September 5,2008.

NFL Commissioner, Roger Goodell (right), shares the fans displeasure with the NFL pre-season. During interviews in the past week, with ESPN Radio’s Mike & Mike, and WFAN’s Francessa on the Fan, the Commish has spoken about possible changes to the NFL Schedule, possibly as soon as the 2011 season. In the interviews, the Commissioner spoke about the quality of pre-season play. Apparently, the Commissioner, like the rest of us, has no little interest in watching practice squad players for any length of time.

I know tommorrow is the huuuuuuuuuuuuuge Bar-A party for the Francesa Show but it won’t be the same without Chris “Mad Dog” Russo welcoming the crowd with his routine of “Good Afternoon Mike, how are you?” and Mike’s reply of “Fine, Dog.” It’s not just the show’s jingle and the Russoism’s that will be missed. It’s the balance that Chris provided. Mike, with his Schwablike sports knowledge and love of baseball history can’t be left alone for 5 and a half hours of afternoon drive in the NYC and over the net. Mad Dog needs to be there with his Yankee bashing, SF Giant loving, taking the callers Tank waves off.

These two are to sports radio what Laurel and Hardy are to comedy or Carville and Madeline to politics. No offense to the ESPN radio boys or Philly’s own WIP but these guys basically invented the genre paving the way for Mike and Mike, Tirico and Van Pelt and Colin Cowherd. To think sports radio will go away is naive but to think it will be the same is simply inane. Wthout them guiding me from opening day through the February doldrums I don’t know how my sports iq will stay above average.

It is neither my time or place to dissect the fallout of their relationship or Dog’s new contract (Sirius/XM I believe his own channel, ala Stern), but since I’ve been listening to the fan since my Sony sports walkman, yes the yellow one, accidentally landed on Am while trying to listen to Loveline late night on Z100, I feel fine eulogizing the show. I’ve drifted off many nights to Schmooze, Beningo or Sommers‘ overnight shows, callers flirting with Ann Liquori, awoke to Imus and survived the afternoon bus ride home with Mike and Chris. For a young teenager in NY stuck on the bus for an hour and half to get home form high school, their insight provided the void for sports talk once I was the last one on the bus. I’ll remember Mike’s love of St. John’s, Tony Russo calling in, Mike’s illness, Dog’s marriage and birth of kids, the lazy summer afternoons of them doing solo shows on horse racing and Saratoga or tennis depending on who was in the booth. These guys are as much an American institution as Derek Jeter in the playoffs, apple pie and 4th of July fireworks.

They were not the most knowledgeable on sports but they also mixed in world affairs, movies, politics, the economy, they had the pulse on New Yorkers the way Russert had a pulse on politics. Sure they were heavy on tennis and golf and barely acknowledge the puck but they were entertaining and diverse enough which is all you ask for. They knew their audience to a T. New Yorkers like all sports radio listeners are not just guys living in Mom’s basement jockeying the register overnight at Blockbuster. Sports radio listeners are as different as Mike and Chris and they knew it. I look forward to the Francesa show if only because Mike will cover more St. John’s basketball (his and my alma mater). But also for the hope that the void I feel now will continued to be filled.

Dog I wish you all the luck in the world. For all of us, lets just be glad they paved the way for us to have this site today as much as ESPN and AOL. Let’s all go to Bar-A, raise a glass and be glad for the years they gave us, Is anybody out there? bmb

Sitting here watching women’s beach volleyball and looking at the grit and determination of these beauties I’ve been distracted by something I never thought NBA players would show, sportsmanship. Kobe, LBJ, and various other NBA stars have hit the beach early and often to support Misty May and Kerry Walsh on their way to gold. (hopefully, they’re up 2-1 as I type). Unfortunately, this support is not common from past Olympians. Back in 2004, the NBA stars rented a cruise ship and refused to stay in the Olympic Village. In swimming, two girls in one race had dated the same coach, this stuff hastomake for awkward times in the warmup pool. NBC focuses on these stories as they sell. Luckily the James Blake controversy was mostly swept under the rug as a whining American does not go over well worldwide. However Blake is the unique case this Olympiad. Rather there have been more instances of support and sportsmanship. The most notable I witnessed being Dara Torres halting a medal race to allow another swimmer to get a new suit. Just epitomizes what the Greeks were thinking when the Olympics began. Well I’m off to watch Bob Costas and that tupee/de job he’s sporting. May the goodwill of the Olympics lead more NBA players to watch their WNBA counterparts or at least keep em out of the strip clubs and drug rings they currently run in.

The rich get richer, maybe not richer but at least celebrity status.  Well last week this phrase rang true once again as NY Football Giants super bowl star, Ahmad Bradshaw received preferential treatment from the Virginia court system. Bradshaw was to serve 60 days for violation of his probation from some juvenile offenses. The normal person would serve 60 days consecutively, Mr. Bradshaw however was able to serve 30 days this summer and another 30 days after the 2008 season. I didnt realize seasonal employment was a reason for suspended sentences. This seems patently unfair and just another case of the rich getting richer. I wish Mr. Bradshaw nothing but the best on and off the field and hope he has cleaned up his life. It’s just frustrating when those that have so much get that much more. Mr. Bradshaw you have great company, Lilo, Britney, Paris and all the other celebs who flow in and out of our country’s finest jails.