He’s nicknamed “Mad Dog” for a reason.
Chris Russo let Stephen A. Smith have it, after ESPN’s First Take studio lost power, forcing the show to move to the hallway.
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Russo wasn’t too pleased.
“We lost power,” host Molly Qerim announced to the audience coming back from commercial break.
“So Mad Dog, tell us why you’re mad?”
“If they didn’t pay Stephen A. $400 million, maybe they could pay their freakin’ bills, ESPN!” Russo angrily joked.
“I mean goodness gracious, how dare you squeeze me and stick me in a hallway, with lights from 2000.
“Look at that, I don’t like that!” As he gestured to the hallway’s surroundings.
“You took me away from my sight all because you have to pay him $150 million, guaranteed.”
Russo was making light of the situation by poking fun at Smith’s newly reported five-year, $100 million contract with the major network.
Qerim and Smith could do nothing but laugh during the segment.
First Take is one of the country’s most popular morning sport shows on television, whether it is broadcast from their nice studio in New York, or in the back of a dimly lit hallway, people will be watching.
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Smith has been the face of the global network for the last couple of years, as his popularity and fame have only risen since then.
He is worth every penny to ESPN and they are compensating him as so.
It can even be argued that he’s worth more than the reported $100 million he is getting.
Maybe not the $400 million that Russo playfully joked around with, but that number can be divided by two and is probably more reflective of Smith’s actual worth.
Although it is hard for anyone to complain about signing a nine-figure deal.
Whether that’s 100 million or 400 million.
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