First Take is the best when Stephen A. and Chris “Mad Dog” Russo are on. They could make anything interesting. “You don’t fink Napoweon is a top-10 gweatest conqueror of all time Stevie?? The Battle of Austerlitz? The Battle of Austerlitz? THE BATTLE OF AUSTERLITZ! Let’s go through em.” –

“I’ll do the asking! I’ll do the asking!”

I’ve never heard Stephen A. admit defeat. Mad Dog had him on the ropes, going head/body/head/body. The way Mad Dog would ask the question and then choose the answer for Stephen A, and he’d actually agree? I’ve never seen anything quite like it. “We’re not talking about shooting! We’re talking about championships!” Just rope-a-doping Stephen A for the first 15 minutes of the show until he could land the final blow that Steph Curry is not a top-10 player. The ear piece falling out at the end and Mad Dog going on a rant was just icing on the cake. Mad Dog doesn’t need a producer in his ear. Just sit him in front of the camera and tell him when to go.

What do you think Mad Dog is like at home? I don’t think he ever turns it off. Like if the wife asks him to do the dishes, but he has to clean the garage do they fight over what chore is harder to do? “Honey, honey, you don’t fink cleaning the garage is a top-10 hardest chore of all time??

“Sweetie modern technology has rendered washing dishes useless. You’ve got a dishwasher right there. The garage you gotta pull the car out, sweep, re-arrange the snow blower, the lawnmower, clean the cobwebs. Sweetie, the Mad Dog’s not Maytag.”