Mike'd Up: The Mike Francesa Show

[bankshot1]

It is what he does.
 
Today I heard a couple of  callers question him on the Pats going forward, and he lit into their D, its terrible and will not hold up in play-offs. If the Bronco game was held in better conditions, Broncos destroy the Pats, with pass and run. But when questioned by another caller, who are these other great balanced teams in the AFC that will beat the Pats, Francesa reels off Denver, KC, Cincy, Indy can all beat those guys. Then states triumphantly they haven't won a SB in 10 years! 

 

[Buster Olney the Lonely]

It is what he does.
 
Today I heard a couple of  callers question him on the Pats going forward, and he lit into their D, its terrible and will not hold up in play-offs. If the Bronco game was held in better conditions, Broncos destroy the Pats, with pass and run. But when questioned by another caller, who are these other great balanced teams in the AFC that will beat the Pats, Francesa reels off Denver, KC, Cincy, Indy can all beat those guys. Then states triumphantly they haven't won a SB in 10 years! 

And San Diego. San Diego can beat the pats too in the playoffs.
 
That was quality. He also stated that the Pats won on a fluke and that the Broncos would have driven down the field and scored had the Broncos fielded the punt. "Belichick was playing for the tie!"

 

[fightingirish595]

 I listen to mike everyday and i think he is the most knowledgeable sports talk guy out there. however the one thing that i hate is his hate for the patriots. he cant stand the pats for some reason. mike says the pats only won this game beacause of the weather, and that we will lose in the playoffs, and that we have a terrible defense.  he couldnt be more far from the truth. yeah our run defense might not be good, but its not as bad as we saw sunday night. and i would put our secondary when healthy up against anyone.

 

[Stu Nahan]

 I listen to mike everyday and i think he is the most knowledgeable sports talk guy out there. however the one thing that i hate is his hate for the patriots. he cant stand the pats for some reason. mike says the pats only won this game beacause of the weather, and that we will lose in the playoffs, and that we have a terrible defense.  he couldnt be more far from the truth. yeah our run defense might not be good, but its not as bad as we saw sunday night. and i would put our secondary when healthy up against anyone.

Mike hates Belichick. Plain and simple. His comments about Sunday's game are ludicrous. Throw in the fact that he is incapable of criticizing Manning and his analysis becomes even more worthless.

 

[SidelineCameras]

Serious question-how can any Giants fan hate Belichick?

 

[Smiling Joe Hesketh]

Serious question-how can any Giants fan hate Belichick?

 
Mike is, or was, a Parcells guy through and through. He probably sees Belichick's departure from the Jets as some sort of betrayal of Parcells.

 

[Stu Nahan]

 
Mike is, or was, a Parcells guy through and through. He probably sees Belichick's departure from the Jets as some sort of betrayal of Parcells.

That's my guess even though he has never explained it. Couple that with Belichick going to work for Kraft, with whom Parcells famously didn't get along, and that could be it. His distaste for Belichick is palpable when he discusses him and the Pats.

 

[ifmanis5]

But later Mike fell out with Parcells. You would think he might re-evaluate things a bit. I guess it's easier for him to hate BB.

 

[Smiling Joe Hesketh]

But later Mike fell out with Parcells. You would think he might re-evaluate things a bit. I guess it's easier for him to hate BB.

 
He'll always be a New Yorker. I guess that trumps all.

 

[ifmanis5]

 
He'll always be a New Yorker. I guess that trumps all.

When Bill coached at New England and they were still pals, Mike was a Pats fan and had not too many good things to say about the New York football teams. Was he a New Yorker then? I think Mike picks and chooses based on his whims.

 

[Omar's Wacky Neighbor]

Mike hates Belichick. Plain and simple. His comments about Sunday's game are ludicrous. Throw in the fact that he is incapable of criticizing Manning and his analysis becomes even more worthless.

Years back, my wife delivered his twins.  When he found out I was a Boston fan, he felt the need to bring up to her the whole Belichick issue, out of the blue and on his own.  My wife couldnt have given a rat's behind about it, but she says he felt the need to acknowledge it and bring it into the open (but he never got specific on what started the whole thing).

 

[Remagellan]

I know this is obvious, but if you can't take him, just don't listen.  He's not as knowledgable as he was in the past, because right now the only sport he really cares about is baseball, and really only Yankee baseball. 
 
Sunday was illustrative of this point.  He began the local hour of his football show (11-12) by announcing that he wasn't taking any MFY calls, and would just make a short statement about the McCann signing.  But after gloating about how the MFYs "signed the guy they had to sign", he went on about how he expected them to reconstruct their pitching staff, and wound up taking several calls about the MFYs offseason plans.   It didn't matter that both the Jets and the Giants were about to play games that would decide their seasons, to Mike "the Varsity" always comes first.  
 
