Mike Francesa empathizes with family of Craig Carton
Mike Francesa during a 'Mike and the Mad Dog' SiriusXM Town Hall at SiriusXM Studios on July 6, 2017. Credit: Getty Images for SiriusXM / Cindy Ord
Mike Francesa mostly has resisted commenting on the legal troubles engulfing former WFAN morning co-host Craig Carton, but he did weigh in briefly on Thursday when prompted by a caller.
“I don’t have anything to add to the situation, except that I feel very badly for his wife and kids,” the afternoon host said in an audio clip posted Thursday by the Twitter feed @BackAftaThis. “I know what it’s like to go through a childhood that can be turned upside down.”
Francesa was a child when his father left his family.
“I feel very badly and I have great empathy for his family and I really feel very, very badly for them and I hope things work out. That’s the bottom line. Other than that, as far as the situation, I have nothing to add — absolutely nothing.”
Carton resigned from the station Wednesday night, a week after being arrested on federal charges of conspiracy and securities and wire fraud in connection with an alleged Ponzi scheme involving a ticket reselling business.
Francesa, for years a target of Carton’s verbal barbs on and off the air, reiterated on his show that he still plans to leave the station on Dec. 15 but is open to discussions aimed at extending his stay if it would help the station through a difficult period.
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.
