May 18, 2016
Mike Francesa has been doing sports radio in New York City since 1987.
He doesn't know much anything about soccer, which results in some entertaining moments on the WFAN airwaves.
On Tuesday, Francesa beautifully botched a promo read for the upcoming New York City vs. New York Red Bulls game, and the audio clip is great.
We've transcribed the full exchange below:
Francesa totally botches a soccer read; turns a 20-second spot into a 2:30 ramble. @awfulannouncing @MarkFishkinhttps://t.co/lhP9lfeLeq
— I Nevah Said That! (@RNs_Funhouse) May 17, 2016
Mike Francesa: Time now for an NYC FC box office blitz. That's Red Bulls. Right now, uh, third caller, 866-540-WFAN, you win a pair of Delta Sky suite tickets to see, uh ... David ... uh ... uh ... is it Vee-yah, or Villa? How does he say it? How does he pronounce it? Vee-yah? Or Villa? Do we know? What is Vee-yah? Or is it Villa? I don't even know. I don't want to pronounce his name wrong. Is it David Villa? Or is it David Vee-yah? I would say it's Vee-yah. David Vee-yah and New York City FC take on the New York Red Bulls, Saturday, May 21st at the stadium. Kickoff is 3 p.m. For tickets ... uh ... starting at $25, and more information, visit NYCFC.com. It's all ... from ... the FAN. So, uh, we have Red Bull tickets to give away ... uh ... oh?
(Francesa appears to be communicating with off-mic producer)
They're playing the Red Bulls? What's their nickname? (pause) They're just the New York City Football club? They don't have a nickname? Okay. So they're playing the Red Bulls? Got it. Okay. Shows how much attention I pay to this stuff. Alright. And, uh ... is it Vee-yah? Do we know that? Is it David Vee-yah? Or Villa? I mean ... if it were pronounced as ... it would be Vee-yah. That would make sense, you know? It, uh, it most likely is. I'll go with Vee-yah, because I don't want to pronounce his name wrong. I mean, if I was going to say Pancho Vee-yah, you know, it would be David Vee-yah. It would be Vee-yah. You wouldn't pronounce the L's. So I'm gonna say that David Vee-yah is what it is. So that's the Red Bulls and the NYC FC.
So their name is just the New York City Football Club?
That's it? They don't have a nickname?
(pause)
NYC FC? They don't call them anything else? They call 'em a bunch of initials, that's it?
Producer: That's it.
Francesa: They don't call them, like, anything?
Producer: Nope.
Francesa: They don't have a tag, or anything? They have nothing?
Producer: Just the football club.
Francesa: NY.. (mumbling sound) ... they call 'em ... that's weird, NYC FC ... Okay. And the Red Bulls are from New Jersey, is that right?
Producer: Right.
Francesa: They have that little stadium over there in New Jersey, the Red Bulls?
Producer: Yeah, they're in Harrison New Jersey.
Francesa: They built that little ... that cute little stadium over there. That's right ... that's right ...
Producer: NYC FC plays at Yankee Stadium.
Francesa: No, I know that. I know they're the Yankees' team. Yankees, uh, I know that's the Yankees team. I understand that. No, that I do know the Yankees have a team there. That I do know. And I know that they have that little stadium over there in Harrison. I've seen a story on that, where they have that cute little stadium over there. It's a nice little stadium. I, eh, I know that too. But I didn't know the team didn't have, like a ... you know.. like they're the Chargers, or the, you know, the Sun, or the Storm, or the whatever. Who knows, ya know? But they're nothing, they're just the football club? Okay. I got it. Neil in Fordham.. what's up Neil?
