Don’t count your Francesa farewells just yet at WFAN

On a daily basis, Mike (Sports Pope) Francesa takes calls on his WFAN balcony from loyal supplicants who thank him for his work or say they are going to “miss” him when he leaves the station in December. Wonder how the pontiff really feels about these sincere tributes, especially if he’s not actually sure he will definitely be leaving the FAN Cave.

Any reader of this space knows that shortly after Francesa said he would “retire from WFAN” we wrote we will believe it when we actually see it. Now, months later, our feeling is even stronger. We don’t think he’s going anywhere. There are too many rumblings inside the radio industry about Francesa looking for a way to continue on at WFAN, maybe not doing five hours a day, but still with a major presence on the station.

It would not surprise us in the least if Francesa is trying to make that happen or is discussing the possibility with CBS suits. CBS Radio owns FAN, but will relinquish control to Entercom Communications by the end of 2017. So, if he is looking for a contract extension, it makes sense for Francesa to deal with executives he knows rather than others at Entercom who don’t know him and may not “appreciate” his style.

Considering Francesa’s history of saying one thing, doing another — or denying he said it in the first place — this scenario which ends with him extending his contract, taking a pay cut, and remaining at FAN is plausible and by no means stunning. Francesa could easily explain his change of heart. He could say he just couldn’t leave the loyal audience who supported him all these years. Nor could he walk out on WFAN, leaving the station vulnerable to a ratings slide in afternoon drive.

Or (and this would be vintage Francesa) he could say management came to him urging him, begging him to stay. So, being the loyal guy he is he granted them their wish. Francesa, in a soliloquy, could hold himself up as a combination team player/savior and repeat that characterization at least 10 times in 15 minutes. Then he could take three hours of phone calls with the unwashed masses kissing his tuchis, telling him how great it is that he’s staying.

Now, Francesa can go on the air Monday, Tuesday or any other day next week, shoot all the speculation down and say he is leaving in December. Would anyone really believe him? Then again, would CBS, or any single executive there, really want him back?

Remember, nearly two years ago Francesa went on the air and said CBS Radio was “doing a good job of running” WFAN “into the ground.” He further stated: “We are on different roads and the two may never meet again.” Has CBS in general, or any specific executives who may now be dealing with Francesa, forgiven him for those remarks?

CBS could also see the upside of a Francesa exit. His departure would give WFAN the chance to change its sound in afternoon drive and maybe get younger. While the candidate often mentioned to replace Francesa is Jersey Guv Chris Christie (his likeability factor is in the toilet) there are other candidates capable of high impact who could work in a variety of combinations in afternoon drive. Like Evan Roberts, Joe Benigno, Chris Carlin, Chris Simms, Marc Malusis, Robin Lundberg, Tiki Barber, Brandon Tierney and Sal Licata.

Who knows, one of these lucky Gasbags could wind up working with the Pope.

For, as far as we are concerned, when January 1, 2018 rolls around, Francesa will still be hanging up on callers and nodding off behind the WFAN microphone.

THURSDAY NIGHT BURNOUT

If the NFL’s TV Gnomes were following the fallout after CBS Sports’ decision to replace Phil Simms with Tony Romo, they might want to consider changing their Thursday Night Football policy, which forces CBS and NBC to use their No. 1 NFL announce teams on the telecasts.

The commentary about how double-duty may have adversely impacted Simms’ performance was justified. It wouldn’t take much to get any voice involved in TNF (Cris Collinsworth wasn’t exactly killing it on Thursdays) to admit that doing two games a week can result in overload and a sub-standard performance by even the top playby-play voices and analysts. Romo will learn this quickly. The league should think about changing this policy when contractually possible, or sooner. There would be nothing wrong with creating unique TNF teams that would have time to prepare. Ultimately, it would make the TV production better.

APOLOGIES TO ‘MA’

Does anyone think Yankees radiocaster Suzyn (Ma Pinstripe) Waldman was forced to apologize to Clint Frazier? I do. Ma was thrown under the bus by Yankees operatives who forced her to tell Frazier she was sorry for telling Benigno & Roberts the red-headed prospect asked the team about wearing Mickey Mantle’s retired No. 7 jersey. MLB sources, familiar with the situation, say Frazier may not have asked specifically about Mantle’s number but DID ask about other retired numbers.

Why this was made into a big deal is still a mystery. Why Waldman was forced to apologize is too. Here’s a broadcaster who has served the Yankees well for all these years. While she may be accused of being over-enthusiastic, she has also never displayed anything but impeccable credibility.

Someone in Yankee Land owes Waldman an apology.

LET THEM SPAT

The lesson learned by watching the First Take debate last week, where Stephen A. Smith attempted to inject a racial element into the Mavs honoring Tony Romo with a uniform, a few shots prior to the game, and a seat on the bench, is that three is a crowd.

As soon as it became apparent that the debate was down and dirty between SAS and Will (Pest) Cain, Max Kellerman should have become a spectator. His contribution was limited, and that’s being kind.

These debate shows routinely provide evidence the participants are more concerned with getting windy (producers should tell them to “wrap”) than thinking about viewers. If Kellerman was, he would have self-muzzled and let Cain and SAS go at it-to the max.

CLOWNING ON NBA

The longest running game of musical chairs in the history of sports television continues.

And that would be on ESPN’s NBA studio show. It’s at the point that if the sun rises it’s time for another change. That’s the only way to explain the Clown Community College crew moving Michelle Beadle in to replace Sage Marie Steele in the studio one week before the NBA playoffs.

Listening to ESPN’s reasons for the move is hearing double talk at its best. Let us be blunt: For whatever reason, the World Wide Leader can’t get it right with the NBA. Compared to the league’s other national partner — TNT — ESPN’s NBA studio productions look like a cable TV public access show.

And ESPN’s NBA game productions don’t come close to having the major event look TNT has on a weekly basis as well as the playoffs. Could it be ESPN doesn’t really care about the NBA? Do Mike Greenberg & Mike Golic still work together? Nearly every time we turn on their ESPN Radio morning show someone is filling in for one of the guys. And when M&M do work together they sound like they are just indulging each other. Very discomforting to listeners... Candid stuff from Rangers’ fan Norman Julius Esiason who, multiple times on his radio show (with Craig Cartoon), called MSG Blueshirts voices Sam Rosen and Joe Micheletti “propagandists.” That’s a fancy way of calling them shills... FANDroids have started interviewing candidates to replace Francesa on his “Football Sunday show.”... FAN is also looking for a Jets reporter to replace Chris Lopresti on that beat. Economics, moo-la-dee, was the sticking point.