When Stephen A. Smith and Chris Russo are mixing it up, there shall be shouting.
Smith brought the Mad Dog onto ESPN’s “First Take” Wednesday for a good old fashioned Baseball Hall of Fame debate.
Russo, despite being a diehard Giants fan, believes Bonds does not belong in the Hall of Fame. Smith disagrees, believing the Hall should tell the story of baseball, and include an asterisk for Bonds — and Roger Clemens — if it must.
Russo was in prime form. He complimented Smith on treatment of colleagues when Smith hosted his radio show on SiriusXM’s Mad Dog Radio several years back. He called his debate adversary Stevie a few times. He asked him if he’s ever seen “61,” the Billy Crystal movie about Roger Maris.
“Maris had his HAIR FALLING OUT. DID THE RECORD LEGITIMATELY. And then [Mark] McGwire, Bonds and [Sammy] Sosa cheat to break the record of a guy whose hair is falling out and I’m supposed to put them in the Hall of Fame?” Russo asked incredulously.
Molly Qerim marveled at Dog’s memory.
Smith passed along an analogy from a friend that fair is a place where you judge pigs.
What proof did Russo have of David Ortiz failing the PED test in 2003? Michael Schmidt from the New York Times, who is a “Hall of Fame” writer. (Note: Schmidt has won two Pulitzer Prizes but does not appear to be in any Halls of Fame.)
Any old fans of Mike and the Mad Dog could not help but grin from ear to ear.