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Mike Francesa called Jason Kelce a 'moron.' Now he's changing his tune

ESPN's Mike Patrick calls his last game, Leslie Jones blasts NBC Olympics reporter

Former WFAN host Mike Francesa (left) apologized for calling Jason Kelce a “moron” and saying he should be cut for delivering a profane speech during the Eagles’ Super Bowl parade.
Former WFAN host Mike Francesa (left) apologized for calling Jason Kelce a “moron” and saying he should be cut for delivering a profane speech during the Eagles’ Super Bowl parade.Read moreWFAN / DAVID MAIALETTI, Staff Photographer

Last week, former WFAN host Mike Francesa offered a searing hot take on Jason Kelce's impassioned speech from the Eagles' Super Bowl parade, calling the offensive lineman a "moron" and suggesting the two-time Pro Bowler should be fired for his "profanity-laced stupidity."

But Thursday morning, during an interview with SportsRadio 94.1 WIP's Angelo Cataldi, Francesa was singing an entirely different tune after having watched the speech again.

"I wouldn't cut him. I apologize to him for that," Francesa said. "It was not as bad as I thought. I just wish he would have raised his vocabulary a little because it was a great speech."

>> READ MORE: Jason Kelce's Super Bowl parade speech: Full transcript

Francesa said he now has a better appreciation of the energy and passion behind Kelce's comments, but stuck to his guns on the profanity, claiming the language would prevent the speech from becoming an all-time classic outside of Philadelphia.

"If Lou Gehrig had said, 'I'm the luckiest blankety blankety blank in the world,' they wouldn't be playing it for fifty or sixty years," Francesa said.

The discussion quickly shifted from Kelce to retirement. In December, Francesa walked away from the microphone that he had sat behind for 30 years (and was replaced by a three-person crew that includes former WIP host Chris Carlin). Cataldi, who recently signed a one-year contract extension with WIP and is once again contemplating retirement, asked the longtime New York host if he missed the daily grind of sports talk.

"When there's a big moment… you wind up yelling at your wife," Francesa said. "Really make sure you're ready to do it, because I have to admit, there have been a lot of times I've missed having the forum you and I are both so used to having."

Francesa isn't contractually allowed to make any announcement about future work until April 1, but acknowledged that he has some options he's considering, including rumors he'll rejoin his former radio partner Chris "Mad Dog" Russo in some capacity.

"I will do something come spring, but I'm not sure exactly what yet," Francesa said.

Listen:

Mike Patrick leaving ESPN after 36 years

Speaking of retirement, longtime ESPN broadcaster Mike Patrick is calling it quits after 36 years of calling games on the sports network. Patrick, 73, called his final game for the network Wednesday night, handling the NCAA men's basketball play-by-play duties during Duke's 82-56 win over Louisville.

Following the game, Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski led the press in a round of applause for Patrick, who has called ACC basketball games for nearly his entire career with the network. He also praised Patrick's insight about basketball, which Krzyzewski said is valuable when he's reviewing game footage with his players.

"A lot of times, we turn off the sound because we feel we can coach better than the people doing the game," Krzyzewski told reporters. "But we've never turn the sound off on [Patrick's] We've always learned a lot."

Watch:

Most fans will recognize Patrick from his tenure on Sunday Night Football, where he served as the play-by-play announcer for its entire 18-year run on ESPN. The broadcast moved to NBC in 2005.

Though he called several Eagles games during his tenure, his most memorable moment came during the 1999 NFL playoffs, when the Tennessee Titans defeated the Buffalo Bills on a trick play during a kickoff return that has become known as the "Music City Miracle."

"Taken by Dyson. Dyson down the sideline. Dyston's going to go all the way. And there is no flag!" Patrick said, calling the iconic moment in NFL history.

Patrick may be walking away from ESPN, but according to the New York Post's Andrew Marchand, he isn't "necessarily" retiring from broadcasting all together.

Leslie Jones offers NSFW rant against NBC Olympics colleague

It seemed like an innocent enough question.

During the second intermission of Wednesday night's thrilling USA-Canada women's hockey gold-medal game (which Team USA ended up winning, 3-2, in thrilling fashion), NBC hockey analyst Pierre McGuire asked forward Gigi Marvin, a three-time Olympian, how the squad's loss in Sochi four years ago informed her message to the team heading into the last 20 minutes.

The question apparently bothered a lot of viewers, who took to social media to complain about NBC's decision to push the Sochi narrative throughout the hockey broadcast. But no one was more upset than Saturday Night Live cast member Leslie Jones, who has been in Pyeongchang covering the games for NBC.

On Twitter, Jones unleaded a NSFW rant, repeatedly disparaging McGuire and dropping enough F-bombs to make even Kelce blush.

NBC did not immediately respond to a request for comment about Jones' rant. Just two nights ago, she appeared on NBC's main broadcast alongside American bronze medalist Adam Rippon to offer commentary on the gold-medal-winning free dance performance by Canadian skaters Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir.