Mike'd Up: The Mike Francesa Show

Dan Murfman

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Isn't Christie a big Cowboys fan? What a troll job that would be - and not necessarily a successful one unless he was paired up with a local-teams-first guy. Mike's a tough listen but I think his hardcore audience likes that he's on "their" side.
Well I think you have to ask the Jet and Met fans about him being on "their" side.
 

cheekydave

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I have heard him on WFAN.. I would be appalled if he got the job, and would NEVER listen, he is a really phony guy, makes my skin crawl. Kim Jones is INCREDIBLE hope they are considering her....
 

TheGazelle

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Second the Kim Jones idea - She is really good.

I have actually thought Christie's appearances on Boomer & Carton are pretty good. He has been able to hold his own talking about the Mets.
 

Stu Nahan

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If he gets hired to replace Francesa, you could apply Bill Lee's classic Darrell Johnson quote to Chris Christie. Historically unpopular governor and failed Trump suck up parlays that resume into a drive time sports show in New York. That would be something.
 

Winger 03

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+1 on Kim Jones. Back when Dog left they paired the two of them for a few days and she really seemed to hold him in check. Her reporting on the Paterno / Sandusky stuff was really good as well.


Second the Kim Jones idea - She is really good.

I have actually thought Christie's appearances on Boomer & Carton are pretty good. He has been able to hold his own talking about the Mets.
 

bankshot1

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Kim Jones is smart, articulate, generally very well prepared and is usually far better than the guys they pair her with (usually Malusis, recently Evan Roberts when Joe was on vaca). I wonder if she has the legs/depth to carry her own solo drive time show in the NYC market.

The Guv and Kim?
 

ifmanis5

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Jones is very good but doesn't have the name/cache for a solo drive time slot at this point in her career. I'm betting they try to land more of a household name instead. If she does get the job it'll be because others turned it down or they pair her with someone who doesn't have much radio experience.
 

Buck Showalter

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Why is this a good idea?

To me, it's just another knee-jerk reaction by people who don't actually enjoy watching baseball.
I hate to high-jack the topic because I love the Fatcessa-bashing....but if we don't address certain aspects of the game, the number of people watching baseball (irrespective of their level of enjoyment) will decline each year.

If one 'throw over' as a maximum is too few --- I can buy that.

But the unlimited cat-and-mouse, throw-over, step-off the mound, pitcher / catcher conference --- all in the same pitch sequence has "got" to be eradicated. I don't buy-in to the notion that "this is the game and if you don't like it, then don't watch".

Soccer has done this for years and it's gotten itself into trouble.

Now - back to the Fatcessa-bashing.
 

Average Reds

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That's fair - I was reacting literally to the idea of "one throw," which has the effect of banning throws to first.

Here's the logic: if a pitcher can only make one throw over and does so without picking off a runner, the runner - any runner, even the slow ones - will then steal the base. So a one throw limit has the effect of essentially banning throws to first. Which in turn is going to result in a lot more stolen base attempts.

I do agree that something needs to be done about the incessant, meaningless throws. (Clay's trade will make Red Sox games go faster, that's for sure.) I just don't think dramatically altering the entire dynamic of trying to hold runners on is the way to do it.

Edit: And just to be clear, I wasn't aiming at you (Buck) with the snarky "people who don't actually enjoy watching baseball' comment. That was about Francesa, who is becoming a curmudgeon on just about every topic these days.
 
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JohntheBaptist

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Yeah, that's the problem with so many of these in-game attempts at change--baseball has, by design, a check on nearly every action, and if you just eliminate/ drastically change one to "speed things up," it has a ripple effect. And while, in the moment, throws to first may feel annoying to some, there is no way that's some meaningful slowing agent for a baseball game anyway.

It's a really bad idea. In his defense, most of the ideas put forward on the subject outside of "make the commercial time shorter" and "get rid of the instant replay" are really pretty clearly bad/ won't do anything.
 

Omar's Wacky Neighbor

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Leaving in a bit to the studio :)
Yeah, that's the problem with so many of these in-game attempts at change--baseball has, by design, a check on nearly every action, and if you just eliminate/ drastically change one to "speed things up," it has a ripple effect. And while, in the moment, throws to first may feel annoying to some, there is no way that's some meaningful slowing agent for a baseball game anyway.
What makes it funny for me is that a caller recently suggested a limit on how many pitches a batter could foul off (or some such), and Mike wailed on him about how stupid that was and how he didnt think it thru and fouling off pitches served multiple purposes.

But Mike starting 1/3 of all MLB games with, essentially, the leadoff man on 2b and removing the GIDP makes perfect sense and is true to the Spirit of the Game......
 

tims4wins

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This is fun (for those on mobile: audio of Mike guaranteeing that Willie Mays was intentionally walked less than 50 times in his career, only to find out 10 seconds later that it happened 192 times

 

Investor 11

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Mike with the highest praise I've heard him give Belichick.

"The rest of the league better snap to, Belichick is embarassing the rest of this league, its almost like he is going in for the kill now, he is embarrassing the rest of this league. He looked so far ahead of the rest of them its almost like they aren't playing the same game. Can they pay attention?!?! It is unbelievable. Are you watching what he's doing here? (laughs) It reminds me of what Red Auerbach used to do to the NBA, that is what they are doing now to the NFL, making the rest of them look like dummies!!...........Here's the Mink man."
 

Omar's Wacky Neighbor

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Leaving in a bit to the studio :)
Mike with the highest praise I've heard him give Belichick.

