Mike Francesa is retiring from WFAN after 30 years behind the microphone. It’s time to pay homage to the Sports Pope.
Before we get into Episode 95, as a reminder, The Bridge is broadcast as a one-hour radio show every Wednesday night at 7 ET / 4 PT on Sports Radio America. A rerun is then aired the following hour as well. Once the dust settles from that live broadcast, the show is released as a podcast on iTunes and on this website the following day on Thursday. You can listen to the show every Wednesday on Sports Radio America here or through the TuneIn app, and find some bonus content, including a weekly gambling segment, when the show comes out in podcast form.
- “Sports News Read Like Real News” throwback told the tale of the “Ode to Mike Francesa” monologue performed during the Zaun for Good contest, live at this year’s FrancesaCon 4. The segment includes audio from the contest itself, hosted by Chris “Mad Dog” Russo impressionist, Mike Benevento (3:05).
- The Bridge Question of the Week is: What will you miss most about Mike Francesa on WFAN, and why? Leave a voicemail or text in your answer to 929-BRIDGE7, that’s 929-274-3437, and you’ll make it on the next show.
Well, the time has finally arrived. Mike Francesa is retiring from WFAN after 30 years behind the microphone and will sign off with his last show on Friday, Dec. 15. So, to honor him, I decided to produce a Mike Francesa Goodbye Show Spectacular, complete with a bakers’s dozen worth interviews from those who have worked with or around him, and from those who have listened to him for decades. Several of the guests you’ll hear have appeared on this show in the past, others I have met in person or got to meet and will be making their debut, but all have some sort of ties to The Bridge. With their stories as a guide, we will tell the tale of 30 years of Mike Francesa, from Mike and the Mad Dog, to Mike’s On, to familiar on air moments and everything in between. You won’t hear much from me, only as a narrator to the story. This is my longest show to date, so a small apology for length, but you can easily jump around through each interview. Think of it as a movie of sorts. The Bridge presents, the Mike Francesa Goodbye Tour Spectacular.
- Damon Amendolara, Host of The DA Show on CBS Sports Radio ~ @DAonCBS (18:27)
- Interview with Mike Francesa as a senior in high school in 1997
- His brief “feud” with Mike Francesa over a sports update
- Jason Keidel, Sports writer for WFAN and CBS Sports ~ @JasonKeidel (30:01)
- Thoughts on the Mike and the Mad Dog 30 for 30
- John Jastremski, Host of JJ After Dark on WFAN ~ @John_Jastremski (31:58)
- Bumping into Mike at the office
- Kim Jones, NFL Network reporter and fill-in on WFAN ~ @KimJonesSports (34:33)
- TURN MY MIC ON!!!
- Debating with Mike on his show
- Mike Babchik, Co-host of the Morning Men on SiriusXM Mad Dog Sports Radio ~ @Babchik (37:51)
- Interning at WFAN
- Getting Mike his lunch
- Evan Cohen, Co-host of the Morning Men on SiriusXM Mad Dog Sports Radio ~ @EvCoRadio (43:27)
- Being a Mike and the Mad Dog “superfan”
- Kevin Clancy, Barstool Sports ~ @KFCBarstool (46:50)
- The Barstool Sports “Numbah One” t-shirt
- Al from White Plains, Mongo Nation ~ (57:54)
- Calling into the show
- Mike and the Mad Dog’s influence on sports radio
- Mark Mongo, Mongo Nation ~ @markmongo (1:08:09)
- Mongo Nation and getting interviewed by Mike in studio
- Katie Baker, Mong(a) Nation ~ @katiebakes (1:08:09)
- Getting to interview Mike Francesa
- Bill Buchanan, Mike Zaun ~ @BigActionBill (1:12:24)
- Mike Zaun
- Impersonating Mike Francesa on the show
- Mike Benevento, “Mad Dog” ~ @MikeBenevento (1:17:44)
- Performing as Chris Russo for Mike Francesa
- Impersonating Chris Russo on the show
- Sour Shoes, Mike from Mahopac ~
@powerofsour(1:21:10)
- The one, the only, Sour Shoes
- What guests will miss the most
- Special thanks and a hat tip to @OrdioMongo, Funhouse and @MikeFrancesaNY for years worth of clips and content to use as reference.
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