Quality Sports Talk Radio
Uncategorized July 24th. 2007, 6:13pm
We mentioned the Phil Mushnick/Mike Francesa tagteam effort on the WWL on Monday, but now that a reader has directed us to the audio, we felt compelled to pass this along.
Some background: Not sure if it was this year or last, but ESPN put down a mandate that none of its analysts/on-air talent would be permitted to go on non-ESPN radio stations. So perhaps some of the following could be sour grapes from Francesa. But most of it is directly on point. He basically summarizes every point weve made on this blog in the last year (for instance: ESPNews > Sportscenter). Just a few highlights:
ESPNs John Walsh on Whos Now: Its different Mike Wilbon loves it.
Francesa on Whos Now: A bunch of places beat it up Newsweek, SI I call it mindless, others called it just plan asinine … I consider it a waste of viewers time. As a viewer, I thought it was maybe the dumbest thing Ive ever seen.
Francesa: ESPN spends so much time patting itself on the back and promoting its own people ESPN would rather tell everyone how wonderful ESPN is than be a vehicle of reporting sports.
Francesa: No ESPN analyst is allowed to come on WFAN because we beat the brains in of your affiliate [happens to be Stephen A. Smith for an hour and the old Dan Patrick show for the remainder].
ESPNs John Walsh: Its difficult for our affiliate to compete with [our own analysts] youve been around for what, 20 years? Were making some inroads here and there
Francesa: Dont make statements you cant back up.
Its an interesting listen.
21 Responses to “Quality Sports Talk Radio”
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July 24th, 2007 at 6:45 pm
Plus he smokes Michael Kay from 4-6:30…
July 24th, 2007 at 6:49 pm
The last statement was backed up today when Mike and Mike who had gone up to a 3.4 25-54 males in NY went down to 2.1 25-54 males in a book where Imus got fired, the dust settled and there has been a rotating guest host list. They went from 7th to 19th. Thats a huge drop. People get on Mike and the Mad Dog (yes they can get ridiculous) but they do inteviews like this and you realize that they can be good (In this case just Mike but they both did the ARod interview in spring training that became National News)
July 24th, 2007 at 6:56 pm
I thought the rule was ESPN talent can’t go on a non-ESPN station IF there was an ESPN station in the market. ESPN people go on WAXY in Miami (Lebatard’s station) all the time and some of them (Gammons, Mort) have paid shows on the station.
July 24th, 2007 at 6:58 pm
Maybe Francesa will eat Schrutebag.
July 24th, 2007 at 7:27 pm
Schrutebag isn’t filling enough for Mike, he needs something meatier…
July 24th, 2007 at 7:48 pm
ESPN and Sportscenter hit an all-time low yesterday with Mike & Mike hosting. The I’m gay, he’s fat, just shut up stuff was waaaaay too much. And marching with the Grambling band?
July 24th, 2007 at 7:56 pm
See, they marched with the Grambling band because they are two inclusive guys, even though one is gay and the other e fat white guy, they just love black people. Inclusivity.
Pods for Nascar, biodiesel.
ESPN: The Worldwide Leader in Sports Entertainment
July 24th, 2007 at 8:00 pm
Did they have the World’s Largest Drum with them?
July 24th, 2007 at 8:15 pm
“Not sure if it was this year or last, but ESPN put down a mandate that none of its analysts/on-air talent would be permitted to go on non-ESPN radio stations.”
Yeah, as Alex mentioned, I think this only pertains to markets where ESPN Radio is present. I was listening to Philly’s WIP (a CBS affiliate, like the FAN) yesterday and they had Cheezy Doodles on in the morning. Somehow, he was even more grating on a radio guest spot than he is on TV.
July 24th, 2007 at 8:25 pm
The fact that Mike & Mike continue to be a ratings boom never ceases to amaze me. I can’t listen to sports radio unless they’re doing an interview of someone like Gammons because their opinions are so idiotic.
July 24th, 2007 at 8:39 pm
come one
non threatening, non opinionated, zone out dreck is a hit on tv, why not on radio
July 24th, 2007 at 8:49 pm
I usually can’t stand Francessa, but he did a great job there.
July 24th, 2007 at 10:08 pm
I ‘m a pretty big Mike and the Mad Dog fan, but I actually do like Brandon Tierney on 1050 from 7 -10. He actually sounds like a normal guy shooting the shit with someone at a sports bar. That’s about the only talk radio on ESPN I can listen to.
July 25th, 2007 at 3:26 pm
I agree with devang. Tierney is the best on ESPN 1050. Hes not buddy buddy with the athletes and say nothing like Steve Smith and hes not annoying like Michael Kay. Mike and Chris are the best in the business.
July 25th, 2007 at 4:24 pm
Francesa is right in this case, but for the most part, he is absolutely insufferable. It’s unfathomable to me how someone so mind-numbingly stupid could be so mind-blowingly arrogant at the same time. From his radio show the other day:
Caller: Mike, I read in the newspaper today that in games where the over/under was set at 183, Donaghy was 10-2 for the over. What are your thoughts on that?
Mike: No, I don’t believe that. That seems too low. 183 is a very low score for an NBA game. You’re telling me the guy officiated 12 games with the over/under at 183 last season? Come on.
Actually, Mike, the newspaper is telling you that. But because it contradicts your vast wealth of knowledge regarding the exact score of every single NBA game that’s ever taken place…it must not be true.
Francesa is a used maxi pad.
July 25th, 2007 at 4:39 pm
i can’t stand fatso & fruit-loops !!! yea they been around 4ever but i haven’t listened 2 them fools since HS. and im 29 now. 1050 has been a breath of fresh air. big ups to stephen A ..and DP for saving my afternoons when im not a wrk. yea BT too. all those 2 clowns mike & tha angry puppy do is BASH all NYC teams…every single chance they get N swear they r the kings of the damn world. i hate em’ both. i can just hear stephen A’s theme music now “never been a writer so ill, yet ideal, controversial, so hollis, so commercial, so much originality, new yorker mentality, sports analyst, slash radio personality. reality..stephen A DO THA DAMN THING..a cross btwn bill o reilly N larry king……”
July 25th, 2007 at 6:45 pm
I actually thought Walsh acquitted himself quite well in a hostile environment. Francesa’s only argument was to point out about 20 times that it’s 16-year-old hormonal boys watching “Who’s Now”. Gee, do ya think?!
July 25th, 2007 at 8:54 pm
Mike Francesa thinks he’s a really funny guy but has no sense of humour.
July 26th, 2007 at 1:12 am
Francesa can certainly be unbearable at times, but he was in great form for this one.
“Francesa: Dont make statements you cant back up.”
KILLED Walsh.
July 26th, 2007 at 7:52 pm
I think when it comes to the ESPN radio embargo, it may depend on whether you are also employed by someone else, like a newspaper. Since you represent both companies, its hard for Mickey Mouse to block them.
I am just thankful I can get FAN even down in Philly, the Chief gets so old very fast and the ESPN affialiate is like a college radio station when they go local at drive time.
July 27th, 2007 at 12:35 pm
“Not sure if it was this year or last, but ESPN put down a mandate that none of its analysts/on-air talent would be permitted to go on non-ESPN radio stations.€
In Atlanta, Lenny P is ALWAYS on the Fox Sports Radio affiliate down here, and we do have an ESPN Radio affiliate in the city.