"The rest of the league better snap to, Belichick is embarassing the rest of this league, its almost like he is going in for the kill now, he is embarrassing the rest of this league. He looked so far ahead of the rest of them its almost like they aren't playing the same game. Can they pay attention?!?! It is unbelievable. Are you watching what he's doing here? (laughs) It reminds me of what Red Auerbach used to do to the NBA, that is what they are doing now to the NFL, making the rest of them look like dummies!!...........Here's the Mink man."
He recently admitted, when prompted by a caller, that BB is one of only a few coaches/execs who absolutely would be successful in any other pro sport he tried his hand at.
 
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dcmissle

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Mike with the highest praise I've heard him give Belichick.

"The rest of the league better snap to, Belichick is embarassing the rest of this league, its almost like he is going in for the kill now, he is embarrassing the rest of this league. He looked so far ahead of the rest of them its almost like they aren't playing the same game. Can they pay attention?!?! It is unbelievable. Are you watching what he's doing here? (laughs) It reminds me of what Red Auerbach used to do to the NBA, that is what they are doing now to the NFL, making the rest of them look like dummies!!...........Here's the Mink man."
Hightower announced he'll be back, within the last half hour.

He may have fun with this considering the Jets angle.
 

Omar's Wacky Neighbor

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Leaving in a bit to the studio :)
That was abominable. But at least he to the bottom line: "Go either way with that game"
Great response to a call yesterday asking for a prognostication for a third round game that would have involved several potential upsets: if you're right when you've got X playing Y in the Sweet Sixteen, YOU're asking ME for the winner....?
 

ifmanis5

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Boomer and Carton had a field day with this today.

More and more, he fires out a "bottom loyne is...." but then leaves it hanging because he can't figure out what the bottom line is or he can't find a point to make.
Yup. This was Mike at his pompous worst.
When he was caught on camera falling asleep he could never come clean and just admit it. Same thing here. Mike used to be one of the foremost College Basketball experts but those days are long over. Mike could just come clean and say 'given my family commitments etc, I pretty much just watch the NFL and Yankee games now so I'm out of the loop but I love the tournament, will watch it all and enjoy it.' But he'll never admit it, has to pretend like he's still some yuge college expert. But he isn't.
 

Buster Olney the Lonely

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Hilarious. I was listening to this live, shaking my head. This jerk still thinks Maryland is in the ACC, doesn't he?

I like this line: "I'm not a big Florider State fan. I just don't love em. I nevah have." Which means what? You didn't like them during the Dave Cowens era, so it's relevant now somehow?

and this one

"they have very high expectations which... you would expect."
 

j-man

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if my grammar and spelling were better i could do a sports show that has a little of every sport hot takes and real breakdowns

mike now is willie mays 1973 should had left after 2010 and Belichick. would not do well in the NBA
 

ifmanis5

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ARod regrets his interview with Mike: http://nypost.com/2017/03/24/a-rod-made-an-ass-of-myself-in-infamous-francesa-interview/
“I think just being a big jerk, you know. … I was really just a big jerk,” Rodriguez said about his various transgressions at a luncheon Thursday with University of Miami students, according to CBS Miami. “I made mistakes, and then doubled down and became a bigger jerk and then went on sports radio and made an ass of myself.”
Your turn, Mike.
 

Rough Carrigan

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if my grammar and spelling were better i could do a sports show that has a little of every sport hot takes and real breakdowns

mike now is willie mays 1973 should had left after 2010 and Belichick. would not do well in the NBA
Maybe, maybe not.
But when the Celtics were playing the Lakers in the 2008 NBA finals, before the 6th game, Celtics coach Doc Rivers had Belichick in the locker room. According to Doc, Belichick walked around the room looked each guy in the eye and, at the door, said "Kick their ass!" and left. Doc said the locker room went crazy. The Celtics went out and completely kicked the Lakers asses to the tune of a 131-92 championship clinching victory.
 

j-man

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wow i did not know that


i meant u couild not give him a team like the nuggets kings and Ex to win

why boston won that tittle was 50% Mchale and 50 Anige Angle genis deal for allen rondo was a underrated price and adding vets such as PJ Brown all LA had was kobe and a Soft Pau Gasol back then not now Pau Gasol in Memphis would show flashers but he wanted to be Dirk i live near Memphis and back then most everyone was upset about the trade but i saw that Pau could never be the 1 opinion

although i have to say i through Memphis would be a Awful NBA city but very glad to be wrong
 

johnmd20

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BaseballJones

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Frances went on a great rant about Goodell - he lies about everything. He lies about concussions, he lies about gambling, he lies about this and that....

But for some reason, he thinks Goodell was telling the truth about Deflategate. :rolleyes:
 

bankshot1

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I had Francesa on today and he was chatting with Keith Hernandez and was talking about Tito Francona (he's a huge Tito fan) and then sequed and said that other than doing his gig in NYC, he would have loved to do sports talk in Boston. Then Cleveland, then Denver. But he seemed particularly enthused about doing a sports show from Boston, I was a little surprised.
 

Dotrat

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He's always had a soft spot for the Sox, loves the '80s Celtics, and I believe his wife is originally from eastern Mass or elsewhere in New England. He's also praised the passion and knowledge of Boston fans before, so I can see it.
 

Average Reds

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I was a regular listener back then, and I have no doubt that the story is true. I was not listening on September 12th, but Francesa (and Russo) made similar comments all the time. And that shouldn't surprise anyone - these were two simpletons trying to come up with an easy answer for a terrible event and throwing up on themselves in the process. They tended to do this whenever they strayed outside of their incredibly limited area of expertise, and Mike still does this today.

Given the heat that WFAN took, it would not surprise me at all if they made the decision to purge the archives for September 12th.