Chris “Mad Dog” Russo has a ton of respect for what Tom Brady has done on the football field, but when it comes to Brady being a host on SiriusXM, Russo has had different feelings.
Brady, whose podcast with Larry Fitzgerald and Jim Gray Let’s Go! airs on Mondays from 6-7 p.m. on the SiriusXM Mad Dog Sports Radio channel, has never gotten proper promotion from Russo during his daily sports radio show.
Part of it goes back to the fact that Mad Dog felt a bit slighted by the fact that the seven-time Super Bowl champion never thanked Russo for allowing his show to air on his channel.
But Russo told Howard Stern last week that a video Brady recorded celebrating Mad Dog’s Radio Hall of Fame induction this fall has changed things.
“Nobody knows how great he is more than me,” said Russo, who was a guest on the weekly “Hollyweird Squares” segment on Stern’s show. “He’s won seven Super Bowls, and you know me Howard, when it comes to sports if you win that means a lot. And I always pay attention to it, and I feel a little softer now for Tom.”
Stern said that Russo admitted he had no idea Brady’s show was going to air on his channel and that he had no say in that decision, adding that the WFAN legend has become more of a figurehead on satellite radio.
“They do things that I have no idea what they’re up to,” Russo said. “I have gotten away from the management aspect, but to be fair Howard I don’t promote anybody. Sirius wants me to use PGA golf guests for The Masters, I never put them on I get my own guys on. Sirius wants me to use NFL guys to promote Super Bowls, I never use them I get my own guys.”
But Russo made a decision on the fly shortly after he mentioned never promoting anyone.
“Because Jim Gray helped me with the Brady, with the little clip that they used, and I have been a little priggish,” he said. “100 percent about being a little too, ‘I didn’t put it on, I’m not gonna promote it.’ Because of you and because I probably gotta realize my role now as you said is more of a figurehead situation where I’m no longer in power, 2-3-6 and go home that kind of thing. But because of you and Robin (Quivers), I will now on Monday nights in the five to six o’clock hour, I will now promote the fact that Tom is up next with Jim Gray.”
Stern was happy with that, but he also said he really didn’t care one way or the other what Russo does.
“Don’t do it for me because Robin and I both don’t give a shit,” he said. “We think it’s funny that you don’t promote Tom Brady. We love it.”
“We know as much of your channel as you do,” Quivers added. “We know you’re on. That’s what we know.”
