Howard Stern welcomed Chris Russo,”The Mad Dog”, onto his radio show on Wednesday and got some very interesting contractual details to leak out from the interview.
Russo told Stern that he was contracted for 40 weekly appearances on ESPN’s First Take. He also dropped the scoop that the network was paying $10,000 per appearance. That information was interesting, but waiting in the wings was Russo not understanding, or believing, that Howard Stern has no idea what First Take is.
“Have you been paying attention to this First Take stuff on ESPN?” Russo asked.
“The First Take?” questioned Stern.
“The show? With Stephen A. Smith,” Russo began to explain.
“I don’t know anything about sports,” Stern replied.
“Yeah it’s a sports show. I’m on there once a week. 10-12. It’s fun. We laugh, we fool around. We talk sports, e talk all these topics. You’re not following that?”
“No, I’m not,” said Stern. “I didn’t know you were on TV, but good for you. That should help you get into the Radio Hall of Fame.”
Russo could not leave the conversation there. He returned to Stern’s ignorance of the show’s existence.
“How come you haven’t followed this First Take thing on ESPN?” Russo asked.
Stern replied, “I don’t know First Take from Second Take or Third Take.”
When Stern producer Gary Dell’Abate explained the show and that Russo debates with Stephen A. Smith who “makes Chris seem calm at times”.
Stern then pounced on hilarity. “Why go on with another screamer?” asked Stern. “Let me ask you from a broadcasting standpoint. Gary says you’re a screamer, this guy’s a screamer. Is it too much screaming? Don’t you need a calm, collected co-host much like Tom Francesa or whatever his name is?”
