WFAN-AM's Mike Francesa yesterday said that his simulcast relationship with YES Network coming to an end earlier this year "was all about the Yankees wanting 'editorial control'" of the team-owned RSN, including its simulcast of ESPN Radio 98.7 N.Y.'s "The Michael Kay Show," which prompted an on-air response from Kay, according to Bob Raissman of the N.Y. DAILY NEWS. Kay on his show yesterday said, "You (Francesa) are lying. You are just trying to cover your backside as to why you were taken off the (YES) simulcast." He added that "'nobody' tells him" or co-host Don LaGreca what to do, which "was stipulated by ESPN-98.7's negotiations with YES." Kay: "Now you’re playing with my integrity, my reputation and I’m not taking it anymore. ... I can talk about times when you lied down for your friends who worked for other teams." Raissman notes this was "an obvious reference" to the Madison Square Garden organization (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 11/6). SI.com's Richard Deitsch noted Francesa yesterday addressed the on-air interview he did with Yankees 3B Alex Rodriguez last November, in which Rodriguez "repeatedly denied that he purchased and used PEDs." Francesa explained that the Rodriguez interview "did not prompt the YES Network to end the simulcast of his afternoon radio show, which was a fixture on YES since the network launched" in '02. Francesa said that the reason he parted ways with YES "was that the Yankees’ management wanted control over his editorial content." Kay said that the "only time YES management called him on an editorial matter was his first show when he symbolically tossed a can of Diet Coke (the preferred drink of Francesa) into the garbage can on the air." Kay said of Francesa, "They took you off YES for two reasons. Number one, over the years you ended up earning a lot of money, which you earned, and they were losing money on the show. Number two, okay, it's obviously the proper decisions to have been made, because our ratings are better than your ratings were on YES. Let me give you a number three: Maybe they did not want to broadcast a show where somebody was falling asleep on the air" (SI.com, 11/5).
REVISIONIST HISTORY? Francesa yesterday said of Rodriguez, "Would I have him back on the show? Absolutely, tomorrow. I would be stupid not to. No one would turn down an interview with him." He added that he "figured Rodriguez was lying" during the interview last November. Francesa: "Did I know there was a strong chance A-Rod was lying? Yes." The DAILY NEWS' Raissman writes, however, that "doesn’t exactly jibe with what Francesa said to A-Rod last November." Francesa during the interview last November said, "You know how I feel. You’ve gotten railroaded. I don’t know if you’ve done steroids again or not, that’s your business. You’re stating here now that you’ve never done anything. You should be fighting this tooth and nail" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 11/6).
