Genre Sports talk Language(s) English | Country United States Home station WFAN (2007-present) | |
Running time 4 hours
(6:00 – 10:00 a.m. ET) TV adaptations CBS Sports Network (2014–present)
MSG Network (2010–2013) |
Boomer and Carton is a morning drive sports radio program on WFAN-AM and WFAN-FM in New York City. It is hosted by Boomer Esiason (former National Football League quarterback) and Craig Carton (formerly of The Jersey Guys). The show debuted on September 4, 2007. The show was simulcast on MSG Network from September 14, 2010 through September 13, 2013, and began airing on CBS Sports Network on January 6, 2014.
Contents
History
In the wake of the shock jock Don Imus' controversial comments in early 2007, CBS Radio fired the long time radio personality. From that point on, the 6:00 to 10:00 a.m. time slot was filled by various hosts to help fill the void left by the Imus firing. Charles McCord and Chris Carlin remained on all the replacement shows as assistance and staff, in similar roles as they were on Imus's show, and the replacement shows continued to be syndicated via Westwood One. Mike Francesa and Chris Russo were the first to fill the spot, hosting for the two weeks (April 16–27) immediately after Imus' firing. Francesa and Russo also worked the shift separate from each other, as did fellow WFAN staffers Richard Neer, Joe Benigno and Evan Roberts, and Carlin, who worked both alone and with co-hosts, notably Kim Jones and Washington Post sports columnist John Feinstein.
WFAN and Westwood One also brought in outside personalities into the slot. Among them were Boomer Esiason, David Gregory, Patrick McEnroe, Geraldo Rivera, Lou Dobbs, and Chicago sports radio host Mike North.
On September 4, 2007, Esiason took over as the permanent host of the WFAN morning show, with veteran radio personality Craig Carton serving as co-host. The new program is not distributed nationally by Westwood One. During the 2009 spring and summer ratings periods the program has finished in first place among men ages 25–54.
A television simulcast debuted on MSG Network on September 14, 2010, giving the show more exposure in upstate New York. On December 2, 2013, CBS announced that it would present the show on CBS Sports Network beginning in January 2014.
PULSE OF THE PEOPLE AWARD WINNERS: Boomer and Carton have collectively won 6 of the 9 awards in the history of The PULSE OF THE PEOPLE and were both nominated again in 2016. Carton has 5 wins Boomer has 1.
Carton walks across the Brooklyn Bridge in a Speedo
On January 18, 2008 Carton was forced to walk the Brooklyn Bridge holding a sign reading "Any Given Sunday" and wearing only a Speedo and New York Giants All-Pro tight end Jeremy Shockey jersey. After a week of berating the local team, Carton guaranteed the Giants would lose to the despised division rival Dallas Cowboys. The following Sunday the Giants upset the Cowboys, 21–17.
After the stunt, Carton quipped, "It's an experience I will never do again".
On January 8, 2010, Carton repeated the stunt this time in the colors of the New York Jets, following Carton's earlier claim that the Jets would not make the playoffs. This stunt meant a lot more for Carton as he is a born and raised Jets fan.
Brett the Jet
On July 30, 2008 at 1pm, Carton went to the NY Jets training camp at Hofstra University in Uniondale, Long Island. Carton brought a megaphone and rallied a group of a few hundred Jets fans cheering "Let's Get Brett". The chant was a response to speculation that Green Bay Packers QB Brett Favre was looking to be traded upon coming out of a brief retirement. Carton had reasoned with the Jets organization over the air to put out a statement that the Jets were not pursuing Favre, if that was the case. If the Jets made this statement, he agreed to not show up at camp—but the Jets organization never came forward. Carton was chastised by the local media for this "stunt" and many local reporters felt the Jets stood no chance of getting Favre. On August 7, 2008, the Jets acquired Brett Favre for a conditional 4th round draft pick.
Regular segments
Recurring gags
In addition, a recurrent gag on the show has Carton mocking various sportscasters, most frequently Jim Nantz, Jim Rome, John Sterling, Kevin Harlan, Marv Albert and Suzyn Waldman (He also mocks Albert's son Kenny, Orel Hershiser, Chris Russo and Mike Francesa) . Another gag on the show had Carton suggesting to use star 67 if the person he wants Al Dukes to call does not respond. Other gags have included Carton asking Esiason for an advance copy of the video game Call of Duty due to Esiason's association with an employee from Activision, as well as Carton's dislike of ice hockey, reflected in soundbites consisting of a little girl saying that "I don't really care about hockey" and another from B&C blog writer Bob Dwyer saying that "nobody cares about hockey, Boomer", the latter being played whenever Esiason brings up a topic or news regarding ice hockey.
In addition, the frequent criticism of Sterling and Waldman on Boomer and Carton lead the show to be credited for WFAN retaining them when the station acquired Yankees broadcasting rights in 2013.
In several occasions, Carton, alongside Dukes, would accompany Esiason to various cities where he is broadcasting a Monday Night Football game for Westwood One. As a result, the next day's show is remotely broadcast from that particular city.
Former topics and gags
Controversies
On April 1, 2014 Boomer and Carton were discussing Mets second baseman Daniel Murphy taking paternity leave in order to be with his wife for the birth of his first child, and the fact that Murphy would be unable to attend opening day. In an otherwise out of character moment for the otherwise socially conscious Esiason, Boomer was critical of Murphy saying his wife should have scheduled "a C-section before the season starts" because he "needs to be at Opening Day." After getting blow back from groups like the March of Dimes and the majority of the program's listeners, Esiason later apologized to Murphy and his wife for "creating an intrusion into a very sacred and personal moment in their lives" and for making an "insensitive remark that I sincerely regret". Carton, as per his character, remained indifferent, referring to those who opposed them as "knuckleheads".