Memorable moments in Mike and the Mad Dog history

"Mike and the Mad Dog" helped pioneer the sports talk radio genre, which still was in its infancy when the show debuted Sept. 5, 1989. It quickly began to challenge the print media's traditional power and influence.

Mike Francesa and Chris Russo often helped set the local sports agenda, influencing even what sports editors at newspapers considered important, to the dismay of their own reporters and columnists.

At times, the duo had a direct impact on events, such as when they encouraged the Mets to pursue Mike Piazza in 1998.

IN 1991, while Mike Francesa was still with CBS Sports at the NCAA basketball tournament, Chris Russo criticized CBS' coverage of the event. Francesa called Russo to ask him to stop. Russo wouldn't, and it led to one of their many on-air arguments.
IN 1992, when Francesa was on vacation, Russo introduced the show by saying "Welcome to ... and the Mad Dog." Francesa called station executives and wanted an apology, which he didn't get. When Francesa returned, there was a meeting with executives, and the two were rumored to have come close to blows.

WHEN THE SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS were knocked out of the NLCS in 2003, Russo went into a rant over the ineptness of his favorite team. He said if they could win the World Series "one time," he would give up everything he owned, including his three children.

IN 2005, Francesa and Russo were doing their annual summer show from the Jersey shore, and Russo had professed that the Yankees, not the Giants, were now his baseball team. Francesa wanted him to admit that Mickey Mantle was a better player than Willie Mays. Russo couldn't do it and shouted "We hate the Yankees!" on the air.

ON OCT. 9, 2006, Francesa and Russo got into an acrimonious conversation with Yankees pitcher Cory Lidle, who called them to object to criticism leveled by the pair toward him. Two days later, Lidle died in a plane crash in Manhattan. They didn't take calls to their show in the aftermath, leading to criticism that they might not be able to take criticism themselves.