Shaquille O’Neal had strange role in breaking up Mike and the Mad Dog

Shaquille O’Neal is not the reason Mike Francesa and Christopher “Mad Dog” Russo broke up back in 2008, but he did add strain to their relationship.

Former WFAN host Sal Licata joined the Awful Announcing Podcast this week to discuss launching his Underscore Media platform with Jimmy Traina and John Jastremski. During the interview, Licata also discussed his long history with WFAN, which includes producing Mike and the Mad Dog at the end of the iconic show’s tenure.

Licata began working on Mike and the Mad Dog during the fall of 2007, while Russo exited the show after 19 years to launch his own satellite channel during the summer of 2008. There have been several reasons given for their split, including creative differences and natural friction that occurs when hosting a talk radio show with someone for nearly two decades. But Shaq?

“I think there was an issue over the Phoenix Suns’ ‘over’ win total,” Licata said. “That Mike was on one side of it, Dog was on another side of it, and they were fighting because they had the same bet together. And Shaq got traded to the Suns. I remember that being a little bit of an issue. I’m not saying that is the straw that broke the camel’s back or whatever, but that was a little bit of an issue.”

Licata explained Francesa and Russo both had the over bet on the Suns that season. And when Phoenix acquired Shaq from the Miami Heat at the trade deadline, Russo thought it was great for the bet, while Francesa believed it hurt their chances. This apparently turned into legitimate tension that may not have been the sole reason Russo ultimately left Francesa and WFAN to launch Mad Dog Sports Radio on SiriusXM later that summer, but it did appear to drive the iconic hosts further apart.

“I know it sounds crazy,” Licata admitted. “But I’m telling you the truth. Now there was obviously other stuff at play. I don’t think it was all that. But that definitely caused some tension between the two.”

Shaquille O’Neal turned out to be surprisingly good in Phoenix, even making an All-Star Game during his second season there. He wasn’t good enough to break up Mike and the Mad Dog, however.

We’re not saying that if Pat Riley had never sent Shaq to Phoenix, Francesa and Russo would still be together today. But it’s crazy to think trading O’Neal to the Suns could have influenced their future at all.

Listen to the full episode with Sal Licata featuring more discussions about WFAN and Underscore Media. Make sure you’re subscribed to The Awful Announcing Podcast wherever you listen or watch.