The Kansas City Chiefs are 4-1 this NFL season, but depending on who you ask, they might be more fortunate than others. The Chiefs lost in Week 1 to the Detroit Lions, a defeat looking better by the week as the Lions are also 4-1 on the year. Since then, the Chiefs have ripped off victories against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Chicago Bears, the New York Jets, and the Minnesota Vikings, most recently.
Kansas City has been fortunate to play the lowly Bears, the Aaron Rodgers-less Jets, and a Vikings team that’s struggled mightily defensively lately. But, opponents of that thought will tell you, “That’s why they play the games.” They would be right to say that. The Chiefs have also benefitted from a few calls that officials have made this season, some of which occurred over the weekend to Minnesota.
That has Chris “Mad Dog” Russo, well, mad. Russo vented his frustrations on what ‘First Take’ host Molly Qerim dubbed their “favorite segment.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOYh1qp0u0Y&ab_channel=ESPN
“Number two, you know I am so SICK AND TIRED of Kansas City getting every call known to man! Did we see the Super Bowl and that holding in the defensive backfield which cost Philadelphia a chance to tie? I hated the call.
“And I know the league loves Mahomes, and loves NFL, and here’s Taylor Swift! I know that! Alright? Number two, in the Jet game. Last week, we all know about Gardner, we all know about the hold that wasn’t called on 3rd and 20 when Mahomes ran for a first down. That is bad.
“And then Sunday against my buddy, Cousins. This could–look, HERE IT IS! THE OFFICIAL PICKS UP THE STUPID FLAG AND SNEED TAKES–THAT’S A PENALTY! THAT’S THE OTHER ONE! You showed me the wrong thing! THAT’S THE JET ONE! I DON’T WANNA SEE THAT ONE! SHOW ME THE MINNESOTA ONE AGAIN!
“YOU GOT THE WRONG ONE HERE! SHOW ME THE MINNESOTA ONE! Oh my God, PAY ATTENTION NIKKI! THAT’S A PENALTY! And then, and then he takes his helmet off and they don’t call a 15-yarder! THAT’S AN AUTOMATIC 15 WHEN YOU TAKE THE HELMET OFF! Did y’all make a phone call to the officials to get a Kansas City win? THAT IS A JOKE! THAT BOTHERED ME!”
As far as “Mad Dog” rants go? This one was pretty strong. Russo got pretty animated during it, shuffling his hands around, getting very close to the camera, etc. He and Stephen A. Smith made reference to “Nikki,” who we can presume is a ‘First Take’ producer in charge of setting the clips. Unfortunately for “Mad Dog,” he had to stomach seeing the Jets get, in his mind, screwed over because of officiating.
Russo has never been shy during these rants, and that includes the content in them. Over the summer, “Mad Dog” lost it over the NFL’s run of gambling suspensions. During the rant, the longtime radio voice implied that NFL commissioner Roger Goodell might bet during the Super Bowl this year in Las Vegas, accusing the NFL of hypocrisy.
“Mad Dog” didn’t go all the way there, but some might argue the Chiefs are skating by. Maybe KC is leading a charmed life, and if so, eventually that will run out.
About Chris Novak
Chris Novak has been talking and writing about sports ever since he can remember. Previously, Novak wrote for and managed sites in the SB Nation network for nearly a decade from 2013-2022