In daily texts to his boss at WFAN, Mike Francesa will weigh in on a variety of topics. While Francesa may come across as charged up on the air, this daily barrage of messages is intense and incessant.
Though Francesa has said for years he does not pay attention to the other shows on his station, he is constantly texting Mark Chernoff, FAN’s vice president, with complaints about hosts, sources told The Post.
At the top of Francesa’s target list since his un-retirement in May: “Boomer and Gio,” the station’s morning program.
The show features former Jets quarterback Boomer Esiason and sidekick Gregg Giannotti, who often does a dead-on impersonation of Francesa that gnaws at the radio legend.
This week, Francesa took his private complaints public, imploring Giannotti to find new material and questioning the young host’s talent. Giannotti responded on the air Thursday morning.
“He’s an insecure bully who thinks those things are going to affect me, affect us, and it just doesn’t,” Giannotti said. “I never want to be the person who has had all the success that he’s had, all the money that he’s made, and be as miserable as he is and insecure and narcissistic and miserable, and that’s what he is.”
WFAN is the biggest local sports radio station in the country, but, even in its silly world, its current climate is of a fifth-grade recess.
Chernoff declined comment.
Francesa may be the biggest bully in the schoolyard, but he is seldom present. There is a feeling that his comeback has put a cloud over the station, even if he usually works from home.
Francesa returned to the FAN after his short retirement, citing the need to promote his personal app. He had no other substantial offers and came back for less money. He used the app as cover to justify the potential embarrassment of his return after his long retirement tour.
He displaced the young team of Chris Carlin, Maggie Gray and Bart Scott. CMB was embarrassed, while Boomer and Gio were peeved at Francesa’s disrespect. Sources said, in private meetings after Francesa’s return was official, all five of the other hosts agreed they would say their peace on-the-air and move on.
But the discomfort level stretched all the way from FAN’s Manhattan studios to Francesa’s home dock in Long Island.
“I knew it was going to be uncomfortable, but maybe it’s been more uncomfortable than I thought,” Francesa said a couple of weeks ago. “Probably has been.”
Francesa, 64, has been more cranky on the air — especially in recent weeks. He has pressure on him, as, in the latest rating week recorded, he lost to ESPN New York’s Michael Kay Show, 6.6-6.0, in the coveted men 25-54 age range, according to sources.
Ratings books are fully judged in three-month periods. In the first month, Francesa beat Kay, 6.3 to 5.5. Francesa — having never lost a ratings book to Kay’s team, and with FM and AM dials, as well as Kay being on YES diverting eyes and ears — still remains the clear favorite, but it is now a ballgame.
Francesa’s app has been widely written about. While no official numbers are known or have been reported, Francesa has claimed to have more than 800 subscribers for his $8.99-per-month service.
Francesa has been shouting for attention. He has gone after a media columnist, been feisty with new Mets general manager Brodie Van Wagenen and blasted his colleagues, most notably Giannotti. He extended that to Carlin, who once was his producer, but whom Francesa felt sided with Chris Russo when Mike & the Mad Dog divorced.
Francesa doesn’t have many of his facts straight. He said on the air that Giannotti and CMB host, Chris Carlin, had a fight in the station’s parking lot, when, in fact, they only exchanged words.
After The Post reported late last month that the Garden had begun a boycott of WFAN and Entercom over CMB host Gray’s personal comments about owner James Dolan, Giannottti sang a parody song in which he touched on a bunch of funny points, one of which was that no one listens to CMB.
Francesa unceremoniously replaced CMB but the displaced program has actually done quite well in early-afternoon ratings. Carlin, though, sources said, is sensitive to any perception that the program isn’t making some strides.
Carlin and Gio have been long-time friends, but a mad Carlin confronted Giannotti, telling him he was upset that he implied CMB didn’t have ratings.
Carlin told Giannotti, “[F–k] you!”
The two calmed down and, after five minutes, hugged it out at the end. Esiason, Giannotti’s co-host, witnessed the whole episode in a nearby Uber.
Francesa doesn’t seem to have much time for Giannotti or Carlin, but sources said he respects Chernoff, recognizing him as an all-time New York radio executive, having played major roles in the careers of Howard Stern, Don Imus and Mike & the Mad Dog. His private complaints to Chernoff have now been extended on to the air.
“I can laugh at this stuff, [Esiason] can laugh at this stuff,” Giannotti said. “Joe [Benigno] and Evan [Roberts] can laugh at this stuff, [Chris] Carlin laughs at this stuff, CMB, everybody laughs. But with [Francesa]: Can’t laugh. Can’t do it.”
Francesa has always been able to get ratings. While Kay has been closing in this book, Francesa has made noise. He may just be trying to reach deep, like an aging superstar, looking to win one more ratings book anyway he can — or he might just be really cranky.
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