Last Monday when Bill Simmons made his 5½-hour visit to WFAN’s Mike Francesa, the WFAN show turned out to be a huge genuflect-fest at the feet of the Sports Pope. And interestingly, it wasn’t Simmons who was bowing at the feet of Francesa, but it was Francesa telling the former Boston Sports Guy of his importance not just to New York sports, but the nation.

During the show, Francesa brought up the following names:

Donald Trump (who according to Francesa was obsessed with his weight)
Tommy Heinsohn
Wilt Chamberlain
Kenny Smith
Phil Jackson
Steve Kerr
Brent Musburger (“I was once part of what was called ‘The Musburger Mafia'”)
Jim Nantz
Bob Costas
Greg Gumbel
Jim Lampley
Ian Eagle
Former CBS CEO Lawrence Tisch
Don Imus
Mickey Mantle
Ted Williams
Joe DiMaggio
Donald Fehr
Gene Orza (“Fehr and Orza, I knew very well”)
David Chase (creator of The Sopranos)
James Gandolfini (“I got to knew him pretty well”)
Lorraine Bracco
Steve Schirrpa
Craig Kilborn
John Walsh
Pete Axthelm (“I knew Pete very well”)
Tony Kornheiser
Jim Bell (Executive Producer of NBC Olympics)
Phyllis George
Irv Cross
Bill Parcells
Al Groh
Todd Haley
Jimmy The Greek (“He was a tough guy”)
Al Davis
Former Nevada Senator Paul Laxalt
Robert Kraft
Will McDonough
Larry Bird
Bob Knight
Charles Barkley
Adrian Dantley

And that was just a small sample.

And there were the events he personally attended like the 1985 Georgetown-Villanova NCAA Basketball Championship, 1976 Red Sox-Yankees infamous fight game between Carlton Fisk and Thurman Munson, the 2004 American League Championship Series, Super Bowls, NBA Finals, you get the idea.

In the over 18 minute clip provided by our friend, RN’s Funhouse, the names Francesa drops to Simmons reads like a Who’s Who of Sports.

It’s as if Francesa wanted to let Simmons know who was The Man in sports media. It would not have been a surprise if he decided to ask Simmons to kiss his ring.

[RN’s Funhouse]

About Ken Fang

Ken has been covering the sports media in earnest at his own site, Fang's Bites since May 2007 and at Awful Announcing since March 2013.

He provides a unique perspective having been an award-winning radio news reporter in Providence and having worked in local television.

Fang celebrates the four Boston Red Sox World Championships in the 21st Century, but continues to be a long-suffering Cleveland Browns fan.

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