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Chris 'Mad Dog' Russo (l.) blasts former partner Mike Francesa for his softball handing of Alex Rodriguez in several interviews.
After sharing a radio studio with Mike (Sports Pope) Francesa for 20 years, Chris (Mad Dog) Russo knows what makes him tick.
At least he thought he did.
Even the Dog is hard-pressed to explain why his former WFAN partner is so infatuated with Alex Rodriguez, why he’s become the man’s top chef in charge of soft-boiled questions.
“I can’t understand. Mike is smarter than this, to be duped by A-Rod and fall into this trap,” Dog barked over the telephone Thursday. “This is the guy you’re going to defend — A-Rod? He knows A-Rod did steroids. What do you think, Mike’s stupid? He knows.”
There are other things the pontiff knows, too. He earned a gold star from Team A-Rod and cashed it for access to the beleaguered star for three interviews, including a 40-minute exclusive on Wednesday.
Until the time Francesa and Russo parted company in the summer of 2009, when Doggie split for his own “Mad Dog Radio” channel on SiriusXM, they had been involved in many a controversy, which included some of New York, and the nation’s, biggest sports personalities.
They singed air waves. Made news together. Headlines too.
“Now Mike has plenty of ratings, plenty of exposure,plenty of money and plenty of guests,” Russo said. “Does he need to coddle A-Rod to get back-page headlines after 30 years in the media business?”
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The New York Daily News back page for November 22, 2014.
On Thursday, one of the unwashed masses called the Pope to congratulate him “for being a part of the Daily News” A-Rod coverage.
“That means nothing to me,” Francesa shot back before blowing the caller off the air. Maybe he didn’t dig the picture.
Russo sounded befuddled trying to explain the way Francesa used to handle guests to the way he’s providing A-Rod with “a cushion” to land on.
“Mike usually sees conspiracy theories all over the place. And nine times out of 10 he’s right,” Russo said. “... Mike wants the show to have integrity in terms of opinions, nothing slanted — being honest. That’s always been his main goal and rightfully so. This time he’s gone the other way.”
Francesa is on a crusade. He’s trying to convince the Free World Rodriguez has been singled out for cruel and unusual punishment by Bud Selig, who he claims is the mastermind behind MLB’s “persecution” of Rodriguez.
“And I know Mike doesn’t like Selig,” said Russo, who has a long-strong relationship with the commissioner. Is that good enough reason for Francesa to throw A-Rod a Bootlicker’s Ball disguised as an interview? Reason enough to ignore the most obvious of questions while poor, picked-upon Alex displayed his defiant side?
“I know Mike is down on baseball. (He calls) Selig a used car salesman. Fair point. Fair opinion. I don’t have a problem with that,” Russo said. “But for Mike to go down this path constantly with A-Rod when he knows deep down A-Rod is a cheat — he knows it.”
Yet there are others things the Pope knows that he conveniently forgets. Like when A-Rod said “no” after Francesa asked: “Did you do any PEDs?”
Mike Stobe/Getty
Alex Rodriguez is one of the most polarizing figures in sports.
“How could Mike not say: ‘Come on A-Rod, you told Katie Couric the same thing (in 2007). Why am I supposed to believe you now?’ ” Russo said. “I’m shocked. Mike is too savvy, too thorough an interrogator, not to go there. It’s like he’s handing A-Rod a parachute.”
In case Russo needed to be reminded, that particular question didn’t meet the Pope’s squeezably soft Charmin test.
Or maybe he thinks this is what the unwashed masses want to hear. Or maybe, and most likely, Francesa thinks he’s the smartest cat in the room.
“There’s probably a lot of people who think I’m nuts, that’s good for A-Rod,” Russo said. “They hate Selig anyway and A-Rod is the little guy in this case. And the little guy is threatening authority. So a lot of people probably think Mike has done a good job with this.”
Yes, these are the same people who see Francesa as the 2013 version of Norma Rae. Or Eugene V. Debs. The fact he’s a well-paid talkie defending a multi-multi-millionaire athlete with a high-priced legal team, doesn’t register on the loyal flock.
If Russo was still teamed with the Pope, A-Rod would not have appeared on the show. “He would have never wanted to come on. Mike and I would have been debating this for months,” Russo said. “Mike would have taken A-Rod’s stance. I would have taken MLB’s stance. We would have gone at it. A-Rod wouldn’t have had the stomach to get in the middle of our fight.”
Still, if Rodriguez’s future in baseball should be limited, his three interviews with Francesa have left a lasting impression. They end with A-Rod saying he would like to return “to talk” sports. Maybe these new-found buddy boys can form a new sports-talk team. Francesa would finally have a replacement for Russo.
“A-Rod knows his sports,” Russo said, “but I don’t think Mike would ever do it.”
Yeah, he might be forced to actually ask Alex Rodriguez a tough question.
via www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/yankees/raissman-russo-dares-dog-mike-a-rod-issue-article-1.1525407
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