Mike Francesa was instrumental in bringing Mike Piazza to the New York Mets and played a role in the cancellation of the 2012 NYC Marathon, but he wasn’t responsible for Pete Carroll’s firing from the Jets. When news broke of Carroll joining the Las Vegas Raiders during Francesa’s live YouTube segment on Friday afternoon, he praised the decision, stating, “Good for Pete, good for the Raiders. That was a smart decision. I told you a long time ago, when they fired Saleh, I wanted them to hire Pete. Right away. Right then! Pete’s back in the league, good for him. I’m happy for him. You know, Pete’s never forgiven me and Dog; he felt we were really vocal voices in him getting bounced out of New York. It wasn’t us. Leon [Hess] wasn’t happy with him. It had nothing to do with us. But you know, that’s just the way it was. Still, we watched Pete grow into a tremendous coach.”
Francesa had previously suggested that the Jets should consider reconnecting with Carroll after they fired Robert Saleh just five weeks into the season, a rather unconventional notion given that NFL teams typically do not make significant head coaching hires mid-season like teams in other sports might. His interest in Carroll indicates that he holds no grudge, even though he believes Carroll may feel differently.
It’s amusing to think that a sports radio host or media figure could wield enough influence to sway a professional sports franchise’s decisions, but that was precisely the case for Francesa and Chris Russo. The duo behind Mike and the Mad Dog gave fans a voice that connected them directly to teams in ways that were previously unavailable. While it may be a stretch to completely credit Mike and the Mad Dog with bringing Piazza to the Mets, their impact was certainly felt. Similarly, while it might be excessive to place full blame on them for Carroll’s dismissal, it’s likely that Leon Hess was aware of the conversations regarding Carroll on WFAN.
