Mike Francesa Answers NJD Draft Questions

[Devils Pride 26]

One of my earliest memories, and I'm sure a handful of other 20-30 year olds, was driving around with my dad is his truck. It was always 660 AM on. I still prefer the old jingle to the new one just from growing up with it. "Sports radioooooo, 66. The Fan! WFAN, New Yooooork!" Anyway, my dad used to get livid because of the stuff mentioned already. Up until the last couple years, I used to get pissed too. But I've learned to laugh it off. Instead of getting pissed about what Francesa said I'll call my dad and buddies and we'll  get a good laugh out of how stupid it sounds.

I think there's a good portion of people that don't think Francesa is any good but for whatever reason just can't stop listening. Habit, whatever it may be. For me it's the laughs and thinking back of being a little kid driving around with my dad. Francesa leaving is going to be bittersweet just because many of us have known nothing else. I hope they replace him with an equal pompous jackass, Christie would be perfect. 

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

5 hours ago, Devils Pride 26 said:

One of my earliest memories, and I'm sure a handful of other 20-30 year olds, was driving around with my dad is his truck. It was always 660 AM on. I still prefer the old jingle to the new one just from growing up with it. "Sports radioooooo, 66. The Fan! WFAN, New Yooooork!" Anyway, my dad used to get livid because of the stuff mentioned already. Up until the last couple years, I used to get pissed too. But I've learned to laugh it off. Instead of getting pissed about what Francesa said I'll call my dad and buddies and we'll  get a good laugh out of how stupid it sounds.

I think there's a good portion of people that don't think Francesa is any good but for whatever reason just can't stop listening. Habit, whatever it may be. For me it's the laughs and thinking back of being a little kid driving around with my dad. Francesa leaving is going to be bittersweet just because many of us have known nothing else. I hope they replace him with an equal pompous jackass, Christie would be perfect. 

Funny, I think there's a bit of truth to this...that there are people who tune in out of habit and think Fatso is a complete buffoon, and listen to him just to hear how bad he is (and how oblivious he is to the joke he's become).  I do get that, but usually you need some level of ying to balance out the yang...if there were more endearing parts to his personality (like the ability to laugh at himself just a little), that would make him so much easier to take. 

10 hours ago, DevsMan84 said:

I think American audiences are slowly starting to get over the high scores = high excitement mindset.  While I agree with the penalty kick part will still be a little hard to swallow, I think those 1-0 scores aren't really much of a deterrent as they used to (Also 0-0 scores are not THAT common).

Look at the NBA right now.  High scoring games but the hype seems to have died down a little bit compared to past years.  Also having 2 teams basically buzzsawing through the rest of the league doesn't really help much either.  I am not saying soccer will one day rank equal to say MLB, NFL or NBA, but I think it might get pretty damn close to the NHL in popularity eventually.

Low scoring is one thing, but there are just way too many 1-0 games...especially for the amount of game time.  I don't know how the clock works in MLS, but I think there's factors of the "rest of the world" game that won't ever click with Americans...like a running clock (that counts forward), then some ref deciding to add extra time based on judgment...we're to the point now that in American clock-based sports, we want every second accounted for with hyper-accuracy...the whole "added time based on judgment" concept is never going to sit right with some.  Players collapsing like they've been shot after moderate contact is also very annoying...and with the penalty kick scenarios, there will always be Americans who will say "Holy sh!t, can you imagine if the Super Bowl was decided by field goal attempts, or the World Series was won via a home run derby, etc?"  Frank DeFord (who just passed away) wrote an article many years ago about how soccer is a flawed game, and I agree with him...not saying that it can't be fun to watch...my family had season tix for Cosmos games back in the late 70s-early 80s prior to the NASL folding, and we had a great time more often than not (I think that's why I love tailgating so much).  But I think soccer is just too quirky to get a lot of Americans on board with the professional leagues (and I admit that there's some of this with ice hockey too...it's been discussed, but a lot of people I know flat-out don't give a sh!t about hockey and never will, despite being huge fans of the NFL, MLB, NBA, etc).   

As far as the NBA goes, I think the problem is more that, like you say, right now the Finals seem pre-ordained, and even worse, with Durant playing for the Warriors, now it's a clear 1 and (distant) 1A scenario, with no one else even close.  A possible 16-0 postseason is impressive, but definitely awful for business. 

[Daniel]

Soccer as a spectator sport won't make it here because the best players in the world will always be playing in Europe.  Same way hockey in North America, especially the US, would die if hypothetically all the best players in the world went over to the KHL and the NHL became a league for AHL level players.

Being really, really boring doesn't help soccer all that much either.

[DevsMan84]

6 hours ago, Colorado Rockies 1976 said:

Funny, I think there's a bit of truth to this...that there are people who tune in out of habit and think Fatso is a complete buffoon, and listen to him just to hear how bad he is (and how oblivious he is to the joke he's become).  I do get that, but usually you need some level of ying to balance out the yang...if there were more endearing parts to his personality (like the ability to laugh at himself just a little), that would make him so much easier to take. 

