Pat Shurmur will no longer be heard on Mike Francesa’s afternoon show in New York. The New York Giants planned to have their head coach join the Sports Pope every week, but according to Newsday plans have changed.
“I think that was an organizational decision not to do that,” Shurmur told Neil Best of Newsday. “Most people aren’t aware of this, but I wasn’t contractually obligated to do that spot.
“We did it as a courtesy and out of respect for our relationship with the radio station. We just felt like for a while here, we’ll put that to bed, and just not do it and move forward.”
Francesa opened his show Thursday by addressing the situation. He said the Giants weren’t happy with his interview with Shurmur on Tuesday and expressed their dissatisfaction with his producer and program director.
“The Giants have, unfortunately, from at least my estimation, become very good at hiding, and very good at losing. Not everyone is cut out for handling what is the real intense spotlight that there is in this city, that comes with these jobs. I don’t take anything personally from it. That’s his prerogative.”
The WFAN talk show host mentioned that this was just the fourth time during his career that a coach or manager had stopped doing regular interviews with him during a season. Mets managers Bud Harrelson Jeff Torborg and Dallas Green went that route in the 1990’s. All were later fired by the franchise.
What appeared to set things off was Francesa’s direct line of questioning following the team’s 0-2 start. During Tuesday’s conversation with Shurmur he said, “You look like a bad team through two weeks. I hate to say it, but you look like a terrible team. You’re not good at anything.”
Francesa said he didn’t think he said anything that was in any way personal, unless Shurmur considers the team’s record personal. In that case, he’d be affronted by the record too if he was Shurmur.
“This team is 8-26 in its last 34 games” Francesa explained. “That is the problem, not the questions.”
WFAN is the Giants’ flagship station, so a weekly appearance from the head coach on the station’s most recognizable show makes sense, but Shurmur not getting paid for the appearances is a change from years past. Until this year, it was quarterback Eli Manning on with Francesa each week. Manning was compensated for his time.
