Craig Carton's WFAN return marked by memorable opening

At 2:05 p.m. on Monday — after five minutes of ads delayed his much-anticipated latest return to WFAN — Craig Carton opened his new show with a cackle.

After all the ads, the opening theme to the show had abruptly cut off.

“We’re on the air right now, right?” Carton said. “All right. Well. It’s, amazingly enough, five after two already. Easiest, best five minutes of radio. I’ve done it a long time.

“Welcome, welcome, welcome to the first-ever edition of ‘The Carton Show’ with Chris McMonigle, Craig Carton. It is a pleasure, a privilege to be back. Great to have you sitting by my side.

“Not off to the greatest start. Not gonna lie to you. Not the start I was expecting . . . it’s 2:05. This show is officially begun. We are looking for a new producer. I can tell you that right out of the gate. So if you’re looking for a job in radio, send your resumes in.”

The good news for producer Pete Hoffman is that Carton was kidding. Probably. It was a more memorable opening than if Carton and McMonigle had just spoken about how excited they are for the opportunity, which they both did after the mishap.

McMonigle also made note of the fact that his name is not in the show’s title.

“I’m happy to be part of the show,” he said. “Even if my name’s not on it. That’s fine. I’m with it. I’m here.”

Then — lo and behold — “The Carton Show” turned into a traditional sports talk show. For a while.

The hosts had a lengthy discussion about the terrible seasons of the Jets and Giants, which ended on Sunday with a combined record of 7-27.

“I wasn’t even sure you liked sports,” McMonigle, who grew up in Franklin Square, said in the early line of the day.

Then Carton, in discussing whom the Giants should hire as their next head coach, made an off-color remark about the girlfriend of former Patriots coach Bill Belichick.

So Carton is back.

Madison Square Garden executive chairman James Dolan was the new show’s marquee in-studio guest. Carton thanked the owner of the Knicks and Rangers for being part of the first show and also thanked Dolan for “the friendship.”

Dolan, who rarely gives interviews, answered multiple questions about the teams.

Of the Knicks, Dolan said: “This group can win a championship. I believe that.”

Of the Knicks deciding not to put up a banner at the Garden after winning the NBA Cup, Dolan said: “We are going to raise a banner. We’re going to raise the NBA championship banner. That’s the banner we want to raise.”

Of team president Leon Rose, who never gives interviews, and his long-term future with the club, Dolan said: “You have to ask Leon, but Leon doesn’t answer questions. He’s cut from the same cloth that I am.”

Of the Rangers, Dolan said: “I’m being patient. We’re not out of it by any means.”

Of MSG Network not being carried on some cable systems because of a dispute and the future of sports on cable television, Dolan said: “It’s evolving. I think over the long term, you’re probably not going to get your games from the cable company. They’re going to be streaming.”

This is Carton’s third stint at WFAN. He teamed with Boomer Esiason in the morning from 2007-17 and Evan Roberts in the afternoon from 2020-23.

In 2017, Carton left the station after his arrest on federal conspiracy and fraud charges in relation to a gambling addiction. He spent about a year in prison, returned to the station and then left again for an FS1 TV gig. That show was canceled in July.

The previous WFAN afternoon show featuring Roberts and Tiki Barber began its new midday shift at 10 a.m. on Monday. Roberts and Barber replaced Sal Licata and Brandon Tierney, who were not retained by the station.

By Anthony Rieber

anthony.rieber@newsday.comAnthonyRieber

Anthony Rieber covers sports media and business and professional sports (you know, games and trades and things). He has worked at Newsday since Aug. 31, 1998, and has been in his current position since Jan. 1, 2026.