mike francesa

Mike Francesa was born and raised in Long Beach, New York.  The St. John’s University graduate started working at CBS Sports in 1982 as a researcher. He would ultimately prove to be an invaluable sports analyst, laying the foundation for his more than 30-year radio career.

When WFAN-AM debuted in 1987, Francesa joined the lineup and quickly began dominating the New York sports scene.  In 1989, he teamed up with Christopher Russo to create Mike and the Mad Dog, the program that launched a sports talk radio revolution.  Due to the duo’s impact, ESPN chronicled their accomplishments in the 30 for 30 documentary series. 

In 2008, Francesa ventured alone on WFAN-AM and took the program to even greater heights, earning numerous awards and accolades. He’s the only sportscaster to win the National Association of Broadcasters’ prestigious Marconi Award for “Large Market Personality of the Year” twice.  In 2017, he announced his retirement, only to return to WFAN-AM in 2018, which dominated news headlines for an entire week. 

Throughout his radio career, he has worked in film and television and has lent his support to charities and causes like Tomorrow’s Children’s Fund, St. Francis Hospital, SIDS, World Hunger Year and the Connecticut Sports Foundation.