Mike Francesa calls Islanders ‘third-rate organization,' DiPietro hits back

Greg Wyshynski
Mike Francesa calls Islanders ‘third-rate organization,' DiPietro hits back

The New York Islanders won Game 1 of their second-round series against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Wednesday.

Hopefully with a few days before Game 2, they can find a way to appease WFAN’s Mike Francesa, who thinks their whole public relations operation is third-rate.

The Sports Pope told a caller who asked about the Islanders that he feels the team does a horrible job promoting its players, which when run through our Mike Francesa Translator means they didn’t provide his show with what he requested.

Via @RNs_Funhouse, Twitter’s most valuable chronicler of Mike Francesa audio, the rant from Wednesday’s show:

For the audio inhibited:

You know what, here’s what’s wrong with them right now: They’re not – I’m going to be honest with you – they’re not very good at promoting themselves. I gotta be honest with you: They’re third rate at promoting themselves.

They gotta realize that this is New York and this is the big time because they’re a third-rate organization. I’m sorry, they are. They’re a third-rate organization and they don’t know what they’re doing. They’re in the playoffs in the second round now. They don’t even know how to be there.

They don’t know how to promote themselves. They couldn’t even find the time to get the coach to show up here. We were willing to take him. They couldn’t even get him to the show on time.

So I mean, they don’t know what they’re doing. They’re a little lost right now. They’re in a little deep.

Now they’re players aren’t, but the organization is. Their organization right now as far as what it’s doing, especially from a PR standpoint, is lost. I mean, third rate at best.

Ironically, the Islanders getting their games on WFAN was a big deal in Round 1. “We are thrilled to partner with CBS Radio to provide the Islanders with widespread exposure during the team’s Stanley Cup playoff games,” said Brett Yormark, CEO if Brooklyn Sports and Entertainment.

Rick DiPietro, the former Islanders goalie-turned-radio host on rival 98.7 FM hit back at "Fatso."

s/t Elite Sports NY

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Greg Wyshynski is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Contact him at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or find him on Twitter. His book, TAKE YOUR EYE OFF THE PUCK, is available on Amazon and wherever books are sold.

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