“First Take” (Photo via ESPN)
Chris “Mad Dog” Russo has been one of the most polarizing analysts since he started appearing regularly on ESPN’s “First Take.” You either love or hate him, but he may have taken it too far when discussing Lamar Jackson.
During Wednesday’s “First Take,” the crew, which included Russo, Stephen A. Smith, Kimberly Martin, and Molly Qerim, discussed who was better between Jackson and Josh Allen.
Things were getting heated. Russo was adamant about choosing Allen over Jackson, and Martin took Jackson’s side.
It reached a boiling point when Russo said, “You can take those two MVPs, and you can put them where the sun don’t shine.”
Qerim and Martin were not pleased with the comment. They tried to get him not to say it, while Smith was seen smiling and laughing along.
Of course, there will be pushback when you disrespect someone like Jackson, who has already done so much in their relatively short time in the league.
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Many on social media had no problem drilling into Russo.
However, whether or not you think Jackson is a great quarterback in the league likely depends on what you value.
He certainly has a lot of individual success, but he’s only won two playoff games in his six full years. Russo has a point but likely should have worded it differently in that aspect.
Chris Russo Called Out Tony Romo For His Mistake During Bills-Chiefs Game
Romo was in the booth for the Bill-CHiefs matchup when he had a major blunder.
“This is the game-changer. … Great job by Brandon Beane in the offseason, to go out and get a No. 1 player,” Romo said of Amari Cooper.
However, the Bills did not get him in the offseason; they traded for him during the season, and the mistake got Russo fuming.
“Can somebody tell my buddy, Tony Romo; Tony, they did not, Buffalo, get Amari Cooper in the offseason,” Russo said. “They got him eight days ago! Tony said what a great move by the GM to make the offseason trade to get him. They didn’t get Amari Cooper in July! They got him a week ago at the deadline! He’s doing the games for crying out loud. You can’t make that mistake! This is national TV.”
Popular ESPN Personality In Hot Water With The Network After Admitting Drug Use Live On The Air
ESPN camera (Photo by Brandon Sloter/Getty Images)
ESPN personality Chris Russo got himself in some hot water with the network after going a bit too far with a certain admission.
Russo, also known as “Mad Dog,” is known to push limits on television and is given some leeway to do so as ESPN appreciates his authenticity and isn’t looking to muzzle him. But the bosses were upset over a certain comment he made this week.
The 65-year-old joked about possibly sharing a cannabis-infused gummy with the network’s MLB insider Jessica Mendoza that didn’t go over so well in the offices.
“I had a gummy this morning; I’m flying. Oh, I’m flying. I had a gummy. Right before he did the Yankee nonsense,” he said while on ‘First Take.’ “I said let me go gobble one. And I went back with Mendoza, and I took a gummy.”
Chris Russo Clears The Air
Execs at The Worldwide Leader in Sports were not all that happy with Russo, who has since revealed he got into trouble for the joke. He also cleared the air around Mendoza, claiming she didn’t have a gummy with him.
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“It’s not accurate and I got in trouble for that,” he told Jimmy Traina on his ‘SI Media’ podcast.
“Because I put Jessica Mendoza in the mix, and I shouldn’t have done that…I indicated that she was in the mix. And that wasn’t the right thing to do. So I’ll take the hit for that. She flew to Oregon right after, I have not heard from her. But ESPN did… what are you gonna do? You can’t please everybody.”
Chris Russo said he wasn’t told to apologize, but it was clear that the higher-ups were displeased with what he said.
Meanwhile, Mendoza hasn’t said anything about the comment; it’s unknown as to whether she was offended.