Low scoring is one thing, but there are just way too many 1-0 games...especially for the amount of game time.  I don't know how the clock works in MLS, but I think there's factors of the "rest of the world" game that won't ever click with Americans...like a running clock (that counts forward), then some ref deciding to add extra time based on judgment...we're to the point now that in American clock-based sports, we want every second accounted for with hyper-accuracy...the whole "added time based on judgment" concept is never going to sit right with some.  Players collapsing like they've been shot after moderate contact is also very annoying...and with the penalty kick scenarios, there will always be Americans who will say "Holy sh!t, can you imagine if the Super Bowl was decided by field goal attempts, or the World Series was won via a home run derby, etc?"  Frank DeFord (who just passed away) wrote an article many years ago about how soccer is a flawed game, and I agree with him...not saying that it can't be fun to watch...my family had season tix for Cosmos games back in the late 70s-early 80s prior to the NASL folding, and we had a great time more often than not (I think that's why I love tailgating so much).  But I think soccer is just too quirky to get a lot of Americans on board with the professional leagues (and I admit that there's some of this with ice hockey too...it's been discussed, but a lot of people I know flat-out don't give a sh!t about hockey and never will, despite being huge fans of the NFL, MLB, NBA, etc).   

As far as the NBA goes, I think the problem is more that, like you say, right now the Finals seem pre-ordained, and even worse, with Durant playing for the Warriors, now it's a clear 1 and (distant) 1A scenario, with no one else even close.  A possible 16-0 postseason is impressive, but definitely awful for business. 

Valid points.  I personally do not like the penalty kick deciding the game part of soccer and yeah the faking of injuries is probably the worst in soccer.  I think that what a lot of American's think of as being "flawed" is really just American's being frustrated that soccer leaves a lot of variables and they can't stat-geek it to death like other sports.  It's a little bit more unpredictable and makes it hard to have many-hours long discussions on the radio regarding stats and other stuff that gets hammered to death when for instance Fatso talks about batting averages, slugging %'s, etc.

[DevsMan84]

22 minutes ago, Daniel said:

Soccer as a spectator sport won't make it here because the best players in the world will always be playing in Europe.  Same way hockey in North America, especially the US, would die if hypothetically all the best players in the world went over to the KHL and the NHL became a league for AHL level players.

Being really, really boring doesn't help soccer all that much either.

First paragraph makes a really good point and agree.

Second one, I disagree.  I have been bored to death at NBA and MLB games.  Never have been at MLS games.  It's personal opinion and to state it as some universal fact is silly.

[Daniel]

6 minutes ago, DevsMan84 said:

 

Second one, I disagree.  I have been bored to death at NBA and MLB games.  Never have been at MLS games.  It's personal opinion and to state it as some universal fact is silly.

My opinions reflect universal truths.  Science proves that soccer is boring. 

[T0asterleav1ns]

It's called the Beautiful Game for a reason. High level soccer is hard to top to be honest, but it definitely gets boring when the skill level isn't up to par. 

[Daniel]

1 minute ago, Toasterleavins said:

It's called the Beautiful Game for a reason. High level soccer is hard to top to be honest, but it definitely gets boring when the skill level isn't up to par. 

It's called the "Beautiful Game" by effete navel gazers. 

[DevsMan84]

47 minutes ago, Daniel said:

My opinions reflect universal truths.  Science proves that soccer is boring. 

I rather watch that than sitting in the stands at an MLB game where there is maybe a few seconds of action every few minutes while listening to guys around me reciting obscure stats about each player to keep themselves awake.

But whatever floats your boat.

['7']

But ask him about some random horse that ran at Aqueduct and he'll know...

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

I do like baseball myself, but they really need to speed things up in MLB...often too much time between pitches, and though replays are helping with calls being correct, it's not making anything any faster.  

[Daniel]

21 minutes ago, DevsMan84 said:

I rather watch that than sitting in the stands at an MLB game where there is maybe a few seconds of action every few minutes while listening to guys around me reciting obscure stats about each player to keep themselves awake.

But whatever floats your boat.

 

 

[DevsMan84]

You've got cartoons that haven't been funny in over 15 years, I have real life examples:

 

[T0asterleav1ns]

2 hours ago, Daniel said:

It's called the "Beautiful Game" by effete navel gazers. 

 

Well there is something to be said for the minimum necessary attention span... its certainly higher for soccer than most other sports. I can see why you don't like it. 

[MadDog2020]

I've tried to watch soccer... Can't get into it. Boring as fvck.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Beezer34]

27 minutes ago, '7' said:

But ask him about some random horse that ran at Aqueduct and he'll know...

This is my point exactly. More people know what's going on in the NHL then when he drones about what happened in golf @ Oakmont. Or the horses at Belmont Stakes. Or George Pfister's struggle as Farm Director in 1968.

