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After months of speculation, sports fans around the Big Apple will now have to turn elsewhere for an afternoon shot in the arm as Chris "Mad Dog" Russo will no longer be on-air to give his daily intro call of "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAnnnnnnnnnnnd good afternoon, everybody! How are you today?" Last night WFAN announced that Russo will leave the station immediately with no farewell show, thus breaking the most successful duo in sports talk radio.
Russo now looks to be the owner of a contract worth around 3 million a year at Sirius, where all signs point to him heading next to host his a show by himself. While many chalk the split up to the relationship between the two hosts dissolving over the years, last night Russo denied it saying, "This might be the last chance I'm going to get for a challenge if I want to take it."
Meanwhile WFAN will let Francesa host the afternoon slot on his own, meaning for 5 1/2 hours a day, FAN callers like Jerome from Manhattan and Dennis from Yonkers will be the only ones to challenge the often rigid host. "Mike's a strong personality who brings an awful lot to the table," said WFAN VP Mark Chernoff after the announcement last night. Whether he'll be able to step up to Russo's constant challenges over the years to "say something funny, Mike" now remains to be seen.
(Poll and more on Mike and the Mad Dog after the jump)
Mike and the Mad Dog has been a drive home fixture since they were first paired together in 1989. For the last four years, portions of the show have also been televised on the YES Network. Like Lewis & Martin or even Siskel & Ebert, the pair built a reputation on frequent bickering that seemed grounded in mutual admiration. Don Imus, the host they stepped in for when he was taken off WFAN last year, once dubbed them "Fatso and Fruit Loop."
As his name suggests, Mad Dog played loose cannon to Mike's often inflexible straight man. His on-air persona been described as "Jerry Lewis on acid" and "Donald Duck on steroids." He was notorious for riling up New York sports fans by taking a contrarian stance to many of the local favorites, most notably the Yankees. A lifelong San Francisco Giant fan, he once said if they could win the World Series "one time," he would give up everything he owned, including his three children.
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they made sports radio history together.
very entertaining combo...the show will be missed.
it will be very interesting to see how they fair as solo acts...
As someone said to me this morning, "Five hours of Mike Francesa alone? BORING!"
I predict a reunion tour in about 5 years.
Thank god... One Italian stereotype is enough, thanks.
Who listens to this crap? Jerome from Manhattan lives in my building. We call him Jerry. If you ever met him you'd be embarrassed to admit that you listen to sports talk radio. The guy can barely tie his own shoes and mumbles too himself in the elevator about the Yankees.
In late June, when Newsday first broke the story about them being done before labor day Russo made a huge rant about it on air. He kept saying how is under contract, how much WFAN needs him and how much he needs the station etc.
Ironic how Newsday was right on the ball two months ago.
Who listens to this crap? It's the number 1 drive time radio show in New York.
It's the end of an era and while I consistently disagree with them they'll be missed as a team.
Hearing Dog get emotional and cry on the air while discussing his relationship with Mike as someone he knew before they both met their wives and had kids put a more human face on the guy who always came off as goofy and emotionless. Nice job by Mike putting him on the air (via phone)even though the station didn't want him to.
And Jen it's not going to be Francesca alone on the air, he made it clear that this will be a revamped show with what sounds like a crew of people as sidekicks.
five hours of overbearing francesca will be pretty boring and brutal.
AAAAAAAAAAND thank goooood! Horrible. The only ppl that listen to their crap are yankee hating Met losers. Just the worst radio show ever
It's the number one drive time radio show in NY? Yeah, and Fox News is the number one rated news network in the country......so what's your point?
People still listen to the radio?
I'm going to miss that theme song!!
it's still radio. AM radio he should thank his italian god he's getting paid 3mil.
and radio ads don't work.
live radio spots are even worse because you know the host is lying through his teeth promoting a product.
As someone who's listened to Mike and the Mad Dog since the early 90s, I'll certainly miss the banter between these two. When a big sports story breaks, I often wonder, "what are Mike and the Dog going to say about this." I certainly don't ask myself, "I wonder what the blowhards on ESPN will scream and joke about on SportsCenter tonight."
Mike and Doggie are certainly two different personalities (one is cerebral, but overly stubborn and the other is a goofy loudmouth that likes to play devil's advocate), but they both are knowledge and passionate sports fans. The success of this show has resulted in the launch of sports talks shows across the country. Of course, despite being often imitated, but never duplicated (even ESPN radio doesn't come close to its ratings in the NYC area).
Francesa said today that he will never have a co-host, but his staff is going to come up with new segments, etc to fill up the 5 plus hour time slot.
#9, I'm a diehard Yankees fan and I listen to this show, and I know plenty of other Yankees fans that listen too..That said, I won't listen to Beningo and Evans or the Schmoozer b/c of Mets-centric shows.
#11 you can stream the show online if you lost your Sony Walkman or if you're not in a car.
Gun to my head, gun to my head, I say this is a bad move for Francesa. You gotta give Russo a lot of credit. For years now, they killed him. JUST KILLED HIM. Now, he's got his own deal. You gotta give him a lot of credit.
Good riddance. Wish that other fool would go away too.
As for this comment...
[9] "The only ppl that listen to their crap are yankee hating Met losers."
What are you talking about? They're both anti-Met, and the fat one is a huge yankee fan.
jenchungsbra quote "Who listens to this crap?" my response "It's the number 1 drive time radio show in New York."
What's my point? That actually needs to be broken down and explained? Ok duh it means that a lot of people are actually listening to this crap. Not that you ever have a point other than to try and be shocking... but never are.
TimSPC I don't see your point at all. Francesa just signed a 5 year deal. He's a multi millionaire whether anyone listens or not and Russo is going to Sirius. Sounds like a win win for their pockets.
well put "By" and "jackdonaghy"...
its apparent that alot of the gothamist commentors are not part of their audience so the reaction i'm reading here does not surprise me...
bornbrednewyorker, I had no point. That was my Mike & The Mad Dog impression. Gun to my head, gun to my head.
think sometimes mikes big ego lets it get the best of him...however, always thought mike can do it without the "angry puppy" not the other way around.
And whatever is said about mike two things are a constant. He is very knowledgeable about most sports. By his own admission hockey, tennis, or womans basketball is not his strong suit. Secondly, he is wickedly funny!
Whatever else is said about Mike and the Mad Dog they were the pioneers in sports talk radio!