At Least There's One Dog I Like...

and believe me it's not Chris"Mad Dog" Russo. After Sunday's Rangers-Sabres' game, I posted about how exciting the double overtime thriller had been. I remember taking out a sentence in the post before I published it in regards to what I was expecting the next day (Monday) from Mike and the Mad Dog. Some of you may know that the WFAN talkies love to go over the ratings on Mondays from the weekend. The banter is really exciting, it usually goes something like this:

Dog: Spurs-Lakers?

Mike: Uh, um, that was a four o'clock game, the weather was nice, Mother's Day. I don't know, um, er, um, duh um, I say a 4.7.

Dog: 3.4.

Mike: Yeah, I knew that!

Well, Mike if you knew it was a 3.4, why did you say 4.7? Nonetheless, in my post I decided to leave out any mention of what I anticipated would be a Russo rant. I fully expected Dog throwing cold water on the Rangers' win by referring to the game's low ratings. Most of us know that hockey does not do well; people just don't watch it here in the U.S. So yesterday I was not surprised when I heard the two - mostly Chris Russo - going over and over the ratings for the N.H.L.'s Sunday matinee. No talk about the game. Nothing about how exciting it was.

The two claim they are not disparaging the sport or its athletes, but I've heard them long enough to believe otherwise. It's an old song with these two, they do it to generate controversy. That, my friends, is why it is so hollow. We've all seen Russo say things just to get people unglued. The insipid "Enter Sandman" controversy, with Russo screaming about who should really be allowed to use the theme song, Billy Wagner or Mariano Rivera. The '96 Yankees vs. the '86 Mets comparison, after the Bombers had beaten Atlanta in six games. It goes on and on.

A few hockey fans called in and had some pretty angry exchanges with Russo, while Mike slurped his Diet Coke. The whole thing was boring to me. I actually don't like when they talk hockey because they don't know the sport. I'm also learning that their knowledge is pretty limited when it comes to other things as well. For example, Mike shot down anyone who dared disagree with him that Leonard DiCaprio stole the show in the hit movie, The Departed. Huh? I saw that movie and didn't walk away thinking their was one actor or actress that put on a most memorable performance. The issue, though, really was Mike's holier-than-thou stance.

I used to listen to WFAN as much as possible, however, now it is just a few minutes a day listening to Mike and the Mad Dog. I know a lot of folks have gone over to ESPN Radio. But for me I put on either WABC Radio or NPR, or I just listen to music. WFAN has become too negative for me; with so many of their hosts just trying to be like Mike Francesa. Ho hum! I just don't get how the rating has anything to do with the fact that it was a very exciting game. I watch C-SPAN from time to time. I don't know who else does, but that's not going to stop me from watching it nor does it take away from the excellent programming of C-SPAN and its sister stations.

Yes, Phil Mushnick, somewhere a village is missing an idiot and somewhere another village is missing a giant blowhard. If either village cares to send out a search party they can find both idiots, weekdays from 1-6 in Astoria, Queens.

SPORTS
The New York Rangers' top farm team the Hartford Wolfpack lost a Game 7 to the Providence Bruins, so therefore the Rangers have recalled Al Montoya, Alex Bourret, Dane Byers, Nigel Dawes, Brandon Dubinsky, Jarkko Immonen, Hugh Jessiman, David Liffiton, Greg Moore, and Hannu Pikkkarainen. The only one who might get a shot to play with the Blueshirts would be Dubinsky, but that's doubtful at this point. Meanwhile, Marc Staal continues to lead his junior team, the Sudbury Wolves in the OHL Playoffs. The Wolves, a sixth seed, now face Belleville, a three seed, in the Conference Finals.

NEWS
Mayor Mike Bloomberg unveiled a very ambitious plan recently for NYC to become green. I'm just wondering if this is another step toward Bloomy announcing his intentions to run for the Oval Office. I hope so, Mayor Mike is a guy who has gotten it done and doesn't run around telling everyone how great he is nor is he so willing to take the credit when things go right and looking for someone to blame when things go wrong. Could I be talking about his predecessor? Well, you know the expression if it walks like a duck and talks like a duck...

Republicans and Democrats fear Al Gore, that you can take to the bank.

Reports out of Iraq are that Abu Ayyub al-Masri, the al-Qaeda in Iraq leader, was killed in a battle between rival insurgent groups. Let's wait and see if this is true.

ELSEWHERE
Finally, is there any possible way that John McCain, Rudy Giuliani, and Hillary Clinton can all move to Siberia? Please? Pretty please?