Mike Francesa’s competition is treating him the same way the WFAN host treats his callers.
Several national radio hosts have taken digs at Francesa over his blunders that became instant Internet fodder. The most famous Francesa blooper of recent vintage is when he fell asleep during an interview with Yankees reporter Sweeny Murti in September 2012.
This was almost two years ago, and people are still having fun with it. His former partner Chris “Mad Dog” Russo was the latest. Russo was interviewing Murti earlier in the week on MLB Network’s “High Heat” and took this dig at Francesa.
Before that it was Paul Finebaum, who is essentially the Mike Francesa of the South and is going to be one of the faces of ESPN’s SEC Network. In an interview with SI.com last month, Finebaum took an unprovoked shot at Francesa.
“I never like to make guarantees, but one thing I won’t do is fall asleep while doing the show,” Finebaum told the website.
Francesa’s frustration with his Fox Sports show being preempted by soccer coverage has become the biggest storyline from his first months on the national network. Francesa has taken time on the show to vent about it.
His lack of knowledge about soccer was evident during the World Cup when he asked St. John’s coach Dave Masur if players “kick with both legs.” This was obviously heresy for the diehards who follow the sport for more than one month every four years.
And ESPN host Colin Cowherd, who never sounds uneducated, brought it up last week on his show.