Mike Francesca: "It was George Steinbrenner that came up with the idea of Mike and The Mad Dog"
Well, George Steinbrenner wanted Mike and the Mad Dog, and he sure as heck made sure that he had it!
Mike Francesca, the famous American radio host, credited former New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner for being the catalyst behind the legendary radio show, Mike and The Mad Dog.
On his BetRivers podcast, when quizzed by a listener, Francesca revealed that it was the brainchild of George Steinbrenner to stream the simulcast of Francesca’s legendary former WFAN show with Chris Russo on the YES Network.
“It was George Steinbrenner that came up with the idea of Mike and The Mad Dog being on the YES Network. No one else,” Francesa said, as covered by Barrett Sports Media.
Francesca was also quizzed by a listener via email about a fiery interview the duo had with Steinbrenner in the 1990s where Francesca cheesed off Steinbrenner quite a bit. Francesca admitted that angering Steinbrenner was entirely his fault and not Russo’s.
“They came to us when they were negotiating a new radio deal with him and they said, ‘Hey, we need a quick answer on this. Would you guys want to be on the YES Network every day, simulcasting? You know what Imus is doing with MSNBC? We wanna do it with you guys, but we need a very quick answer.’”
Steinbrenner also commanded extra credit for the podcast going viral because he tied it to the Yankees’ radio deal.
Best of "Mike and the Mad Dog": A testy 1990 interview with George Steinbrenner. LISTEN: bit.ly/2VAef3u #ThrowbackThursday https://t.co/R4RaX8htE3
"Best of "Mike and the Mad Dog": A testy 1990 interview with George Steinbrenner. LISTEN: http://bit.ly/2VAef3u #ThrowbackThursday" - WFAN Sports Network, Twitter
Mike and the Mad Dog was telecast on the YES Network from 2002-08. While the duo are no longer together, Francesa has remained on WFAN ever since. Russo, on the other hand, has joined SiriusXM.
It was credited for being one of the most successful sports-talk radio programs in American history.
George Steinbrenner revolutionized the New York Yankees and the game of baseball
Steinbrenner was the owner of Major League Baseball's New York Yankees from 1973 until his death in 2010. He is the longest-serving owner in the club's history.
His drive to be the greatest was instrumental to the Yankees' success. During his time with the Yankees, he won seven World Series championships and 11 American League pennants.
Steinbrenner was one of baseball's most controversial figures because of his outspokenness and role in skyrocketing player salaries.
Steinbrenner may be gone, but his legend will live on for years to come.