Chris “Mad Dog” Russo would not hire CBS Sports NFL analyst Tony Romo if he ran a television network. Moreover, the SiriusXM host says Romo’s recent legal trouble isn’t the reason.
What We Know: Russo made the comments during an appearance on The Dan Patrick Show. Meanwhile, Romo remains on leave from CBS Sports following his July 23 OWI arrest in Milwaukee. He later pleaded no contest and lost his driving privileges for six months. In his absence, J.J. Watt has joined Jim Nantz in the lead booth. Russo says that although he wouldn’t hire Romo, he doesn’t envy the position that CBS Sports is currently in.
What They Said: (All quotes via The Dan Patrick Show):
Chris “Mad Dog” Russo says he wouldn’t hire Tony Romo if he was running a network: “I would not [hire Tony Romo]. Not because of this. I don’t think Romo’s that good. To me, Romo, he’s way too spontaneous. He gets in the way of the game too much. I don’t think Romo’s a great analyst. So to me, the fact that they paid him $17 million, which was absurd, that’s a contract that [Sean] McManus would like to have back. I guarantee it.”
Chris “Mad Dog” Russo doesn’t think CBS Sports would demote Tony Romo: “They can’t put Romo on the fifth team. If you’re gonna bring him back, you got to bring him back with [Jim] Nantz. What are you gonna do? You’re gonna bring him back and demote him? That looks actually worse. You’re going to put him on the Titan Jaguar game? I’m not sure if you can do that.”
Chris “Mad Dog” Russo doesn’t envy the position CBS Sports is in with Tony Romo: “I think CBS is in a huge quandary there. They’re going to have to pay him. It’s a civil thing. It’s not criminal. So, if they decide to get rid of them, maybe they reach some sort of buyout. They’re going to have to pay them something. So, I don’t know if CBS has made up their made up their mind yet.”
Chris “Mad Dog” Russo says there will be a chain effect if Tony Romo returns: “I would leave everything alone right now and let [J.J.] Watt do the games with [Jim] Nantz. Plus, if you bring [Tony] Romo back and put him with Nantz, then you got to move Watt down to Ian [Eagle]. Then you got to move [Ross] Tucker down. I mean, it’s a disaster.”
What Remains Unclear: CBS has not announced a final decision on Romo’s future. In August, network president David Berson called the situation still evolving. However, Russo expects any exit to involve a buyout, since Romo earns $17 million annually through 2030.
What It Means: For Russo, this criticism is nothing new. After all, he has knocked Romo’s on-air style for years. Furthermore, he warns that Romo’s return would push Watt and others down CBS’s depth chart. Ultimately, the network faces a costly choice either way. Whether or not another network would be in demand for Romo’s services also remains unknown.
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