NYC Radio: WFAN Caller Heckles Chris Christie

A well-known WFAN caller exchanged verbal barbs with Gov. Chris Christie during the governor’s test run as a sports talk-radio host on Monday.

According to nj.com, Mike Goldstein, also known as “Mike from Montclair,” started his call to WFAN 660 AM / 101.9 FM on Monday afternoon by referencing Christie’s day at the beach during the government shutdown last week.

Christie, meanwhile, labeled Goldstein a Communist.

“Governor, next time you want to sit on a beach that is closed to the entire world except you,” Goldstein said while on the air, “you put your fat ass in a car and go to one that’s open to all your constituents, not just you and yours.”

Christie called Goldstein “a bum.”

“I love getting calls from Communists in Montclair,” said Christie.

Mike in Montclair calls @GovChristie a fat-ass and a bully. Christie calls Mike in Montclair a bum and a communist. And... we're off! #WFAN pic.twitter.com/HUcLMRZPVz

— Sports Funhouse (@SportsFunhouse) July 10, 2017

Christie was filling in for Mike Francesa, a longtime on-air personality who will soon retire. The governor’s fill-in stint, which resumes at 2 p.m. Tuesday, has been described by a spokeswoman for the station as an on-air audition to be Francesa’s replacement.

He will have a hard time winning over Goldstein, who has called Francesa once or twice every week for the past 25 years.

“He’s a guy who's auditioning for Mike’s job, and he’s going to have to get a thick skin,” Goldstein said early Monday evening while coaching Montclair’s softball team against Bloomfield at Clark’s Pond.

Mike From Montclair

Goldstein, 58, has lived in Montclair for around 29 years and has three daughters. He previously worked in sports licensing for 25 years but then moved into real estate with his cousin.

A self-proclaimed Democrat, and a professed passionate sports fan, particularly of the New York Yankees and New York Giants, Goldstein said the governor called him a Communist because he lives in Montclair.

One prominent Democrat, Cary Chevat, hailed Goldstein's exchange with Christie.

"First, I want to buy Mike from Montclair a beer and a hot dog at Yogi Berra Stadium," stated Chevat, himself a longtime Montclairite who co-founded the progressive activist organization BlueWaveNJ.

"At 15 percent approval ratings, I think the rest of NJ finally understands why Montclair had rejected Christie in the first place," Chevat asserted. "He is just a beach bum bully."

Christie co-hosted Monday’s show with WFAN personality Evan Roberts. Among other topics on Monday’s show, Christie spoke about Tom Seaver and Jerry Koosman, and Roger Staubach, the Knicks, the Nets, Jim Dolan, Steve Mills and the Rangers.

Politico reports a Monmouth poll released Monday, respondents called Chrtistie arrogant, pompous and crazy as part of a word association game. The qualities sometimes suit politicians, but they often suit radio hosts.

In Christie’s favor, the reviews of his sports radio performances have been mostly positive. “He's got the personality for it,” said Newsday's Neil Best. "And his sports knowledge is good for a guy who doesn't do this full time."

Mike Vaccaro, a sports columnist at the New York Post told Politico, “The ratings would be great for a week, two weeks, but New Yorkers won’t tune in to a novelty act.”