Phil Mushnick is a sports columnist for the New York Post. Over his career he has served as a beat reporter for the New York Cosmos, the New Jersey Nets, and the New York Rangers. In 1982, he was named for the Post's television and radio columnist. Mushnick is known for his scathing commentary and columns, many of which are critical of a particular person.
Career
Mushnick graduated from Waynesburg College in Pennsylvania with an English degree. In October 1973 he was hired as a copy boy for the New York Post, before being promoted to writer.
Feuds
A 1998 feature called Mushnick a "roving moralist" and "self-appointed watchdog." His work features a running theme that broadcasters should serve the event they are calling rather than themselves. Many of his targets (see below) have been called out repeatedly for violating this ethic.
Professional wrestling and its fans
Mushnick is a vehement, longtime detractor of the World Wrestling Federation (WWF/now WWE). He has criticized the lifestyles portrayed by its parent company Titan Sports, both in their storylines and the performers' personal lives. In 1997 he implied that Titan chairman Vince McMahon's perpetration of steroid use for his performers led to wrestler Brian Pillman's early demise. McMahon responded (on an episode of WWF Monday Night Raw) that Mushnick was a "self-righteous, egotistical, miserable son of a bitch." Mushnick then criticized the industry as a "death mill," citing several wrestlers who had died before the age of 45. Although the majority of the performers (including Miss Elizabeth and Davey Boy Smith) died after retiring from the WWF, Mushnick attributed their early deaths to their lifestyle while employed by Vince McMahon. Other media outlets have likewise provided statistics showing the high number of wrestlers who have died young from car crashes, suicide, homicide, heart failure and steroid-related health problems. On the October 13, 1997 episode of Monday Night Raw, WWF writer Jim Cornette addressed Phil Mushnick's article referring to Brian Pillman's death by pointing out the crusade against wrestling, citing Mushnick's claim that rather than the WWF or WCW donating money they should stop business altogether, and the hatred he harbors towards wrestling fans and using the newspapers and magazines he writes for to attack those who watch wrestling.
Mike and the Mad Dog/Mike Francesa
The day after the September 11 attacks, Mushnick claimed that Mike and the Mad Dog had stated, on-air, that all Jewish Americans should take a loyalty oath to the United States. Mike Francesa denied ever making such comments, prompting further criticism from Mushnick. In April 2017, Deadspin reported that a recording of the show from September 12, 2001, had been located in the 9/11 archives of the Paley Center for Media. Deadspin writers listened to the episode, and noted that while Francesa and co-host Chris Russo had argued with an American citizen caller about his loyalty to Israel taking precedence over his loyalty to the United States, the broadcast was not "the Jew-bashing trainwreck" that Mushnick described.
Mushnick and Francesa have continued to wage their long-running public battle into 2022. At the root of Mushnick's dislike of Francesa is his perception of the latter's egotism, condescension, "know-it-all" attitude, and pomposity.
ESPN and Stephen A. Smith
Mushnick frequently criticizes the sports network ESPN. He has specifically labeled ESPN's ESPY Awards and their "Who's Now" segment in the summer of 2007 as "pathetic" self-promotions, and accused it of ignoring second-tier sports in their highlights—such as the Arena Football League—until they are broadcast by ESPN. He often targets Stephen A. Smith, writing: "Could it be that Smith’s urban street-hip brotha yak—which he seems able to turn on and off with the drop of a Kangol—is supposed to appeal / pander to young, urban, street-talkin’ sports fans?—a description that was felt to have racist overtones.