[MadDog2020]

This is my point exactly. More people know what's going on in the NHL then when he drones about what happened in golf @ Oakmont. Or the horses at Belmont Stakes. Or George Pfister's struggle as Farm Director in 1968.

Francesa claims he doesn't talk about hockey because not enough people care... No Mike. YOU don't care. Ever notice that Mike just talks about the things HE'S interested in, regardless of their popularity? Yeah... I think I'm safe in assuming that there are significantly more hockey fans than horse racing fans in the NJ/NY Metro area. That's all it is. He doesn't like/understand hockey, so he refuses to discuss it on the guise that there aren't enough hockey fans. Other hosts on both NYC sports stations do it too. If you talk hockey, hockey fans will call up. If you don't, they won't call. This area has more than enough hockey fans to dedicate a lot more time to it, but the two stations and their hosts don't give a fvck about hockey, so they ignore it.  

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

 

[Beezer34]

6 minutes ago, MadDog2020 said:

I think I'm safe in assuming that there are significantly more hockey fans than horse racing fans in the NJ/NY Metro area.

I'll go a step further.. I'd say that more people want to hear about hockey than NCAA in our area! (nevermind soccer, horse racing, bowling, boxing, golf.. or any of the other bullsh!t he gives air-time to over hockey) I forget where\when I read it, and I'm too lazy to look.. but I remember seeing that his ratings take a big dip during March, which shocked me given the perceived height of March Madness.

[MadDog2020]

I'll go a step further.. I'd say that more people want to hear about hockey than NCAA in our area! (nevermind soccer, horse racing, bowling, boxing, golf.. or any of the other bullsh!t he gives air-time to over hockey) I forget where\when I read it, and I'm too lazy to look.. but I remember seeing that his ratings take a big dip during March, which shocked me given the perceived height of March Madness.

No one around here gives a fvck about March Madness, but they shove it down our throats anyway because the typical NY sports radio host is a cliche at this point. They all love the big 3, (I at least enjoy the football talk, because I love football almost as much as hockey), ignore hockey til the playoffs, where they discuss it as long as the Rags are still in it; they then marvel at how great playoff hockey is, then once the Rags are eliminated, they go back to ignoring it- regardless if the Devils and/or Isles are still playing- and go back to talking about the lousy NBA playoffs/Mets and Yankees/What did Odell Beckham have for breakfast today. Thats NY sports radio in a nutshell.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

I think Beningo gives hockey a fair amount of attention.  Somers too, for whatever that's worth.  Boomer does, but yeah, not much compelling hockey talk 'round these parts. 

And yeah, Fatso has always beaten March Madness into the ground...even when some of his callers practically beg him to talk about something else...he almost does it in a "Because I'm Mike and because I CAN DAMMIT" kind of way, even though I don't think that many of his listeners really give a damn.  As much as I couldn't possibly care less about college basketball, at least it's not a crazy busy time of year, as far as other sports go...baseball is still in preseason, NFL is done as far as games to be played goes, and though the NBA and NHL are marching towards their playoffs, there's only so much a guy like Mike can say about the NHL without looking like a poser.  And that old tiger isn't changing his stripes now...so when he's finally mercifully gone for good, maybe his replacement starts giving hockey more attention.   

[mikemarc1]

29 minutes ago, MadDog2020 said:

No one around here gives a fvck about March Madness, but they shove it down our throats anyway because the typical NY sports radio host is a cliche at this point. They all love the big 3, (I at least enjoy the football talk, because I love football almost as much as hockey), ignore hockey til the playoffs, where they discuss it as long as the Rags are still in it; they then marvel at how great playoff hockey is, then once the Rags are eliminated, they go back to ignoring it- regardless if the Devils and/or Isles are still playing- and go back to talking about the lousy NBA playoffs/Mets and Yankees/What did Odell Beckham have for breakfast today. Thats NY sports radio in a nutshell.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

A whole lot of people in this area care about March Madness. To say "no one cares" is silly.

Have to realize that there are SO many people in this area, that even if only a minority percentage of them care about a sport, its still more people than in many other "hotbeds" of the sport in the country.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[DevsMan84]

3 minutes ago, mikemarc1 said:

A whole lot of people in this area care about March Madness. To say "no one cares" is silly.

Have to realize that there are SO many people in this area, that even if only a minority percentage of them care about a sport, its still more people than in many other "hotbeds" of the sport in the country.

Take away the gambling aspect of March Madness and 90% of the people who "cared" about it suddenly won't.

[MadDog2020]

Take away the gambling aspect of March Madness and 90% of the people who "cared" about it suddenly won't.

Beat me to it. All about the gambling and the brackets.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[mikemarc1]

12 minutes ago, DevsMan84 said:

Take away the gambling aspect of March Madness and 90% of the people who "cared" about it suddenly won't.

Agree, that aspect is a big part of it. 

 

But again, people care here. We have so many alumni from major Universities in this area. The popularity of college sports in huge here, though the percentage may not be.

 

 

 

 

[RunninWithTheDevil]

Listen to Hahn and Humpty