This week, Mike Francesa fans and observers are going through massive withdrawals not being able to see his various orchestrations and idiosyncracies on TV. Instead, they have had to deal with listening to him either on WFAN or through various CBS Radio streaming apps. It's definitely an adjustment.
On Monday, Francesa's former TV home, YES Network began simulcasting his crosstown radio rival, Michael Kay from ESPN Radio NY. Immediately, Kay began to troll Francesa by throwing a bottle of Diet Coke, a patented Francesa prop, into the trash.
When his YES simulcast ended last Friday, the conditional thinking was that Francesa's show would move to rival MSG Network or maybe even SNY. However, a new candidate has emerged and interestingly, it might involve the owners of the YES Network, Fox Sports.
Newsday's Neil Best reports that the Sports Pope could end up airing on Fox Sports 1 which would take his show national as opposed to just a regional audience on YES. It would mean that Fox would have both Kay and Francesa on its airwaves at the same time.
During Tuesday's show, Francesa was coy on where he would end up.
Mike Francesa said (on air) that @SNYtv is not big on radio simulcasts. Also: "I would quickly exceed their budget, I can tell you that."
— Neil Best (@sportswatch) February 4, 2014
Why not Francesa on @CBSSportsNet? "Those guys would put Attila the Hun on their network before they'd put me on." http://t.co/PQW93LdyjX
— Neil Best (@sportswatch) February 4, 2014
Francesa says he would like to be back on TV by the NCAA Final Four or April 1. Francesa's presence on telvision is definitely missed and having him back would mean getting viral gems like this, this or this.
[Newsday]
