Last week, I got a lucky break. I rode home on the Metro-North train with the Maddog. Yup, Chris Russo.
I say lucky because I happened to sit down on the only vacated seat on the crowded afternoon train car. I sensed it might be Russo. So I asked him, "Are you Chris?"
To which he responded: "How you doing, buddy?" It was him. Jackpot!
I then said, "You might want to get up and move your seat now because I have so many questions for you."
He smiled and put down his newspaper. For the next 45 minutes he could not have been more kind, thoughtful and giving of his responses. From the obscure bordering on the obsessed, Russo answered every question I threw at him. Russo had just finished putting the finishing touches on his new Sirius XM radio show which premieres today. What follows is some of the exchange on the train...
On that last WFAN appearance, what was it like calling in..."The station didn't want Mike to have me on. That was all Mike. When you leave, they want you gone. But I had a lot of emotion when I called in."
On that Newsday story which broke over the Summer..."Mike gave it them. He's a Long Island guy. Long Island newspaper. Makes sense."
Settle it for me...did you and Mike like the callers on WFAN? "Mike hated the callers but I like them," he says, "they add to the show."
On doing David Letterman..."Two spots, nine minutes. (Letterman) is a big sports fan."(Surprisingly, Russo's done more 30 Letterman appearances since 1990)Funny thing about Letterman, I feel like I barely know him despite the number of times I've been on."
I hear Letterman's an enigma. "That's a good word for him," Russo says.
On his Howard Stern appearance..."I did an hour with Howard. I can't tell you enough what a nice guy he was. You know, I get to curse on satellite...and Howard made me curse."
Following his departure from WFAN, Russo talked about how surprised he was by all of the media coverage and well-wishers. "(Giants coach Tom) Coughlin wrote me a nice letter. I heard from Brian Cashman...Bob Costas. "Funny thing about Costas," he says. "We all loved his Olympic coverage, his hosting...but one newspaper guy in Alaska, a mentally retarded guy, wrote something negative and Costas called him," Russo says. "That's Bob," Russo says gesturing as if making a point. "He's got his tentacles out all over."
On his boss Mel Karmazin..."I guess I'm one of his guys," he says. (Karmazin used to be Russo's boss over at then WFAN parent, Infinity) "I tell you what made me feel good. I took a call on my show from a guy in San Diego who's never heard of me and was just about to give up his satellite radio. He said 'Chris, I've never heard of you but I listened to your show and I liked what I heard. So I'm keeping my subscription.'" he says. "Hopefully Mel was listening to that call."
