Howard Stern Confronts Chris Russo About First Take’s New Format: ‘Why Go On With Another Screamer?’

Howard Stern decided to confront longtime friend and radio host Chris Russo on his co-hosting gig on ESPN’s First Take.

Russo called into The Howard Stern Show on Wednesday to talk about his career.

“How come you haven’t followed this first? — I’m so proud of this. How come you haven’t followed this First Take thing on ESPN?” Russo asked.

“Oh, well you’re promoting something, obviously. You know, I’m not that audience. I don’t know from first take, second take, third take,” Stern pushed back.

“I’ve been doing all these crazy videos for them. You don’t know what’s going on there. I’m surprised!” Russo yelled.

“All right. I see you wanna promote a little bit and that’s fair. Give me the name of the show. Don’t yell. Just tell me the name of the show,” Stern said.

Russo then went on to explain that he appears each Wednesday alongside Stephen A. Smith on ESPN.

Stern’s longtime executive producer, Gary Dell’Abate, jumped in to explain the show, saying, “It’s a big deal, cause it’s on the ESPN, but he’s on with a guy named Steven A. Smith, who is kind of like makes Chris seem calm at times. He’s a screamer and a yeller too. And Steven A. Smith is one of those guys. You could ask him, you know, ‘What did you think of those shoes over there?’ And he will yell and scream.”

‘Mad dog,’ why go on with another screamer? Let me ask you from a broadcasting stand standpoint, Gary says you’re a screamer. This guy’s a screamer. Is it too much screaming? Don’t you need a calm collected, cohost much like Tom Francesa or whatever his name is,” Stern replies.

“First off, Stephen A. is the greatest guy in the world. That’s number one. He really is a tremendous guy,” Russo explains.

He continued on to tell a story about a recent family gathering where two nephews told him how much they appreciated his show on ESPN. “Do you know that both these kids, these are 20-year-old kids said — they call me uncle ‘Mad dog,’ ‘Do you know that we watch every Wednesday at 10 o’clock. We work out and everybody on the teams sit there and love you. Love you and Steven A. screaming and yelling at each other.'”

Listen above via The Howard Stern Show.