Boomer Esiason may be ready to team up with Chris “Mad Dog” Russo again. The WFAN host hinted at a weekly SiriusXM hit on Tuesday’s Boomer & Gio, just days after Audacy and SiriusXM announced their content-sharing deal.
What We Know: Audacy and SiriusXM struck an agreement bringing WFAN and other Audacy stations to SiriusXM starting September 1. Russo already hosts Mad Dog Sports Radio on SiriusXM. Additionally, Esiason and Russo have history. They co-hosted In The Huddle together in the late ’90s and early 2000s on WFAN. Moreover, that old partnership could resurface in some form.
What They Said: (All quotes from WFAN)
Boomer Esiason on Chris “Mad Dog” Russo inquiring about an opportunity at SiriusXM: “He did not leave me a message as to coming on to his show as a guest. He left me a message as I got something for you. You might want to do this. Which led me to believe that there was some sort of payment attached to it. Ten years ago I was told I couldn’t do anything in SiriusXM. Now all of a sudden we-I guess I can do things with SiriusXM.”
Boomer Esiason open to a spot with Chris “Mad Dog” Russo on SiriusXM: “He probably felt since the announcement came down that Audacy is going to be on SiriusXM Radio, that he could, in some way, shape, or form, pull me into his web during football season. I never say no to anything. I just always want to hear it all out.”
Boomer Esiason on working with Chris “Mad Dog” Russo previously: “I worked with him a long time ago. I did ‘In The Huddle’ with him way back when in the late ’90s, early 2000s. He was a maniac. He was coming off of a five-hour show, and then just started attacking me as the show started. Which was fun. Kind of made it fun.”
What Remains Unclear: No formal offer exists yet, according to Esiason’s account. Terms, and frequency remain unconfirmed.
What It Means: The Audacy-SiriusXM deal appears to be opening doors beyond simple station distribution. Esiason’s openness suggests talent crossover could follow the September launch. Moreover, for listeners, that means more potential Boomer-Mad Dog content ahead. Russo has been destination radio for many years with regular guest spots on his program. In addition, Russo has expressed an interest in a reunion with Mike Francesa for his weekly football picks segment. We will see who Russo lands as kickoff is less than 50 days away.
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John Mamola is Barrett Media’s sports editor and daily sports columnist. He brings over two decades of experience (Chicago, Tampa/St Petersburg) in the broadcast industry with expertise in brand management, sales, promotions, producing, imaging, hosting, talent coaching, talent development, web development, social media strategy and design, video production, creative writing, partnership building, communication/networking with a long track record of growth and success. He is a five-time recognized top 20 program director in a major market via Barrett Medi’s Top 20 series and has been honored internally multiple times as station/brand of the year (Tampa, FL) and employee of the month (Tampa, FL) by iHeartMedia. Connect with John by email at John@BarrettMedia.com.