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Stephen A. Smith and Chris “Mad Dog” Russo are two of the loudest and most well-known sports personalities on television today. They debate each other on ESPN's First Take every Wednesday, but the rivalry does not always stop there. Smith is making sure to really dig into Russo for backing out of his Arizona Diamondbacks' retirement bet.
Mad Dog, who is synonymous with talk radio along with being the longtime host of MLB Network's High Heat, has been the subject of ridicule and mockery after vowing to quit if Arizona reached the World Series. His promise immediately became a lie, as the New York native carried on about his usual Wednesday routine.
Torey Lovullo is happy with Russo's substitution punishment- he must walk down Manhattan in a Diamondbacks bikini while holding up a self-deprecating sign- but the manager at least wants a grand, in-person apology to the entire club. Smith is going even further in his pursuit of comeuppance.
To “@Dbacks Manager Lovell, I wholeheartedly AGREE with you, sir. Not only should @MadDogUnleashed apologize to you, you should make him wear a @Dbacks Jersey for the entire offseason:-) https://t.co/jIaZaT8aUA
— Stephen A Smith (@stephenasmith) October 27, 2023
“To Manager Lovell, I wholeheartedly AGREE with you, sir,” he posted on X/Twitter. “Not only should {Mad Dog} apologize to you, you should make him wear a Diamondbacks jersey for the entire offseason.”
Considering that Stephen A. Smith spelled Lovullo's name wrong, perhaps his credibility should also come into question. All jokes aside, this whole situation has added more intrigue to the D-backs' underdog tale and will potentially result in higher ratings for Chris Russo.
An apology feels justified, though, given his refusal to live up to his word. By the time the Diamondbacks officially battle the Texas Rangers on Friday, Torey Lovullo is going to be preoccupied with more important matters. A championship, however, would serve as a permanent reminder of Russo's epic gaffe.
