The Loop
Watch Mike Francesa get really confused when asked if he's ever interviewed Jack Nicklaus
We get it, Mike. You've interviewed a lot of famous athletes during your reign as the King of New York sports radio. But you don't remember if you've ever had Jack Nicklaus on your show? The Jack Nicklaus who has won 18 major championships? Really?
The Mike we're referring to is Mike Francesa, aka the Sports Pope, a well-known sports radio host in New York whose syndicated Sunday football show during NFL seasons is heard by millions around the country. On Wednesday night, Francesa reunited with long-time studio partner Chris "Mad Dog" Russo in a televised special at Radio City Music Hall. If you're a New York resident like myself, you would have thought the cast of Seinfeld was reuniting to make another season with all the hype this event got.
Anyway, a funny part in the three-hour show (No, I am not proud of watching it all) was when the duo fielded a question about their most memorable interview. Mad Dog (great name) said Michael Jordan because he only came on once. Francesa didn't offer an answer, instead saying "The guy who we always wanted to get and never got was Tiger Woods." Mad Dog then replies, "Never got Jack Nicklaus," and Francesa gets really confused trying to remember if that's true. Again, we're talking about JACK NICKLAUS!
Check out the clip (just go to the 1:51:40 mark unless you like these guys as much as I do for some reason). It's not as funny as the time Francesa fell asleep during an interview, but it's pretty good:
Incredibly, Francesa never does figure it out. But he did make Phil Mickelson, Jordan Spieth, and Dustin Johnson as his three Masters picks. Mad Dog? He went with Jason Day, Adam Scott and "Charles" Schwartzel. If you're familiar with the show, that should sound about right.