‘Nobody Cares About General Hospital, Steve’: ‘Mad Dog’ Russo Rips Part-Time Soap Opera Star Stephen A. Smith for Being Too Busy to Do First Take in Person

Chris “Mad Dog” Russo took exception to Stephen A. Smith not showing up to the set of ESPN’s First Take on Wednesday.

During his segment “What Are You Mad About,” Russo called out Smith for being on the road the one day of the week he’s on the show. Smith joined the show via video call.

“I came for him,” Russo said. “I’ve been 63 years old. I’ve done this a long time. I could go play golf, play tennis. I could travel the world … If you’re gonna drag me at 6 o’clock in the morning — waking up, shower, shave, shampoo — and you’re gonna put me in a car service going down that westside highway, which takes me two-and-a-half hours. I’m limping when I get off the stupid car. I have my little French toast, my little coffee. And then I come in here and I sit down and this guy’s not here? Because he’s in LA or he’s at some NBA site or he’s in Denver or wherever he might be.

“That really bothers me. And I am not gonna stand for it.”

As one of ESPN’s highest-paid on-air personalities, Smith appears on multiple shows each day and is regularly on location at major events; but he also has obligations outside of sports. Smith plays Brick in the ABC Soap Opera General Hospital and has appeared in every season since 2016.

“I’m older than you. I’ve been doing this longer,” Russo said. “Show me some respect. When I’m here, you’re here. How would you like it if I did this in my pajamas downstairs in New Canaan, Connecticut and you venture into here?

“Get your rear end … I don’t care how you do it. Nobody cares about General Hospital, Steve, and nobody watches it. Get your rear end in the house when I’m here.”

Smith immediately disputed the notion that the show is irrelevant.

“First of all: General Hospital, multiple-time Emmy Award winners,” Smith said. “Big-time soap opera. That and The Young and the Restless are the top-two soap operas. Been that way for decades. You don’t know what you’re talking about. I get stopped everywhere in the country because of Brick, surveillance expert for the mob.”

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