That’s two back pages in a row for sports talk radio in the New York Daily News. Naturally, Bob Raissman gets Chris Russo’s reaction to Mike Francesa’s interview with ARod:

Even the Dog is hard-pressed to explain why his former WFAN partner is so infatuated with Alex Rodriguez, why he’s become the man’s top chef in charge of soft-boiled questions.

“I can’t understand. Mike is smarter than this, to be duped by A-Rod and fall into this trap,” Dog barked over the telephone Thursday. “This is the guy you’re going to defend — A-Rod? He knows A-Rod did steroids. What do you think, Mike’s stupid? He knows.”

And there’s this:

Francesa is on a crusade. He’s trying to convince the Free World Rodriguez has been singled out for cruel and unusual punishment by Bud Selig, who he claims is the mastermind behind MLB’s “persecution” of Rodriguez.

“And I know Mike doesn’t like Selig,” said Russo, who has a long-strong relationship with the commissioner. Is that good enough reason for Francesa to throw A-Rod a Bootlicker’s Ball disguised as an interview? Reason enough to ignore the most obvious of questions while poor, picked-upon Alex displayed his defiant side?

“I know Mike is down on baseball. (He calls) Selig a used car salesman. Fair point. Fair opinion. I don’t have a problem with that,” Russo said. “But for Mike to go down this path constantly with A-Rod when he knows deep down A-Rod is a cheat — he knows it.”