One of the more intriguing rumblings in New York sports media this year has been the possibility of New Jersey governor Chris Christie eventually replacing Mike Francesa on WFAN’s afternoon drive time show. Christie filled in for Francesa, presumably as an audition, in early July and had a notable confrontation with a caller.
The timing certainly seemed to work, as Francesa is set to leave WFAN when his contract expires in December. Christie’s second term as governor will end in mid-January. And hiring the controversial and outspoken politician who was once considered a Republican presidential candidate would move the needle more than bringing in a sports talk radio personality from another market to take over for Francesa.
But the discussion is now a moot point. According to the New York Daily News‘ Bob Raissman, WFAN executives have told Christie that he’s not under consideration for the gig. All of the other names that have been rumored as possible Francesa replacements are still presumably in the running, however.
(For what it’s worth, Raissman has always been skeptical that Francesa would retire from WFAN.)
Awful Announcing
Chris Christie won’t be replacing Mike Francesa at WFAN. In honor of his time co-hosting at the station, here are his most notable moments, like calling a caller a communist. Read more:…
Raissman mentioned former SiriusXM host Gregg “Opie” Hughes as a possible candidate, but a source shot that rumor down. Hughes is best known for the “Opie and Anthony” show that aired on various stations and networks from 1995 to 2014. He was fired by SiriusXM in July.
Evan Roberts, who hosts the midday show on WFAN, has frequently been mentioned as a candidate to replace Francesa. Rumors out of Detroit have attached Mike Valenti, a New York native who hosts afternoon drive on The Ticket (97.1 FM), to the opening as well.
Raissman reported in May that CBS Radio pursued SiriusXM’s Adam Schein (who also works for CBS Sports Network and Showtime), but he turned a potential offer down. Chris Simms was once listed among the candidates, likely as a partner with Roberts, but he’ll be working for NBC Sports this fall.
About Ian Casselberry
Ian is a writer, editor, and podcaster. You can find his work at Awful Announcing and The Comeback. He's written for Sports Illustrated, Yahoo Sports, MLive, Bleacher Report, and SB Nation.