Legendary Radio Host Takes Shots at Alabama and Will Anderson
Legendary radio host Chris "Mad Dog" Russo has had a storied career in sports media.
Russo started in sports radio in the late '80s and created one of the biggest shows with Mike Francesa "Mike and the Mad Dog." Russo left WFAN in 2008 and started his own channel on Sirus XM, Mad Dog Radio. He signed a contract with the MLB Network in 2014 and still holds a position there. Recently, Russo began joining Stephen A. Smith on First Take on ESPN to debate the pundit and create conversations.
Russo may be on the Mount Rushmore of sports radio hosts but he certainly ruffled some feathers in last week's First Take appearance by disrespecting the Alabama Crimson Tide just a few short weeks before the 2022 season.
Russo, when ranking his top four "most storied programs" in college football massively missed the mark. Doggie, laughably, ranked the Crimson Tide third overall behind the likes of Notre Dame and Michigan.
Perhaps the argument for the top spot can be made between Notre Dame and Alabama, but to rank the Michigan Wolverines ahead of the Crimson Tide is simply a joke.
Yes, the Wolverines lay claim to the most college football wins of all time with 976, but the Maize and Blue has only won one national championship after 1950. Michigan does claim 11 national titles overall but eight came prior to World War II.
The Crimson Tide is no slouch when it comes to all time victories, ranking second with 942, but additionally Alabama has 18 national championships. The added layer of dominance for the Tide is its longevity of success. Alabama has won a national championship in each of the last four decades and at least one title in nine different decades.
The final layer of Russo's joke can be seen when comparing post season records between the Maize and Blue and the Crimson and White. Michigan has a 21-28 record in the post season while Alabama has a 45-27-3 record in post season games, almost as many Crimson Tide wins as Wolverines games participated in.
Russo's disrespect for the Crimson Tide didn't end there. While debating the Heisman Trophy with David Pollack and Ryan Clark he revealed he won't be voting for Will Anderson, or any defensive player for college football's most prestigious award.
Mad Dog called Anderson "replaceable" and called the Heisman Trophy an offensive award for quarterbacks or running backs.
Russo said Alabama, "has a million defensive players" and said the Tide would be fine if The Terminator got hurt but wouldn't be able to survive if Bryce Young got injured.
Young has been an incredible leader for the Crimson Tide and is determined to take Alabama back to the national championship game, but to disregard Anderson's impact on the defense and call him a replaceable player simply shows a lack of understanding for how the edge rusher impacts opposing offenses.
The Doggie's career is absolutely one for all media personalities to be envious of but after his recent appearance on First Take someone should put him on a leash.
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