is trying to ruin the show. This new legends theme is his Springtime for Hitler. Mike! Why are you trying to skew older? Those people aren't going to get you more ratings. Wait a while before you do Ed Randall's show. Jiminy Christmas. Try to stay relevant.
Anyway, the point of this post is that I took a leave of absence from the show because it stunk. I came back for a day because there were some good things to talk about. And already, I find out that this is my older brother's show. It goes on the Stinks List.
I haven't listened to Mike's show in awhile. Probably 3-4 weeks. But I was intrigued to tune into this afternoon's show. All sorts of good sports headlines...Plax flexing a glock, High Noon for Starbury, the Jets sh*t their Super Bowl bed, BCShenanigans, etc.
So I was encouraged when Mike showed up today as our moral conscience. He told us that what Plax did is wrong(no duh) and his career might be over(uh, Mike. He didn't string up any dogs by their hindquarters.) I love how he brings in Sean Taylor into the discussion even though there is no logical reason to. Taylor was killed in a home invasion. He didn’t have a gun. If he did have a gun, he might still be alive. Plax was showing his heat to a couple of hardbodies at the Limelight and clipped his leg accidentally. Not sure how they’re related but it was nice to see Mike not care about any tangents. He just saw these words 'Black athletes and guns' and it's time for him to spout his cliche stereotypes. (by the way, do we have the club that Burress, Bradshaw and Pierce like to walk heavy into yet? Was it Pastis in the Meatpacking district?)
But then, he starts to show the cracks again. At the end of the first segment, he doesn't even mention the Marbury situation with the Knicks. I mean this is a 'he said, she said' situation with one of the major sports franchises in the city. It's pretty easy talk show fodder. Not even a mention. Then in the next segment, he talks about his sick kid show, which is fine. But then he 'teases' us again with some 'legend' shows. These will be shows where legendary athletes('These are big names people') will sit in with him for a show. He lets us know that most of them will be from yesteryear.
I couldn't believe it. Doesn't this guy get it? Is this like the movie The Producers where he is trying to ruin the show. This new legends theme is his Springtime for Hitler. Mike! Why are you trying to skew older? Those people aren't going to get you more ratings. Wait a while before you do Ed Randall's show. Jiminy Christmas. Try to stay relevant.
Anyway, the point of this post is that I took a leave of absence from the show because it stunk. I came back for a day because there were some good things to talk about. And already, I find out that this is my older brother's show. It goes on the Stinks List.
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