End of An Era

There have been many twists and turns in my life since becoming an adult 22 years ago. Changes in direction, changes in location, changes in attitude. Some changes were very minuscule in the big picture of life. Some changes were very significant, both that affect me personally and those from an observant standpoint.

Through this, however, there have been a few constants that I could always rely on. Family is certainly one of them. Many friends have changed, but some have remained constant throughout. And then there are the things that you could always count on to help entertain and inform, those outside sources that could, in the words of Jim Valvano, make you, "laugh, cry, and think" to make for a full day. Sadly, one of those constants is no more.

After 19 years together, the Mike and the Mad Dog radio program in New York has come to an end.

Maybe sports isn't your thing; that's okay. Maybe sports talk isn't your thing; I understand where you are coming from. But for someone who loves sports, and someone who has come to appreciate sports talk as a medium, today is a day of sadness for me. As someone who not only listened loyally for two decades two this show, but who also briefly engaged as a production intern at the station and got to know Mike Francesa and Chris "Mad Dog" Russo, it is a tough ending to a working partnership that not only revolutionized the sports talk genre, but has come to define the best of it.

I remember being a listener to the fledgling station in that first year of 1987 and early into 1988, and knowing that it was the ONLY sports radio station in the entire United States, most said the idea of 24-hour sports radio would never work. In 1989, the radio station decided to pair Mike, who had been working mid days with Ed Coleman, and Mad Dog, who had just moved over from WMCA, to takeover the afternoon drive time slot previously occupied by Pete Franklin, who was great in Cleveland but awful in New York.

It was always an uneasy partnership. Mike is perceived as a curmudgeon, a know-it-all who's opinion was the only one that matter, prickly and over-sensitive about his weight. Dog is perceived as a flighty and screaming know-it-all, who was always trying to out scream everyone that he was right, with a ridiculous laugh. They were often so steadfast in their opinions that they often fought, sometimes on-air.

Yet, through it all, it was a fabulous relationship. It was honest. It was funny. It was, at it best, as good as radio talk shows, not sports talk shows, but talk shows, could ever be.

And as a New York sports fan, we went through all the important moments with them. Whether it was the Giants Super Bowls, the Jets playoff run in 98, the Yankees playoff runs, the Rangers and Devils and Knicks title runs, the 9/11 tragedy, and so much more. Many of us like me experienced a lot of these moments with Mike and Chris right by our side.

They were the first to go broadcast shows during Super Bowl week - now hundreds of stations send their program hosts to "Radio Row" because of these guys. The concept of a two-man talk show, in sports and other topics, came about because of their success.

For anyone that grew up listening to them, and anyone who grew old listening to them, today is like the day the announced the break-up of the Beatles. I know this because every television station in New York City led last night with the news of their announcement.

Sports radio will never be the same for me. Sure Mike will continue in the drivetime slot for WFAN, and Chris will likely go onto other things. But it just won't be the same. It just won't be the same.

So, on behalf of the millions and millions of people that had the pleasure to listen to you guys, and to the smaller group of us that got to know you even a little bit, to quote the late great Bob Hope, "Thanks for the memories".