Chris Mad Dog Russo First Take Screen grab: First Take
ESPNGamblingBy Ben Axelrod on

Ever since joining First Take as a weekly guest host, Chris “Mad Dog” Russo’s “What are you mad about?” segment has become a staple of the show.

But while the sports talk legend typically uses the opportunity to direct his ire toward others, on Wednesday, he pointed the finger at himself.

As it turns out, one of the unintended consequences of the NFL taking over not only Christmas Eve but also Christmas Day is that, for many, gambling became just as much a part of the holiday as eggnog and presents. That was the case for Russo, who used Wednesday’s segment to detail his brutal run of bets, which began on Christmas Eve.

“I always pick on everybody else. It’s time I pick on me and ‘Fat Rob’ in Rapid City,” Russo said, referring to his gambling buddy, before revealing that he skipped church on Christmas Eve to watch the Carolina Panthers ruin his Green Bay Packers -3.5 bet.

Russo proceeded to chase his loss by taking the over in the Miami Dolphins-Dallas Cowboys game, which fell short of the 48.5-point total thanks in part to an untimely Cowboys fumble.

“At 4:30 [p.m.] — that’s the time you should be hitting your knees, thanking the lord that it’s Christmas and all those things,” Russo said. “And I’m betting Cowboys and Miami with my mother’s burnt veal parmesan.”

Russo wasn’t done yet, as he also bet on the heavily favored Kansas City Chiefs, who lost outright to the Las Vegas Raiders on Christmas Day. As if that wasn’t enough, thanks to some encouragement from Fat Rob, he then placed a moneyline bet on Rice, who lost to Texas State in the First Responder Bowl on Tuesday.

The totality of the four losses (that we know of) clearly took a toll on Mad Dog.

“I am a degenerate and a loser!” Russo shouted. “I deserve to lose every penny! What an awful, awful, awful, awful job! God strike me down again!”

The good news? When it came time to open gift’s Russo’s daughter came through when her dad needed her most. Because if there’s one thing Mad Dog loves more than gambling, it’s gummies.

About Ben Axelrod

Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.

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