That said, he's right about the Pats defense not being championship caliber.  But if I bothered to call him, I'd ask him to name a team that was solid on both sides of the ball.  Because right now in the NFL, there isn't one.  
 
The Denver offense can be frightening, but their defense is just okay.  
 
The Saints are terrifying if they are playing insides, but honestly, if the Pats can get to the Meadowlands, I'd have no fear of playing that team in the elements.  
 
Seattle, which is the closest to a complete team, looks fairly mediocre outside of the Pacific Northwest.  
 
And his darlings for this year, the Niners...well, let me say I have Colin Kaepernick as the QB of my fantasy team, so I know firsthand what a roller coaster ride that is.  The NIners are practically the same team that KC is--their defense is frightening (at least when at full strength), but their offense is no more championship caliber than the Pats defense is. 
 
All these teams are missing something, which is why the Pats are as good a bet as any of the contenders to win it all this year.  

 

[ifmanis5]

Years back, my wife delivered his twins.  When he found out I was a Boston fan, he felt the need to bring up to her the whole Belichick issue, out of the blue and on his own.  My wife couldnt have given a rat's behind about it, but she says he felt the need to acknowledge it and bring it into the open (but he never got specific on what started the whole thing).

Seriously?

 

[Omar's Wacky Neighbor]

Seriously?

Yup.  Now that I think about it, this may have happened shortly after one of the SB wins.

 

[jacklamabe65]

But later Mike fell out with Parcells. You would think he might re-evaluate things a bit. I guess it's easier for him to hate BB.

 
I did not know this. Details?

 

[Mystic Merlin]

 
I did not know this. Details?

 
No one knows.  Neither Parcells nor Mike have ever divulged any more than that.

 

[Average Reds]

 
No one knows.  Neither Parcells nor Mike have ever divulged any more than that.


Does anyone honestly believe that Parcells would care about what Tubby thinks?

 

[scottyno]

 I listen to mike everyday and i think he is the most knowledgeable sports talk guy out there. however the one thing that i hate is his hate for the patriots. he cant stand the pats for some reason. mike says the pats only won this game beacause of the weather, and that we will lose in the playoffs, and that we have a terrible defense.  he couldnt be more far from the truth. yeah our run defense might not be good, but its not as bad as we saw sunday night. and i would put our secondary when healthy up against anyone.

 

even if he really believes they only won because the of weather, it's not like the weather in january in either Denver or New England is going to be any better in January than it was that night.

 

[Mystic Merlin]

Does anyone honestly believe that Parcells would care about what Tubby thinks?

 
No.  In Parcells' case, I don't think anyone's given enough of a shit to ask him.

 

[fightingirish595]

i guess today's game will fuel mikes fire about the defense. but will he even mention the fact that dennard as out and we played zone the whole game. But we seriously need to sure up this run defense

 

[mpx42]

He'll probably spend 30 minutes on Spygate tomorrow.

 

[bankshot1]

Opens with ripping the Jets: 
 
If you were Woody, Rex, Idzik you should be embarrassed with that performance yesterday. 
 
But saves great anger for the "offense"

 

[Mystic Merlin]

Mike with his weekly Pats missive.
 
Hopefully we get a defiant Mike all through January and into early February.

 

[ifmanis5]

Mike with his weekly Pats missive.
 
Hopefully we get a defiant Mike all through January and into early February.

That's our Mikey. Has anyone pointed out to him that statistically the Denver defense is worse than the Pats?

 

[vtred]

According to Francesa...he was part of the team that recommended to CBS to broadcast the Flutie Hail Mary game...

 

[nattysez]

According to Francesa...he was part of the team that recommended to CBS to broadcast the Flutie Hail Mary game...

 
I would've sworn he'd said that he was responsible for "setting up" that game, and I couldn't for the life of me figure out what he meant.  If he just meant "getting it on TV," that's at least plausible.

 

[Dan Murfman]

I would've sworn he'd said that he was responsible for "setting up" that game, and I couldn't for the life of me figure out what he meant.  If he just meant "getting it on TV," that's at least plausible.

That's the way I heard it too in that he set up the game.

 

[bankshot1]

Opens with: Ellsbury in Yankee OF in '14 is a no-brainer, but that contract makes no sense.

 

[vtred]

Basically saying Red Sox got in Yankees head...bad move long term

 

[bosox0192]

Mentioned that Ellsbury is an injury prone player several times. Stunned by the contract. Always liked him as a player but he’s only had one great year. Should not give a 30-year old, injury prone player whose game is built on speed that many years for those kinds of dollars.

 

[RedOctober3829]

I'm not sure why he's down on the contract.  He's the one who's been saying if you are going to pay for an OF you are going to pay for Ellsbury over Choo.

