There’s no NFL football this weekend. The Knicks stink and baseball is months away.
So what’s a New York sports fan supposed to do? Well, if you’re Chris Ambrosio, you dress up like Mike Francesa and head to Irving Plaza for something called FrancesaCon.
“Me and my friends have been listening to him for years,” Ambrosio, a 22-year-old law student from Long Island, told The Rumble’s Dan Martin. “We had to be here for this.”
And the grayish wig, sunglasses and padded stomach was just an added touch — one that dozens of others used, as well.
“Just wanted to look the part,” Ambrosio said.
Roughly 1,000 people showed up for the event — including Carl Banks, who took the stage with a pair of Mike and the Mad Dog impersonators.
An hour later, the real Francesa showed up, and it’s hard to imagine Irving Plaza will hear a louder roar than when the radio host took the stage.
“Did you people pay to get in here?” Francesa said. “Did they feed you, at least?”
Nope. Fans paid $15 — which went to charity — for the chance to revel in all things Francesa.
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It was the brainchild of Ron Haraka and Mike Leboff, a pair of freelance writers and Francesa fans who organized the first event a year ago.
“He’s hilarious,” Haraka said. “And he’s the king of sports radio. We figured we could get a bunch of guys together and kind of have fun with it.”
With the money going to the Children Network for Hope and The Teddy Atlas Foundation, Francesa agreed to come on board.
Fans chanted an expletive-charged rant about Michael Kay, Francesa responded, “Nobody cares about him.”
He then thanked fans, signed autographs and eventually summed up the afternoon perfectly.
“You’re all nuts.”
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Jones’ Amazin’ gem gets overlooked
Mets fans talk about the gems Tom Seaver pitched, and who can forget Johan Santana’s 2012 no-hitter?
Somehow, however, Bobby Jones’ dominant performance against San Francisco in the 2000 National League Division Series doesn’t get the recognition it deserves.
That all changed last night when Jones, 44, was remembered at the Baseball Writers Dinner for the one-hit shutout he threw against the Giants in Game 4 that propelled the Mets to the league championship series.
Jones only allowed a leadoff double to Jeff Kent in the fifth inning, as he struck out five and walked two in the 116-pitch performance.
It was the first one-hit shutout in the postseason in 33 years.
“I remember warming up in the bullpen and feeling great that day,” said Jones, who now owns a vineyard. “What made the day more special was the win helped us advance and we eventually got to the World Series.”
This was Jones’ first visit to New York since he left the Mets after the 2000 season.
“It’s been a great week because I got to bring my three kids and my wife along,” Jones said. “We took in the sites and it was big thrill being remembered by the writers. That game against the Giants was a day I’ll never forget.”
Week is Topps for baseball fans
This weekend many baseball geeks will gather in gyms and basements across the nation as part of the annual SABR Weekend, the unofficial start of the fantasy baseball season. So it is probably a good time that the folks at Topps start looking toward the 2014 season as well, and they will do so by looking to the past to honor one of the great designers of the modern baseball card, the late Sy Berger, who died at the end of 2014.
Topps is offering two postcard size sets of Red and Blue back cards, each set numbered to 99 that will mimic the 1951 design that was the first baseball card that he designed for Topps. It will feature a combination of retired and current players along with a card of Sy in each release, along with 10×14 posters for each player in the set. The orders can be placed on Topps.com starting this weekend.
“As we continue to find ways to be more engaged with young people in the digital space, it is great to honor Sy’s legacy with a set that connects our glorious past to our really promising future as a continued partner with MLB,” Topps’ Jeff Heckman said.
Bernie to receive Munson honor
The 35th annual Thurman Munson Awards, paying homage to the late, great Yankees captain, at the Grand Hyatt Hotel on Feb. 3, will be a true night of champions, starting with the remarkable fact that Diana Munson will be at her 35th consecutive gala to benefit AHRC New York City Foundation to assist children and adults with disabilities. The “First Lady” will be joined by daughter Kelly and son Michael.
Four-time World Series champion Yankees center fielder Bernie Williams will receive the Thurman Legend Award. The lineup of “Thurman” recipients also includes Yankees All-Star Rookie relief pitcher Dellin Betances, Mets 1986 world champion outfielder Mookie Wilson, Olympic Gold Medal-winning ice dancers Meryl Davis and Charlie White, and football Giants Super Bowl champion punter Steve Weatherford.
Joel S. Isaacson, Founder and CEO of Joel Isaacson & Co., will receive the “Business & Philanthropic Leadership Award.” Michael Kay, the “Voice of the Yankees” on YES Network and ESPN-NY Radio 98.7 FM host, will serve as Master of Ceremonies. For tickets and information on the Munson Awards Dinner call (212) 249-6188 or email jennifer@emgbenefits.com. Tickets may be purchased on line at http://www.ahrcNYCfoundation.org/events.
MSG show gets low-down on unique Lundqvist masks
Henrik Lundqvist will have a new show on MSG Network — five-episodes — “The Mask with Henrik Lundqvist.” The half-hour episodes feature Lundqvist in one-on-one interviews with his celebrity friends as they design one-of-a-kind goalie masks Lundqvist will wear in upcoming games this season. Each mask is representative of the guest and his favorite things. Guests include chef Mario Batali, NASCAR driver Jeff Gordon, and tennis legend John McEnroe.
After each mask is worn in a game, they will be auctioned off for charity with all proceeds benefiting the Henrik Lundqvist Foundation and the Garden of Dreams Foundation. The show premieres Feb. 16 after the Rangers-Islanders game.
Red Bull execs recognized by MLS
Several members of the Red Bulls staff were recognized by Major League Soccer at the their annual club and executive awards reception.
The Red Bulls Operations staff, led by Vice President of Operations Shaun Oliver, received the MLS Operations Staff of the Year. Also, Juan Romero took home the Team Administrator of the Year award as picked from all 30 MLS teams.
