Mad Dog comments to Notre Dame fans during Alabama-Oklahoma CFP game originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
During ESPN’s First Take segment “What Are You Mad About,” Christopher “Mad Dog” Russo went on an animated rant that mixed trolling, personal stories, and pointed criticism of college football fan behavior especially targeting Oklahoma and Notre Dame fans.
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Russo opened by poking fun at Oklahoma supporters following their collapse against Alabama. With the Sooners leading by 17 points early in the second quarter, Russo sarcastically asked why they didn’t just kick a field goal, pack it up, and go home. The comment set the tone for his larger point: fans celebrate far too early without letting games fully play out.
He quickly shifted his attention to Notre Dame fans, who he said were flooding social media during Alabama’s comeback. Russo explained that his daughter was at the game and kept seeing tweets mocking Alabama for being down 17–0 while Notre Dame was sitting at home. According to Russo, that frustration stems from Irish fans still feeling “robbed” of a College Football Playoff spot.
Russo questioned how fans could ignore the reality unfolding on the field. From the second quarter on, Alabama erupted offensively, scoring at will and completely flipping the game’s momentum to tie it 17–17 and eventually pull away. To Russo, the lesson was simple: games are four quarters for a reason.
He expanded the argument by comparing it to some of sports’ most infamous collapses. Russo referenced Atlanta Falcons fans celebrating too early during Super Bowl LI while leading the Patriots 28–3, joking that fans were likely tweeting about how bad New England looked before history flipped the script. He also recalled receiving congratulatory calls from friends when the Giants led the Angels 6–0 in Game 6 of the World Series only to watch San Francisco lose the championship.
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Russo emphasized that fans often “jinx” their own teams by talking too soon. His advice was clear: lay low, let the game play out, and stop declaring victory before it’s earned.
He also took a direct shot at Notre Dame by asking what Miami did to Texas A&M that the Irish could not. He says they could not win in College Station. Russo dismissed the mystique of the “12th Man,” pointing out that Miami went into Kyle Field, ran the ball, forced turnovers, and made winning plays, something Notre Dame failed to do. If anything, Russo argued, Notre Dame fans should be tweeting about their own shortcomings instead of mocking others.
Russo’s rant drew support from fellow First Take contributors Jeff Saturday, Jason McCourty, and Courtney Cronin, who all agreed that the Notre Dame tweets were unnecessary and premature.
In classic Mad Dog fashion, the segment blended humor, blunt honesty, and a reminder that in sports, nothing is decided until the final whistle.
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