Media day wore me out. After five hours of being herded around like a sheep (or a cow?), watching those "American Idol" rejects sing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame", and hearing more overweight, 50-year-old white men in weird sweaters LOL at anything and everything borderline humorous coming out of the players' mouths, I was ready for a nap. Of course, it's the Super Bowl ... and naps aren't allowed.
Over at the media center, I had a nice little chat with Chris "Mad Dog" Russo from WFAN's "Mike and the Mad Dog" program. I'd grown up listening to Russo and Francesca, still tune in everyday, and think of Doggy as my distant, zany, sweater-loving uncle.
We talked tennis, naturally. He hadn't played yet since landing here in Miami, which if you're a listener of the show, you know is just mind-boggling. Russo's an absolute tennis freak. An almanac of the sport's history. He loves to chat about it too. It could be the morning of the AFC Championship Game, and he'll find a way to subtly mention what Roger Federer's doing in the Australian Open.
Unfortunately, Russo wasn't wearing the amazing tennis racket belt he sported this summer, but he was in happy spirits nonetheless. I asked if they'd be coming back down to Bar Anticipation in Belmar, New Jersey for a show this summer. His answer?
"Ah, good work, Peter. Absolutely. Good work."
And does he like the Zito signing by his beloved San Francisco Giants?
"Love it!"
Only thing missing was Jerome from Manhattan.