Opinion: The End of Mike and the Maddog
Yesterday, WFAN announced Chris Russo will leave their radio 
station, thus ending the Mike and the Maddog radio program, which revolutionized sports talk-radio when it started in 1989.
In it’s place, the show’s co-host, Mike Francesa, will broadcast solo in the same timeslot under the name Francesa on the Fan.
Honestly, I have mixed feelings about this.
On one hand, their program was a show I loved to hate, or hated to love – I’m not actually sure which.
They made me angry and rarely informed me, yet, like an addict, I always listened.
Their impact on sports talk-radio, for better or worse, cannot be argued. Like them or not, they are legends in their field and, in the end, deserve high-praise for taking sports debate to a larger, more passionate, more constant level, which lots and lots of people have mimicked and capitalized on, including blogs, which, in my opinion, have always been more like talk-radio than like newspapers.
On the other hand, their show’s lack of a Mets voice always bothered me. Their popularity and influence ended up spreading false and frustrating talking points around New York City that made my life, as a Mets fan, very difficult when having to encounter the expanding line of arrogant Yankees fans.
So, having Mike and the Maddog break up could be a good thing for Mets fans – since they seemingly took pride in driving us crazy.
The idea of Francesa going solo is interesting. If his all-knowing style is paired up with a lot of guests, reporters, athletes, etc., all who can provide a bit of news and facts to the discussion, it may prove to be a great program.
If, however, Francesa is allowed to talk for four hours on his own, only taking calls from listeners, it could turn in to Rush Limbaugh for Sports, which would be good for nobody.
Either way, I wish Russo and Francesa the best of luck as they begin a new era, not just for them, but for us.
Oh, and Chris, give Shawn Victorini and Brandon Looper my best – and while we’re talking about Francesa, it’s hard to not mention this, which never gets old.
