Mike and The Mad Dog - Show Format and Discussions

Show Format and Discussions

The show started with its theme song and then with Russo's intro.

The show involved Francesa and Russo talking and arguing with each other or with callers about sports, and occasionally, about non-sports. They were also known for their hard-hitting questions in interviews with their guests. Francesa is the more cerebral of the pair and Russo will defer to him in most arguments. Russo is known to make bold statements when hosting the show solo but will back down when Francesa is co-hosting. Nevertheless, Russo also exhibits a vast knowledge of sports. One of the show's marketing pitches states: "Some shows report sports scores. We settle them."

The pair sometimes left their Astoria, Queens studios to do remote broadcasts from the Super Bowl, pre-season football camps, U.S. Open Tennis Championship (typically Russo hosts this show solo because Francesa is not a tennis fan), the Yankees and Mets' spring training sites, and playoff games for various New York teams.

The Mike and the Mad Dog show primarily concentrated on baseball and football. In an interview with the New York Daily News, Francesa said:

"As far as changes in the city, baseball has now become year-round. We cover baseball every single day of the year...just look at the back pages in November, December, they have screaming baseball headlines. Baseball has become so dominant in what we do."

Basketball and golf to a much lesser extent did receive mention, usually because the show had a strong relationship with Jim Nantz, an acclaimed golf and college basketball broadcaster, plus a few noted college coaches and NBA coaches, reporters, and broadcasters. It is well noted that Russo is a big fan of tennis; and tennis does get some play on their show (much to Francesa's chagrin) generally leading into and then during the four majors. Francesa is an admirer of horse racing, and the program devotes time to racing talk during the Triple Crown season, the summer meet at Saratoga Race Course in upstate New York, and the Breeders' Cup.

International sporting events such as the Tour de France got little mention except when there was a scheduled interview or major story. Both Russo and Francesa have admitted to not being experts in hockey, but playoff games involving the local teams were discussed and noted hockey guests have appeared. Boxing was not talked about much, as both hosts consider the sport not to be what it once was; both used to purchase certain pay-per-view fights. However, ESPN analyst Teddy Atlas was interviewed by Russo in 2006, while Atlas was promoting a book. Although Freddy Adu and a few other soccer celebrities have done interviews on the show, the FIFA World Cup and the sport itself, received little to no attention. The local soccer team, the New York Red Bulls, were not talked about. Russo said in his first book that he played as a teenager, but was not a big fan of the game.