Earlier this week, the NY Post’s Andrew Marchand reported on a seemingly pointless exchange between WFAN’s Chris Russo and Yankees GM Brian Cashman. To wit, the Mad Dog disparaged Cory Lidle’s abilities, and then suggested that Cashman was lying when he claimed New York would not have included the Bobby Abreu trade had Lidle not been included.
“I heard you told someone that I was lying, I’m not lying,” Cashman (above) said loudly. “Cory Lidle hopefully will have a big impact on this club going forward the rest of the way. The bottom line is he is a Yankee and I’m not going to sit here and listen to you tell me he is not a good pitcher.”
A moment later, Cashman composed himself and said that he “loved” Russo.
“For the audience, Chris and I are friends,” Cashman said.
Perhaps, but perhaps you need less annoying friends. Or at least enemies who can string a sentence together. The New York Daily News’ Bob Raissman, while acknowledging Russo’s assault on the Mets’ Duaner Sanchez the following day (“to hear Russo, one would think Sanchez rolled down the cab window, stuck his head out into the Miami morning, and told that other driver: “Please, kind sir, smash into our cab so I can break my shoulder and be out for the rest of the season.”), suggests that WFAN’s two highest profile faces made for radio might be removed from the small screen.
The Yankees have an out. Their contract to simulcast the “Mike and the Mad Dog” show on YES expires at the end of this year. YES pays WFAN $800,000 for the privilege of having Russo call the Yankees GM a liar on a TV network owned by George Steinbrenner.
What a concept. What a bargain!
And yet, depending on who is talking, either at YES or the Yankees, there are two schools of thought about the future of the YES/FAN simulcast relationship.
One is all about economics. If YES suits can cut a financial deal that makes sense, they will continue the simulcast. Still, some in the organization are tired of Russo’s anti-Yankee rants. The Cashman interview could be the last straw.
After all, YES has options. The 1 p.m.-6:30 p.m. time slot could be filled with more Yankeeography or Yankees Classics.
They never talk back.
Typical Raissman, he rips YES and the Yankees non-stop for their propoganda (By the Way Bob Al-Yankeezera was not funny three years ago, and its still not funny) and how they are blind to issues with their team, but then seems ouraged that Russo and Cashman got into a screaming match when Russo tried to call Cashman out on it.
Now Russo is typical Russo and went about it a little wrong and over the top and he looks pretty bad, especially now that Lidle pitched fairly well, but someone at least called Cashman out on the silly notion that they were going to pass on Abreu if they did not get Lidle.
Can’t have it both ways Bob. Can’t Rip YES for their Propoganda and then seem outraged that Russo was going crazy about the propoganda as well.