Chris Christie Won't Back Down After Ripping Jets Reporter
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- New Jersey Governor Chris Christie torched Manish Mehta on WFAN radio Monday, calling the Jets beat reporter for the New York Daily News "a complete idiot" who showed his "self-consumed" side during Saturday's testy postgame press conference with head coach Rex Ryan.
"No Jets fan gives a damn about Manish Mehta," Christie said during his special four-hour co-hosting gig with WFAN's Craig Carton. "We shouldn't be giving this dope the amount of air-time we've given him already."
Gov. Christie On Mehta
Christie wouldn't back down Wednesday during his monthly "Ask the Governor" show on 101.5-FM.
"I was on a sports talk show. I wasn't on 'Meet the Press,' " Christie said. "Some of the reaction to this is just a bunch of overwrought reporters who are so thin-skinned that they don't like to be criticized ever. ... I was on a sports talk show that is fun. It's not life and death. It's not war and peace. It's not Sandy recovery."
WATCH & LISTEN: CHRIS CHRISTIE CO-HOSTS 'BOOMER & CARTON' SHOW ON WFAN
The Daily News blasted back Tuesday with the front-page headline "Who you calling an idiot, fatso!"
"They're calling me names and that's fine," Christie said. "The Daily News called me names on the front page of the paper (Tuesday) and that's OK. I mean, you know, that's their choice. They get to express themselves too."
Mehta made an appearance of his own Wednesday on WFAN. Before giving his update on the Jets, the Daily News scribe touched on the topic du jour.
"People can say what they want to say and they're entitled to it," Mehta told co-hosts Joe Benigno and Evan Roberts. "I do have a lot of respect for Governor Christie, all joking aside."
Mehta On Gov. Christie
Mehta said the spat wouldn't affect his vote if Christie decides to make a presidential bid in 2016.
"I can honestly say that my vote will not change based on what has happened over the last couple days," Mehta said.
For the record, Christie is a Dallas Cowboys fan.
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