Perhaps the Mad Dog has truly gone mad.
Chris Russo took issue with Joe Buck for a comment he alleged Buck made toward him … only it would appear that said comment was never uttered.
Russo, the boisterous ESPN and SiriusXM personality, said on Monday’s show that Buck had the “audacity” to question him about removing the Cowboys from primetime games.
“Joe Buck, who I love, I love, but Joe having the audacity to question me about how dare you say we’re going to flex out of Dallas. Joe, I’ll tell you right now, I promise you, Joe, that you will be begging for a flex with the Cowboys when you see them basically on Monday night nine million times — and same with (NBC’s Mike) Tirico — now on television the rest of the year because the Cowboys are done. Are done,” Russo said during his rant. “Nothing that you can do is going to change that.”
Surely, one would think that Buck had personally called out Russo based on his wording. Dropping a “how dare you” usually ups the temperature in an argument.
But, well, it would appear Buck has no idea what Russo is referring to.
“Hot take alert!! (And I love you) But I’m pretty sure I did the interview with @JimmyTraina,” Buck tweeted Wednesday. “When did I audastically question you about the Cowboys? Get some rest. Work on your backswing.”
Buck’s tweet references the interview he did with Sports Illustrated before Week 9, in which Traina noted that Buck has to call two Cowboys games down the stretch.
Traina argued that while the Cowboys are relevant in the big picture they are not a good team worthy of repeated primetime slots this season.
The Cowboys will be on “Monday Night Football” in Week 11 against the Texans and Week 14 against the Bengals, in addition to their annual Thanksgiving slot and a Week 16 Sunday night game vs. the Buccaneers.
“They’re always relevant. You can’t say they’re not relevant,” Buck said. “I’m in the business of trying to get the most people to watch.”
Nowhere in his Cowboys response did Buck chastise Russo, although perhaps the former WFAN host thought Buck was indirectly calling him out for a previous Cowboys take.
“Dearest @MadDogUnleashed this is @JimmyTraina not you,” Buck said in a second tweet that included a clip of the Traina interview. “In fairness you guys do sound exactly alike. So I can see how you thought this was you. But it wasn’t. Or was it? Now I’m not sure. Still love you maddogtrainarusso.”
Russo not only went after Buck but also warned NBC and Tirico about having the Jets vs. Colts matchup in their marquee spot, which proved to be an astute observation.
The NFL flexed the Jets-Colts matchup out of its Sunday night slot in place of Bengals vs. Chargers.
“I’m going to tell NBC something to do right now, Michael, make sure you call the power that be at the legal office, get out of that Indianapolis-Jets game in 10 days,” Russo said. “Jets are going to lose to Arizona, Indianapolis is going to lose to Buffalo and don’t sit there, you guys are some how going to convince me, you and (Cris Collinsworth), a week from Sunday, that the Jet-Colts game has playoff permutations when one team has lost seven of 10 and the other team has lost six of 10 because we’re not stupid. A sports fan knows garbage when he sees garbage and Indianapolis and the Jets may be garbage in a week and a half. Get out now when the getting’s good.”
Russo concluded his rant by noting that the NFL is bottom-heavy this season.
“There is nothing but nine miles of bad road in the National Football League,” Russo said. “There are too many lousy teams and too many mouths to feed network-wise. There is not a lot going on.”
