Mike Francesa
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Mike Francesa (born March 20, 1954 in Long Island, New York) is an American radio talk show host and television commentator. He is primarily known for co-hosting the popular Mike and the Mad Dog show on WFAN in New York City, which he has done since 1989 with Christopher "Mad Dog" Russo. Francesa is generally regarded as quite knowledgable about sports, but is extremely opinionated, which makes for a provocative show. He has a special interest in horse racing, the New York Yankees, Notre Dame football, and is a fierce supporter of Bill Parcells.
Francesa is a graduate of St. John's University in New York City. He makes his home in Manhasset, New York. Francesa is married and the father of twins (Emily and Jack) born in 2005. During the June 27 2006 show, Mike announced that he is expecting a baby boy in November.
Mike also has had a number of health problems; most recently having reconstructive surgery on both of his knees. There is some speculation that his weight was the cause of these knee problems.http://www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/333/8988/418879.html#Obesity_and_Knee_Problems Francesa grew up in Long Beach, New York.
Mike and the Mad Dog
Francesa joined WFAN in 1987. Prior to 1987, Francesa was a studio commentator and sports reporter for CBS Sports focusing primarily on college sports. When he joined WFAN, he was teamed with local New York City host Ed Coleman and the duo had a popular show on the 10 AM to 2 PM slot.In 1989, WFAN was looking for hosts to replace the controversial Pete Franklin in the afternoon "drive time" period between 3 and 7 PM. Station management decided to team the knowledgeable, but somewhat dry Mike Francesa with a young vibrant personality named Christopher "Mad Dog" Russo. While Francesa's brand of sports commentating was considered hard-hitting and serious, Russo's was lighter, unconventional, and more entertaining. The show was dubbed "Mike and the Mad Dog". The show quickly gained popularity and has been a staple of the New York sports scene since 1989.
One on-air incident that helped launch the program's success was when nationally-syndicated radio personality Don Imus, whose Imus in the Morning show is broadcast from the WFAN studios, made an on-the-air bet with Francesa that Seton Hall University's basketball team would not make the Final Four in the NCAA tournament. Imus promised Francesa a new Porsche if Seton Hall made the 1989 Final Four. In fact, Seton Hall did make the Final Four. Though Imus found a way around the bet, the dialogue between the two is considered a to be among the classic moments in the Imus in the Morning program's history.
While the Mike and the Mad Dog show was a success, the duo was not without its problems. Arguments between the two have spilled onto the air. For example, in 1991—while Francesa was still at CBS Sports hosting the 1991 NCAA Tournament—Russo was very critical of CBS's coverage. The discussion began to gain momentum and soon snowballed over a number of days. CBS was unhappy that Francesa's show was being used as a platform for criticisms of their television coverage, prompting a call from Francesa asking Russo to not discuss the topic. Russo refused and an on-the-air argument followed. While the two have admitted to numerous disagreements, they have always contended that they have been professional and not personal. Francesa would eventually leave CBS Sports and concentrate on his radio career full time.
The Mike and the Mad Dog show would eventually move to a five-and-a-half-hour shift from 1 to 6:30 PM. In 2002, the program began being simulcast on the YES Network. In 2004, Mike and the Mad Dog celebrated their 15 year anniversary on the air. Francesa continues to contribute to the Imus in the Morning program.
Between June 30, 2005 and July 1, 2005, Mike and Chris broadcasted live for 25 straight hours for the first time ever to raise money for various charities.
On May 25, 2006, Francesa and Russo broadcast a Major League Baseball game at Shea Stadium between the Philadelphia Phillies and the New York Mets on radio for local charities. Russo did the play-by-play and Francesa did the color analysis except that they reversed the roles during the third and seventh innings. WFAN and the Mets teamed up to raise thousands of dollars for several charities in Queens.
Other projects
Francesa hosts a weekly radio show called NFL Now, which has originated from WFAN since 1987. It eventually became syndicated and has been simulcast on MSNBC and YES Network. He also does the nightly "Sportstime" commentary on the CBS Radio Network and Westwood One.In 1990, Francesa began hosting a talk show following Knicks and Rangers games at Madison Square Garden called Live from the Play By Play. The Play By Play is a restaurant in Madison Square Garden. The show featured sports and entertainment figures in a "late night" talk style program. The show did not last past 1991, but was revived in 2005 as a post-game show for Knicks home games. WEPN Radio's Brandon Tierney is the current host.
In 1998, Francesa began a website called mikesports.com, but the project was not a success and is no longer online.
In 2003, Francesa began hosting an 11:30 PM Sunday Night Sports Show on WNBC-TV in New York City entitled Mike'd Up. He takes a live hand-off from the end of the Channel 4 local news and then launches into in-depth analysis of the weekend games of New York area teams. He also interviews notable athletes, coaches, and sportswriters. The show was intended to span the length of the NFL season, but proved so successful that WNBC extended the show to run year-round. Weekend sports anchor Bruce Beck fills in when Francesa is off.
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External links
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