Mike lumbered in with a limp and a look of disgust on his face. He sat down, we ordered lunch, and then the fun began. Mike was wearing dark sunglasses. It was a beautiful August day outside. There was no need for sunglasses inside, but he never took them off. He also refused to look at me when we spoke. He would arch head to the right and to the left, but he would never look right at me.
What he had to say was even more laughable. Mike explained how, in his opinion, our show had no chance of making it and while he could make it work, I would have no chance to make Boomer a solid radio guy every day of the week. He told me over and over how we had no chance, but that he would, if given the same opportunity. I'll never know why he wanted to make that point to me, but he made it loud and clear. The only positive thing he said was that he felt if Chernie (his nickname for Mark) felt that I was the guy, then I was the guy. He wished me good luck as he walked out of the diner.
(Fine, but the best story in the book is the first time CC & MF ever spoke -- while CC was with WNEW.)
Pat O'Brien upped the interview with an incredible tidbit about when he, Francesa, and Mike Krzyzewski were working together on the Final Four. He calls it the Essence of Mike Francesa (after he labels Mike a 'jerk'):
The three of them went to dinner in lower Manhattan. As they walk in, someone yells out, "Hi Mike." Francesa turns to Pat and Coach K and says, "I could run for Mayor in New York...and win." All to the head shaking of Coach and Pat who knew Mike believed it to be true.
Mike Francesa. Dope.
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