After being told by WFAN that he could not have a farewell show, Chris "Mad Dog" Russo found his way onto the air yesterday with an emotional twenty-five minute phone call to co-host Mike Francesa. Francesa said he took matters into his own hands by bucking station brass's wishes and bringing Russo on to discuss the conclusion of the Mike and the Mad Dog program with Russo's announced departure Thursday night. During the call, the always colorful Russo broke down in tears.
Other highlights of the final show included phone calls from Governor Paterson and Russo's father, who asked Francesa if he was still welcome as a regular caller. Francesa at one point said someone compared the end of the show to breakup of the Beatles, adding that the person "considered him the John Lennon of the team." Over in the NY Post, they have articles today criticizing both hosts: Francesa for his arrogance in the wake of Mad Dog's departure and Russo for his fixation on being able to find a contract that offered him more money than his longtime partner.
