'Frustration' for Francesa facing Fox fix
Mike Francesa is shown in his home in Manhasset on Thursday, March 13, 2014. Credit: Newsday / Chris Ware
Here is a column I wrote for the Tuesday paper regarding the ongoing problems with Mike Francesa's two-month old Fox simulcast.
Francesa admitted to a "high level of frustration," reflecting similar sentiments from his fans, who have watched the show bounce around from Fox Sports 1 to Fox Sports 2 to nowhere thanks to assorted preemptions.
Several readers of mine have correctly pointed out there is a hole in my story: a lack of specifics regarding how this awkward deal came about in the first place.
That is a very fair point. Part of the reason I did not write about that is that my on-the-record information on that topic is a bit murky and contradictory, so I steered clear of it.
But that's a copout. I at least could have written this: Clearly, there was some miscommunication or misunderstanding of exactly how often Fox Sports 1 commitments would force the simulcast to the much-less-well-distributed Fox Sports 2.
I think there will be a resolution of this matter in the relatively near future; I'm just not sure what that resolution will be. Stay tuned, as they say in the cliche business.
The reason I wrote about Francesa's simulcast Monday was not because of any news development on that front but rather because this is my first full week on the media beat in more than a month, thanks to my moonlighting as a Nets columnist.
The gig involved four round trips to Toronto and two to Miami, plus more Nets playoff cupcakes than I should have eaten.
Thank you to all of the Nets beat writers for being nice to me, especially to our own ace reporter, Rod Boone.
It is an extremely young group - probably the youngest pro beat I have seen in my 30 years covering NY sports - and generally a more cheerful one than the reporters who follow the Knicks.
Being young probably helps. So does not having to wait for Melo to get showered and dressed after night games on deadline.
Anyway, like I said, I'm back on the media beat . . . for now.
Thanks to the Super Bowl and Nets, I will be taking almost as much time off this summer as Francesa.
