Mike Francesa, the "Sports Pope," is parting ways with Fox Sports 1 on Friday, according to reports. Francesa and Fox Sports 1 have had an adversarial relationship almost from the beginning thanks to a bizarre schedule for his simulcasts, and his constantly being pre-empted for soccer matches.
In addition to being booted for soccer on a regular basis, his five-and-a-half hour show would be split between Fox Sports 1 and Fox Sports 2, making it difficult for fans to pin down a place to watch him. "The blame is mine," Francesa said live when announcing the final simulcast would be Friday.
"I tried to do something that was a little different. I knew I was trying to put a square peg in a round hole when I did this."
Despite frequent criticisms from Francesa, he assumed all the blame for the failed partnership on his way out the door.
"I had some trepidation, but I also saw the promise in it and it never really worked out. The judgment was mine. I made the decision to go, not CBS.
"I take all the blame in every way . . . We will end the relationship very amicably come Friday and as we said, Fox will go its way and we will go our way."
The decision to move on was hastened by Fox Sports adding former ESPN radio host Colin Cowherd to be simulcast in the same spot on Fox Sports 1, relegating Francesa to Fox Sports 2 on days when he wasn't bumped entirely.
MSG is the frontrunner to pick up Francesa's simulcasts, per Newsday. According to Francesa, finding a new place to simulcast will take "a couple of months."
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