"The Mets finally win a freakin' game yesterday, and you have to take all their thunder away? Thanks a lot pal!"
Those were the first words spoken by Evan Roberts on Thursday's Carton & Roberts show, moments after a break after Craig's monologue where he revealed he is leaving WFAN full-time on June 30 to focus on other projects.
When Carton & Roberts began nearly three years ago, and even until today, many may have heard Evan make that statement and scream that it proved he hates working with Craig – and as both candidly revealed in Thursday's emotional first hour, that couldn't be further from the truth.
"I'm going to miss you; not you personally, as I'll see you, but I'll miss the four hours with you, and just hanging out in your office. I can sit next to you and never have to say a word, and it's not awkward," Evan said. "I thought it would be tough after Joe retired to find a partner where we could have fun and be successful, and I can honestly say that I've genuinely had a great time – and to do that and have success is ultimately the best marriage."
And that's when Craig opened up about the genesis of Carton & Roberts, a meeting between the two in New Jersey in October 2020…after, as Carton joked, Evan asked "why me?" and Craig said he had asked a laundry list of people to be his co-host in his return (including Boomer three times!).
"That was the day I told him my plan, which was to turn him into Afternoon Evan…and look at you now!" Craig laughed. "It's almost like one of those bad Disney movies – my work here is done!"
Indeed, his work here is almost done, and it's been almost three years of a marriage that started with Evan actually getting the choice of Craig as his new partner.
"I did ask that why me, but I also went over there trying to decide if I wanted to work with you," Evan said. "The bosses told me I could say no, but I remember listening to you and having a good meeting – it was the longest conversation we ever had."
The two knew each other but hadn't really gotten to know each other, as Boomer & Carton were on air before Joe & Evan, so they didn't get to kibbutz much.
Three years, several ratings wins, and a whole lot of love later, though, they have less than a dozen shows less together – and Craig takes full responsibility for that, and trying not to hold Evan back.
"Three years ago I was a number, today I have two amazing jobs – but the reality is that my family still suffers not having their dad and, fingers crossed, their husband around," Craig said. "I got to a point where I didn't think both jobs were sustainable – and the longer I did it and most tired I got, I wasn't going to be the best radio or TV host I could be, and Evan deserves a partner who is at his best."
And that is when we found out how Craig Carton truly feels about Evan Roberts.
"I take pride in the fact I was able to come back after three years, do a new show with a new person in a new time slot, and be successful. I didn't know if Evan and I would mesh together and do a show we could both be proud of – and one of the best gifts to me, from a professional standpoint, is the fact this show has been successful, and we did something most people said we could never do," Craig said. "To Evan's credit, it worked; I only know how to do things one way, and Evan allowed me to do that without ever losing focus on who he is and what he does. I don't think it would've worked without anyone else – so on a personal level, while I'm taking your career and risking it because you have to build a new show, I know you will be successful. This show isn't successful just because I'm 50 percent of it, it's because you're 50 percent of it. My leaving is not a surprise to Evan, and I appreciate you allowing me to get to a place to make what I felt was the right decision for my family, which I know wasn't easy."
Stay tuned to WFAN for the final two weeks of Carton & Roberts, and through the summer as we navigate Joe & Evan into Carton & Roberts into Evan Roberts and his next adventure.
Follow WFAN's afternoon team on Twitter: @CartonRoberts, @EvanRobertsWFAN, @Craigcartonlive, @TommyLugauer, and @CMacWFAN
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