Whither M&MD?

[Frayed Knot]

Newsday's sports media reporter, Neil Best, reports that the 18+ year run of the Mike and the Mad Dog program may soon be history

Not many specifics are given beyond reports about "recent fraying of personal relationships", but he does cite "industry sources with knowledge of the situation" as saying that; 'barring a change of heart, the partnership between Mike Francesa and Christopher "Mad Dog" Russo is not expected to survive to see its 19th anniversary Sept. 5'

[Fman99]

These boobs are about as relevant as phrenology.

[Guest metsguyinmichigan]

"Mike and the Mad Dog," the most successful, influential show in sports talk radio history, could soon be history itself.

--- Hold on, more influential than Jim Rome?

[Benjamin Grimm]

If they are done, then all I can say is good riddance.

Of course, there will never be a shortage of new loudmouths to replace the old, but it's time for Mike and Chris to get out of the spotlight.

[Guest AG/DC]

My concern is they could be double the nuisance if they split up, like Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham.

[metirish]

There is even a show on SNY called loudmouths. Russo could go to ESPN and do a show with Michael Kay.

Edited June 23, 2008 by Guest

[seawolf17]

You can't possibly deny their influence. Who did what they did before they did? Nobody. Rome may have taken it to another level, and could run logical circles around either of them, but M&MD will always be the originals.

And haven't they hated each other for years? I don't think that's news.

[G-Fafif]

Russo on right now. Gave a half-hearted denial to the story.

[Benjamin Grimm]

I'm slightly curious: How badly did they "kill" the Mets over the Willie Randolph thing?

[soupcan]

Francesa understood that Randolph was fired at 11:00pm not 3:00am.

Russo not so much.

Francesa has been absolutely murdering Bernazard though.

[metirish]

I'm sure Russo will keep us up to date with a post or two.

[Guest Kong76]

I read somewhere that if you go to purgatory they pump in an endless loop
of Mad Dog reading of weekend sporting events and Mike guessing the NY
and National Nielsen ratings.

Edited June 23, 2008 by Guest

[G-Fafif]

KC wrote: I read somewhere that if you go purgatory they pump in an endless loop of Mad Dog reading of weekend sporting events and Mike guessing the NY and National Nielsen ratings.

Which itself would get a 1.4 in New York, 1.3 nationally.

[Guest metsguyinmichigan]

We lived in Connecticut between 1987 and 1990, and they had just started to take off.

I remember the guy they replaced in the afternoon drive, I think his name was Pete, who sounded like an old sourpuss kind of guy. M & MD were kind of a refreshing alternative.

I think his name was Pete Franklin, but I'm not sure. There used to be print ads with him and Imus.

[Guest metsguyinmichigan]

Per Wikipedia

Pete Franklin (September 22, 1928 - November 23, 2004), nicknamed "The King", was an American sports talk radio host who worked in San Francisco, Cleveland and New York.

Franklin stayed at WWWE until 1987, when he was hired by upstart all-sports station WFAN in New York to be their afternoon host. After much controversy, he was eventually fired in 1989, to be replaced by the Mike and the Mad Dog program. He later worked at KNBR in San Francisco, where he ended his career in 2000. He briefly worked again at WTAM in 1998, hosting Sportsline again, this time from a studio in his California home.

[Benjamin Grimm]

I remember Pete Franklin. I didn't think he was so bad, but I was a callow youth when he was on. I doubt that I'd be able to listen to him today.

[G-Fafif]

He liked to yell "SCUMBAG!" a lot and act very put upon. Not a great fit for New York. He was, indeed, the king of Cleveland. Made a cottage industry out of stoking hatred for the MFYs, which wasn't so hard out there. In NY, it all sounded very much like an act.

But he wasn't nearly as insufferable as Mike Francesa.

[Guest Vince Coleman Firecracker]

Russo, today:
"Obar, you know, there's the second language thing, so there could be a communicative problem. You know, and it's a problem if he's repeating himself over and over and over again."

Odds Mad Dog is outed as a Kaufman-esque performance artist: 5-1, at the most.

[Frayed Knot]

Franklin was a Cleveland sport-talk legend prior to there being full-time sports talk radio. Screaming a no-nothing callers was a big part of his act - as it was for young John Sterling who did a nightly call-in show on WMCA in NYC. I'd hear Franklin every once in a while when conditions were right for long-distance AM radio signals.

So when FAN first announced plans for a 24/7 sports station Franklin was the guy they turned to as their main afternoon drive time guy. It's worth remembering here that they first imagined the talk as being much more national in nature than the local slant it almost immediately became; Greg Gumbel and Jim Lampley were also early hires while station mgmt was telling local (but lesser known) job seekers like Francesa to take a hike.

The Franklin plan got off to a rough start when he had a heart attack prior to launch date and couldn't take the air until a few months into its run.
He later wound up in San Francisco.

[Theoldmole]

How can you end your career in 2000 and work again in 1998?

[Theoldmole]

My favorite Mad Dog moment was when a caller asked him how slugging percentage was calculated, and he had no idea. The caller asked if it maybe had something to do with total bases or extra base hits, and the Dog said No, he was sure that wasn't it.

[Guest AG/DC]

TheOldMole wrote: How can you end your career in 2000 and work again in 1998?

On wikipedia, it's possible.

[nymr83]

My favorite Russo moment was him not knowing that Delgado, and all other Puerto Ricans, are American citizens.

[Guest AG/DC]

Is there a top ten of M&M stupid moments?

[stevejrogers]

metsguyinmichigan wrote: "Mike and the Mad Dog," the most successful, influential show in sports talk radio history, could soon be history itself. --- Hold on, more influential than Jim Rome?

Jim Rome is not a pimple on FranDog's FANNY!

[stevejrogers]

One of the funniest Stupid Russo moments is when he was told of DareDevil's origins in terms of being blinded by toxic waste and having his other senses greatly heightened. His response, "Is this a true story?"

[Guest Kong76]

AG: >>>Is there a top ten of M&M stupid moments?<<<

I'm surprised there isn't a web-site.

[Guest metsguyinmichigan]

SteveJRogers wrote: ="metsguyinmichigan"]"Mike and the Mad Dog," the most successful, influential show in sports talk radio history, could soon be history itself. --- Hold on, more influential than Jim Rome? Jim Rome is not a pimple on FranDog's FANNY!

Is FranDog's fanny nationally syndicated?

[Guest AG/DC]

Here's some hot material.

http://weblogs.newsday.com/sports/watchdog/blog/2007/11/oh_my_goodness_gracious_this.html

[stevejrogers]

metsguyinmichigan wrote: ="SteveJRogers"] metsguyinmichigan wrote: "Mike and the Mad Dog," the most successful, influential show in sports talk radio history, could soon be history itself. --- Hold on, more influential than Jim Rome? Jim Rome is not a pimple on FranDog's FANNY! Is FranDog's fanny nationally syndicated?

Now I like Romie, but he has been in NYC for several years now and people aren't clamoring for 1050 to get his show a better timeslot, or more publicity.

Rome has as much relevance right now as Rush Limbaugh.

I'm sure all people know of him is just from the Everett thing, and don't even know he has a successful nationally syndicated show. And certainly not the fact that his own show spawned two talk shows hosted by former callers of his.