The Reviews Are In, Mad Dog Still Mad
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Yesterday marked Chris Russo's first day on Sirius radio and most of the New York papers decided to review the inaugural performance. I know most of you probably aren't going to run out and buy a Sirius Sattelite boombox or anything but some of these reviews might sway you a bit because they're all pretty good....
Newsday: Sure, the topics were more national in scope than at his longtime perch at WFAN, and he had to talk more than ever, with fewer commercial breaks and no partner.Seems like a lot of the same, but I'm still skeptical about one person that's so NY-centric filling all of that time, and to a national audience. I'm still not going out and grabbing a satellite radio, but if you want your Russo, it seems like he has made the transition fine.
But the loosey, at times goofy, Russo of "Mad Dog Unleashed" was instantly recognizable to anyone who listened to "Mike and the Mad Dog" during the previous 19 years.
Mostly, Russo seemed if not "unleashed," then at least unburdened, happy to have begun his new $3-million-a-year career as a solo act after dissolving his partnership with Mike Francesa.
NY Daily News: By the second segment, Russo got the number down. "The number is 888 Mad Dog Six," he said. "What do you think I was going to call my channel, The Francesa?"
On Sirius, there will be fewer commercial breaks and updates than on WFAN. No traffic and weather reports. No Francesa. Russo will be gabbing 46 minutes each hour, five hours a day, five days a week.
"If I'm worried at all it's about the length (of the show)," Russo. "I'm worried about protecting my voice on a day-in, day-out basis."
Other than that, Russo has been preoccupied with connecting to a national audience. To hear him talk, finding the proper balance will be some kind of mystical experience.
NY Times: “I’m going to annoy you some days,” Russo told his audience, sitting at a hexagonal desk, with the USA Today sports section in front of him and bifocals perched low on his nose. “I’m going to bother you some days. You’ll say, ‘His opinions are awful’ or ‘He doesn’t love my team,’ or ‘He knows nothing about hockey.’ ”
He added: “Everything you can say, I’ve heard.”
7 Comments:
If he has more rants on Pacman Jones, I'm down.
Mad Dog at his absolute best...And worst
MAD DOG
What does it say when the first in-studio guest is Gary Bettman?
/hockey fan
Being in the midwest, I have never listened to Mad Dog other than the impression Anthony of Opie & Anthony has done of him in the past. I listened to his live show Sunday at the Meadowlands and part of yesterday's show and enjoyed it. It didn't feel as formulaic and full of false controversy like ESPN Radio.
And on the other side, Russo's former co-host Francesa ripped him a new orifice Tuesday afternoon, and lit into what he called one-sided media coverage of the split.
If Francesa wasn't a self-important 300 pound monster who won't let callers get a word in edgewise, we might have agreed.
That rant today bug Fatso was one of the most arrogant pieces I have heard in a while. Going on and on about how his Sunday morning ratings (as a solo show) always were much bigger than Russos Saturday morning ratings. Of course he ignored the fact that he had the NFL to help him out. And then going on and on about how he has 3 #1 shows.
I kept waiting for him to talk about himself in the third person.
seemed to do a decent job. i've heard him before but was bored because i don't care about any new york teams.
certainly a change-of-pace in the afternoon when tirico (who i like a lot) can get, i dunno, a bit mundane.