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Chris 'Mad Dog' Russo Had a Big Laugh Over Stephen A. Smith's Contract News

A fun start to Wednesday's First Take.

Kyle Koster

Stephen A. Smith and Chris Russo on "First Take."
Stephen A. Smith and Chris Russo on "First Take." / ESPN

Stephen A. Smith's expiring contract and aspirations to become even more ubiquitous in the content game has been a major sports media story for months now and Tuesday brought a new development in the process as Variety's Brian Steinberg reported that the two sides are nearing a deal. That would not be a surprise resolution as ESPN has been the leader in the clubhouse to retain his services the whole time. What is newsworthy, though, is the idea that Smith could emerge with a "first look" deal across Disney's general entertainment properties.

The Athletic's Andrew Marchand reached Smith after the news broke and the high-profile pundit pushed back on the idea that an agreement was imminent.

When asked over text if a deal is close, Smith simply responded, “False.” After a brief back-and-forth about the particulars, Smith added, “Here’s my quote, ‘I was born AT NIGHT, not last night. I don’t talk about my contract negotiations. Never have. Never will.”

So it remains an open question as to when more definitive news will emerge or if something unexpected could happen that leaves to a breakip of a long-running partnership.

None of that will stop Chris "Mad Dog" Russo, however. He came into his weekly First Take hit with Smith on Wednesday intent on alluding to the big-money deal and made sure to get it out of the way early.

"The guy in front of me is very chipper, I guarantee you that. Well hello, Steve," Russo said.

Smith could only laugh himself, which inspired Russo to laugh even harder. And that's how the sports show started.

They like to have fun.

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Kyle Koster
KYLE KOSTER

Kyle Koster is an assistant managing editor at Sports Illustrated covering the intersection of sports and media. He was formerly the editor in chief of The Big Lead, where he worked from 2011 to '24. Koster also did turns at the Chicago Sun-Times, where he created the Sports Pros(e) blog, and at Woven Digital.

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