Mike Francesa, Chris Russo promise ‘vintage Mike & the Mad Dog’ at reunion show
Fans of the old “Mike and the Mad Dog” radio show forever are asking the principals whether they hate each other, which they insist they do not.
But even if they did, Chris Russo said Thursday, “We would pretend to love each other right now . . . The last thing we want to do here is make this a disaster where we go out there and fight with each other.
“We would never do that anyway, but how could you do that with all of this good vibe going on?”
Mike Francesa happened to be sitting next to Russo as he spoke and jokingly chimed in, “He’s pretending well. He is.”
So it has gone in recent weeks for the pioneering sports talk duo, who 7 1⁄2 years after ending their partnership of 19 years at WFAN are together again, helping plan and promote the “Mike and the Mad Dog Reunion Show.” It’s set for March 30 at Radio City Music Hall.
As Russo alluded, the fact that it is a fundraiser for the Garden of Dreams Foundation would make the kind of petty feuds Russo and Francesa sometimes fought bad form for this occasion.
But unless they are doing an exceedingly good acting job, they have exhibited an easy camaraderie around those who are organizing the show, led by the guy who came up with the idea — Barry Watkins, the Garden’s chief communications officer and chairman of the Garden of Dreams Foundation.
The Garden of Dreams works with partner organizations throughout the area to help children facing physical and/or socioeconomic obstacles.
Thursday morning at Radio City, Watkins presided over a 75-minute meeting during which Russo, Francesa and other Garden officials discussed details such as VIP access, poster design, wardrobe, how long Russo will have to draw out his famous show opening and what each man wants to drink in his dressing room.
Russo chose water, Francesa Diet Coke.
There were no signs of acrimony.
OK, so divvying up which questions submitted by fans to answer is not quite as contentious a subject as, say, Alex Rodriguez. Still, many stars have fought over less.
“We had our battles, we had our disagreements; everybody does,” Francesa said. “But we didn’t end the show despising each other. That was never an issue.
“So it hasn’t been any different than when we’d see each other at an event . . . There’s always been a very natural, easy relationship with us. We’ve never had any issues that way. At least I never have.”
Said Russo, “The idea that you could hate each other. We did 19 years. You had to like each other a little bit.”
Both men figured the event would be a success. Both were shocked by the magnitude of that success.
“The groundswell of anticipation for this has been amazing,” Francesa said. “The demand for tickets has been crazy . . . . Everywhere I go, someone asks me for tickets to this event. It’s amazing. I thought we’d sell it out, but I never thought we’d sell it out in 20 minutes.”
Said Russo, “I’m with Mike. I thought it would be successful. When you realize that after eight years you still have, with some people, this pull . . . That makes Mike and I feel good. So as a result, we’re going to have a good time with it.”
Watkins said the event will have raised more than $1 million before the doors open, with the hope for more to come in the form of donations during the show, which will be simulcast live on MSG Plus, WFAN and SiriusXM Satellite Radio.
Francesa and Russo will interview Mark Messier, Tom Coughlin, Bobby Valentine, Jeff Van Gundy and Joe Torre on stage, with the goal being to recreate some of the vibe of the old show.
“We’re going to give them vintage ‘Mike and the Mad Dog,’ ” Francesa said. “The show will open and you’ll hear Dog do that open and away we’ll go, and we’ll give them three hours of what we do . . . We want it to be a little uproarious and a little unpredictable, and I think that’s what it will be. It will be typical ‘Mike and the Mad Dog.’ ”
Neil Best first worked at Newsday in 1982, returned in 1985 after a detour to Alaska and has been here since, specializing in high schools, college basketball, the NFL and most recently sports media and business.
