Francesa and Russo responded as if this were the most nonsensical, idiotic thing that had ever been uttered on their program, which I concede it might have been. They mocked me and literally laughed me off the air. Then they chastised the call-screener for letting me on. The caller after me got a dig in, too.

I never called the FAN again after that.

I pretty much listened around the clock. I was probably too young to get Pete Franklin, but I hated that he hated the Yankees. When I could get away with it, I’d listen to Captain Midnight, who was much more fun. The other hosts were kind of a blur because I was really more interested in the damn updates, always thinking I’d be the first to hear about a trade.

I first heard Chris Russo on a weekend show. He was ranting about how Will Clark was much better than Don Mattingly, so I hated him instantly. When he became the afternoon host with Francesca, I was appalled. However, in the early days, they made a great pair. I would listen to every hour of the show that I could. Unfortunately, as their egos became inflated, both became insufferable, and the show started to become more about the hosts comparing relative success, fame, wealth, etc. than talking sports.

I rarely listen to WFAN now. I’ll turn it on for short spurts in the car, but otherwise, the format has become a little outdated with the advent of social media and 24-hour access to sports. Unfortunately, the hosts have also become lazy and mostly uninteresting. With the exception of Evan and Joe, I sense very little passion.