I don’t think you can underestimate the impact of what happened when WFAN hit the air 25 years ago. The nation’s first 24/7 sports talk station led to a revolution in media that completely changed the sports.

Previously, I posted interviews with WFAN founder Jeff Smulyan and Chris Russo.

Grantland now has posted a major oral history on the station. Compiled by Alex French and Howie Kahn, it features interviews with all the major players, including Don Imus. However, Mike Francesa declined to participate; the authors used quotes for him from another source.

A footnote in the story explains:

“Francesa turned down repeated requests to be interviewed for this oral history. Grantland editor-in-chief Bill Simmons even spent 20 minutes on the phone with Francesa to no avail, explaining afterward, “Since ESPN doesn’t allow its talent to be interviewed on Mike’s radio show, Mike simply didn’t want to be interviewed for a piece that would appear on a site owned by ESPN. He kept saying it was a ‘matter of principle’ for him.” Simmons couldn’t change his mind even though Francesa admitted that he couldn’t wait to read the piece.”

The post is more than 15,000 words and was 29 pages when I printed it out. So carve out some time because it is a fascinating read.

Also, Simmons updates his 2006 running diary of “Mike and the Mad Dog” with some footnotes.

Some quotes from an ESPN release:

Jim Lampley (one of the first hosts at WFAN): I scripted an introductory segment, which was completely and totally facetious in intent. It was a litany of things that I foresaw changing in the culture, and in the sports world, as a result of the genesis of the 24-hour-a-day sport-talk radio station. I forecast a variety of absurdities: People would bend their schedules and neglect their work and their marriages and their children to sit on the phone and wait to be involved in discussions about nothing.

ESPN’s Mike Breen (former update guy for Don Imus): Imus was tough to be around. He used to kid — and it was half-kidding — that you weren’t allowed to make eye contact with him if you saw him in the hallway.

George Vecsey (sports columnist, New York Times): They truly were Martin and Lewis, Sonny and Cher. They were Simon and Garfunkel. Even if you can play a solo show in Central Park once a year, it’ll never be the same as when the two of you were doing it together.

Chris Russo (former WFAN host): The quarters were tight. It wasn’t state-of-the-art. There was no room to escape when you had an issue, when you’re not getting along. You’re on top of each other on a day-in, day-out basis. It probably helped us deal with the fights that we had a little better because they probably didn’t linger. We had no choice but to face up with each other. I only had three or four bad ones. But again, you’re gonna have three or four bad ones in 19 years of a relationship.