Christopher “Mad Dog” Russo believes that the Kansas City Chiefs are receiving favorable treatment from NFL officials, a notion that neither Roger Goodell nor Scott Green can dispel. Earlier this week, during his State of the Union press conference ahead of Super Bowl LIX, Goodell dismissed the “ridiculous theory” that the Chiefs are benefitting from biased officiating. Scott Green, executive director of the NFL Referees Association, echoed this sentiment, labeling such theories as “insulting and preposterous.”
However, on Wednesday morning’s First Take, Russo launched a passionate critique against Goodell and Green. He contended that the NFL ought to acknowledge the perceived favoritism towards the Chiefs. Russo quoted Goodell’s comments, saying, “How about what Goodell said…And now Scott Green…that anybody who thinks there’s a conspiracy with the Chiefs and penalty calls and everything else, doesn’t know their fanny from their elbow.”
“How about what Goodell said…And now Scott Green…that anybody who thinks there’s a conspiracy with the Chiefs and penalty calls and everything else, doesn’t know their fanny from their elbow.” – Chris Russo pic.twitter.com/jsi1lysPP2
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) February 5, 2025
Russo expressed frustration, noting how Goodell could have opened his press conference by stating fans don’t know their fanny from their elbow, yet instead, he and Green attempted to dispel accusations of Chiefs favoritism. “I’ll make a big deal about the calls. Because I’ve been following sports…for a very long time,” he asserted, emphasizing his extensive experience compared to Green and Goodell. “I’ve been doing this for 55 years.”
While Goodell wouldn’t admit to favoritism in his press conference, his and Green’s emphasis on the issue suggests a certain level of acknowledgment. Typically, the league would ignore such claims altogether. Russo bolstered his argument with statistics, highlighting that the Chiefs had been penalized just 36 times in their last nine playoff games, while their opponents incurred 66 penalties. He noted that the Chiefs received merely two unsportsmanlike penalties compared to their opponents’ eleven.
“You’re gonna sit there and tell me that we look at this equally? How can you say that?!” Russo challenged. He went on to compare the situation, saying, “Jordan got calls. LeBron gets calls. Gretzky got calls. Barry Bonds got strike zone calls. Randy Johnson got the benefit of the doubt. Greg Maddux. All great players and teams get breaks. And for Green and Goodell to sit there and not acknowledge that is a complete utter disgrace. We’re not stupid! Sports fans are smart! They’re sophisticated!”
Russo raised an important point: has Adam Silver ever conceded that LeBron receives preferential treatment? Did Bud Selig acknowledge that MLB umpires aided Barry Bonds? Russo’s demands for recognition of such favoritism, however, appear somewhat unrealistic.
