Chris Christie May Have A Second Career As A Sports Talk Radio Jockey

[Update below] Chris Christie, who's maybe going to sit trial for his bridge crimes and who maybe keeps telling people he's getting a job with the Trump administration any day now, has a third future in front of him if he wants to grab for it, and frankly it's the future he's been working towards his whole life: afternoon sports yak radio host on sports radio 66 (dah dah dah dah dah) the Fan, WFAN, New York.

While Christie himself still won't talk that much about his future, WFAN's program director Mark Chernoff told NorthJersey.com that the shouty gov is one of "plenty of candidates" that the station is looking at to replace the current king of New York sports shouting, Mike Francesa.

"I would certainly at least want to consider him," Chernoff said about the New Jersey governor. "If he's interested and we're interested, it's worth pursuing." It's also worth noting that Francesa's contract runs out three weeks before the end of Christie's term, which certainly matches up well time-wise.

Francesa himself anointed Christie as a possible replacement for him last month, when Christie made a surprise call in to Francesa's show. When Francesa asked Christie what he thought he'd do with his future, Christie told the Sports Pope that his three criteria for his post-governor job were the chance to make a lot of money, to have fun, and to get to spend time wth his children.

"You would be and have been mentioned as a candidate [to replace me] and it would check all those boxes for you," Francesa told Christie.

"You and I are speculated about what we're gonna do next as much ore more than anyone in the New York metropolitan area," Christie replied, before following up with some humility for once in his life. "Mike, you don't throw your hat in the ring for that kind of thing, you just see what happens." Sure, it was the kind of humility that suggests you're chosen for a life of yelling at Bill from Weehawken for his idea to trade a couple A-ball non-prospects for Andrew Miller, but I guess we should take it.

Christie has also been a frequent guest host, and guest, on Boomer & Carton, the WFAN show hosted by Craig Carton and former Jets and Bengals quarterback Boomer Esiason. Christie mentioned enjoying his time on the show during his Francesa call-in, and given Craig Carton's past fun with racism, why wouldn't he enjoy it?

Chernoff's latest statement coupled with Francesa's flattery seem to be another set of moves in a long game to woo Christie over to The Fan. Late last year, Chernoff told Philly.com that "I think he really enjoys it. He knows sports, he’s engaging and he loves to have fun." Last month's call wasn't the first time Francesa showed an awareness that Christie might be his heir apparent:

And of course, if you're really somehow doubtful that Christie doesn't have what it takes to survive in a sports talk atmosphere, witness his recent appearance on SNY's Baseball Night. Displaying the perfect "Fuck it," attitude, Christie just ran with the "Let's Overreact" segment on the show and said Phillies fans were an "angry, bitter fanbase" and Citizens Bank Park wasn't a safe place to watch a game for a civilized person:

This also isn't the first time Christie has been linked to a job in sports or sports media. In 2013, Daily News columnist Bob Raissman, in more of a scathing takedown of Christie's, uh, outspoken personality, took the governor to task for picking on a fellow Daily News sports reporter but did declare him "ready for [a] sports talk gig":

This is a governor who already sounds like he’d rather be a sports-talk radio host. It would be all good for him. Unlike his current job, where he’s held accountable (okay, maybe semi-accountable) to Jersey residents, sports radio bloviators are never held accountable for what they say — ever. For Christie, this would be a dream come true. He already knows how to shout down an adversary. Screaming over the first-time-caller, longtime-moron crowd would be second nature to him.

Christie has also made a couple of (jokey) plays for the position of Mets GM, the kind of thing that gives me the cold sweats in only the way the old rumors of Donald Trump buying a stake in the Mets did.

In a 2012 Morning Joe appearance, Christie ended things by joking that owner Fred Wilpon had his number and that he should give him a call if he wanted him to take over the GM's job.

It figures, though, that Christie can't even get some childlike wonder going for spring training, instead saying that the thought of pitchers and catchers reporting for spring training "fills me with physical pain."

In 2014, Christie again lobbied for the Mets GM job in an appearance on Boomer & Carton, proclaiming the team "impossible to watch" and telling GM Sandy Alderson to "put his crap in boxes and get out of there now." The Mets went on to win the National League pennant the next year under Alderson's leadership and then followed that up by winning a wild card spot in 2016.

Not that Christie's attempts at fantasy GM are all bad. Even I can cut through the partisan gridlock facing this country to admit that his public lobbying for the Mets to trade for Martin Prado last year wasn't a terrible idea. On the other hand, his idea that the Mets could get a useful player in exchange for a permanent enigma (read: bad) in pitcher Rafael Montero, shows he's definitely more cut out for the role of sports agitator in chief than actually running a team.

[Update 1:39 p.m.] Christie called into the Boomer & Carton show this morning to deny that he had a strong interest in taking over for Francesa, though he couldn't help but use a baseball metaphor while doing it:

When my term concludes, at the end of 2017, I will be considering all different kinds of options about what to do next with my career. I feel like a bit of a baseball player. I’ll be a free agent for the first time in 16 years. So, we’ll see what happens.

Christie is also apparently somehow still in the running for a Trump White House job according to Politico, having allegedly been offered the secretary of labor position when he had his meatloaf lunch with Trump:

After a meatloaf lunch at the White House last Tuesday, President Donald Trump made New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie an intriguing offer: Would he like to be secretary of labor?

Christie said no, according to four people close to Trump who were briefed on the conversation, which was just the latest in a series of nudges Trump has given Christie about joining him in Washington. Christie has told Trump he is not interested and instead plans to join the private sector after he leaves Trenton next year, two people close to Trump said.