 

[RedOctober3829]

"He's got heart Mike.  He's got heart.  Cano has no heart Mike."
 
"He'll have lower numbers than Cano, but with the heart Mike he'll be better than Cano Mike.  With the addition of the heart and hustle Mike."
 
Mike just ripped this guy a new a-hole.

 

[Granite Sox]

Mike says they have to trade Gardner now.  Ells in CF, Soriano in LF.
 
"What is Cano going to ask for now if the Yankees paid Ellsbury > $20M a year!"
 
Edit:
 
Caller: "Nobody's talking about the red flag on his HR totals... 9... 8... 4... 32.  Isn't that a red flag to you?" (Generic PED accusation).
 
Mike: "I've not heard that on him.  Look at him... he's slight... he's a Navajo Indian."
 
Oh.  That solves it.

 

[bankshot1]

"Boras fleeced the Yanks"
 
I think he's pissed that this lowers the probability of Cano re-signing with the MFY.

 

[JBill]

"He's got heart Mike.  He's got heart.  Cano has no heart Mike."
 
"He'll have lower numbers than Cano, but with the heart Mike he'll be better than Cano Mike.  With the addition of the heart and hustle Mike."
 
Mike just ripped this guy a new a-hole.

That was great. Also great was the caller who said that Ellsbury can't come to NY and be soft over injuries because that won't fly in New Yahwk, he'll have DEREK JETER to answer to.

These calls are gold. Mike freaks out whenever any Cano comparisons come up.

 

[Freddy Linn]

"Slight guy. Navaho Indian.  Quite slight."

 

[RedOctober3829]

That was great. Also great was the caller who said that Ellsbury can't come to NY and be soft over injuries because that won't fly in New Yahwk, he'll have DEREK JETER to answer to.

These calls are gold. Mike freaks out whenever any Cano comparisons come up.

His fretting today is so funny because all offseason when OF's came up he always says he'd pay Ellsbury over all of the other options such as Choo.  Now, they pay him and he's all mad.  Sure, they overpaid for him but FAs get overpaid as a rule.

 

[E5 Yaz]

Has he mentioned the "third highest paid outfielder of all time" (behind Hamilton and Manny) that's a talking point around the radio today? That seems like an easy thing for Mikey to use as a trigger.

 

[nattysez]

"Pedroia's numbers are nowhere near Cano's."
 
"WAR is wrong.  Their stats last year are not comparable."
 
"Pedroia is an intangible player."
 
Mike will not hear about Pedroia being close to the same player as Cano. 

 

[NJ Fan]

"Pedroia's numbers are nowhere near Cano's."
 
"WAR is wrong.  Their stats last year are not comparable."
 
"Pedroia is an intangible player."
 
Mike will not hear about Pedroia being close to the same player as Cano. 

Following up on that...the caller said that Cano had a 6.0 WAR and Pedey a 5.4.  That's when FF said "WAR is wrong."  That was all kinds of awesome.

 

[Mystic Merlin]

Conclusory statements and inconsistency, both byproducts of a reverse engineered position.
 
That's our Mike.

 

[ifmanis5]

Pedey? I thought Jeter was the intangible captain?  :blink:

 

[bankshot1]

The "WAR is wrong" statement was great.
 
This is a guy who thought war was a kids card game 2 years ago.
 
Once Mike is locked into a particular thought, that's it.

 

[NJ Fan]

More on discussion from FF:
 
Gold Gloves: 3 Pedroia, 1 Cano
 
Silver Slugger: 1 Pedroia, 5 Cano
 
WAR: Last 4 yrs, 29.7 (Cano) to 21.5 (Pedey)
 
"Pedroia's got years he's knocked in 40 runs...60 runs..."
 
Edit: "I agree Pedroia's a wonderful player but he's not the equal of Cano.  He gets the uniform dirty...a rah rah guy...an intangible guy.  That's where he beats Cano."
 
Next caller: "Pedroia has a higher OBP for his career than Cano."

 

[Laschelle Tarver]

Mike goes back five years in comparing Cano/Pedroia stats, and conveniently leaves out 2008.

 

[NJ Fan]

The most recent caller was all kinds of awesome.

 

[Freddy Linn]

Keep the updates coming...

 

[eric hetzel]

Mike likes statistics until he doesn't like them.  

 

[Bob Montgomerys Helmet Hat]

Pedroia's on base percentage is higher only if you count all of the early years.

 

[NJ Fan]

Mike then refutes the earlier call by providing the OBP stats from just the last 4 years, talking about the sizable difference and dismissing "the early years of their careers."  Mentions .381 vs .372 one year.  (I have not looked this up to authenticate.)
 
He stupidly keeps saying that everyone would've taken the Seattle over.  "If someone's gonna give you an extra $70 million in your job, aren't you going to take it?"