The History of the Sexiest Man Alive | with Christopher "Mad Dog" Russo

Summary

Podcast Summary: Casuals with Katie Nolan

Episode: The History of the Sexiest Man Alive | with Christopher "Mad Dog" Russo
Date: November 6, 2025
Host: Katie Nolan
Guest: Chris "Mad Dog" Russo
Summary By: Podcast Summarizer AI

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Overview

This lively episode of Casuals with Katie Nolan blends lighthearted sports talk with a pop culture deep dive. Katie is joined by legendary sports radio host Chris “Mad Dog” Russo for a wide-ranging conversation that covers Russo’s storied career, the state of sports media, hilarious commentary on People’s “Sexiest Man Alive” through the decades, and plenty of banter about everything from NFL trade news to wedding planning for sports fans. The tone is relaxed, exuberant, and sometimes irreverent, true to the show’s “sports for everyone” spirit.

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Major Segments and Timestamps

• Hilary Duff & Pop Culture Catch-Up – 01:35–03:20
• NFL Trade Deadline Recap – 06:19–09:47
• Steve Ballmer Lawsuit & NBA Ownership Talk – 08:26–10:47
• NWSL Op-ed & The Importance of Women's Sports Coverage – 12:06–13:51
• Commanders’ Injury Woes & Dan Quinn’s Accountability – 13:51–17:39
• Sports Fan Loyalty: Bandwagon & Fair-weather Fans – 23:22–25:08
• Preview & Introduction: Chris “Mad Dog” Russo – 25:18–31:34
• Interview: Chris Russo
  • Growing up a sports fanatic – 32:30–34:39
  • Weed gummies & sports (with boarding school stories) – 35:42–40:26
  • Music biopics & Springsteen fandom – 40:34–43:40
  • Watching sports as a broadcaster: how much, how, and why – 44:05–47:19
  • Sports media then vs now – 51:03–54:53
  • On keeping passion fresh as a host – 54:54–56:43
  • World Series, salary cap debates, and baseball’s unpredictability – 56:43–59:47
  • NFL this year: surprises, disappointments, and true contenders – 62:03–65:10
  • Pop culture blind spot: Cardi B and Stefon Diggs – 65:10–66:26
  • Sexiest Man Alive Deep Dive – 67:52–86:03
• Isabella’s Fantasy Football Update – 89:14–94:55

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Pop Culture Kicks Off (01:35–03:20)

• The crew celebrates the “Duffassance”—the return of Hilary Duff. Quick, fond reminiscing of Lizzie McGuire and Cadet Kelly origins.

2. NFL Trade Deadline Chaos (06:19–09:47)

• Breaking news: Jets trade Sauce Gardner to the Colts; Quinnen Williams to the Cowboys for draft picks.
• The crew hilariously unravels the complex pick swaps and the Dallas Cowboys’ ever-opaque media strategy.
• Katie on Jerry Jones:

  "It's like what the guy who always says, Jerry Jones is always like, we live to stir up controversy. If you're talking about the Cowboys, that's good for me financially. Okay, great, dude. But don't go on a radio show and give him absolutely nothing." (07:54)

3. Steve Ballmer Lawsuit & NBA Ownership (08:26–10:47)

• Quick context: Steve Ballmer accused of using a no-show contract to circumvent the NBA salary cap; now faced with an ex-employee lawsuit.
• Katie flags Ballmer’s extreme wealth compared to other owners, and predicts this story isn’t going away.

4. Inside Sports Media: Welcoming Chris Russo (31:34–32:08 & 51:03–56:43)

• Katie sets the table for a “casual” conversation with Mad Dog Russo, promising accessibility for all fans.
• Russo’s backstory: Only child, sports-obsessed since the late ‘60s. Radio was “almost like I was put on this earth to do a sports talk show.”

  "I always used to like to talk to myself. And for whatever the reason, I gravitated towards sports at a very early age." (32:45)

• Russo highlights how it’s much harder to stand out in sports media now due to the profusion of podcasts, niche hosts, and specialized coverage:

  “You could be the best thing in the world today... but to separate yourself from the pack is so much harder today than it was 40 something years ago.” (51:25)

5. Mad Dog Russo on His Broadcasting Style (44:05–47:33)

• Russo is frank about never pretending to watch everything:

  “Nobody's watching every single sport all the time live. That would be insane.” (30:23)

• On broadcasting passion:

  "If you show that you're interested in something... They will latch onto it... your enthusiasm sells." (56:00)

6. Sports Viewing Habits & Wedding Planning for Fans (47:36–50:53)

• Russo is meticulous about never scheduling big life events during peak sports seasons. Advises Katie (planning her wedding) to avoid fall dates:

  “I would avoid the fall...[in May or June] it's not deciding championships.” (48:44)

• Lighthearted banter on creative wedding scheduling to work around championship games.

7. World Series, Salary Caps, and the Role of Owners (56:43–61:24)

• Russo argues the postseason in baseball is the best, as money doesn’t guarantee results:

  "The baseball postseason is the best...there is no correlation. Best record winning at all." (58:00)

• Katie (on salary caps):

  “I’d much rather force them [owners] to spend than force the players to make less.” (60:28)

• The importance of owners willing to lose money to win:

  “The great owner is the guy that isn’t so much worried about his one loss record financially. He wants to win, and he doesn’t care how much money he loses to do that.” (61:04)

8. State of the NFL 2025 (62:03–65:10)

• This NFL season is “weird”—lots of bad teams; unpredictability abounds.
• Russo’s true contenders: Philadelphia, Rams, Lions, Chiefs, Buffalo, maybe Patriots/Tampa for playoff presence, but not title favorites.
• Russo:

  “At the end of the day, I think Philadelphia is excellent...I think the Lions, who have stubbed their toe a little bit, I trust them in a big game...” (62:43)

9. Cardi B, Stefon Diggs & Russo’s Pop Culture Gaps (65:10–66:26)

• Katie quizzes Russo on Cardi B—Russo humorously has zero idea who she is (or about pop culture in general).

• “Do you know who Cardi B is?”
  “No, I do not.” (65:16)

10. Hilarious Deep Dive: The History of People’s ‘Sexiest Man Alive’

(67:52–86:03) — A Must-Listen Highlight

• Katie and Russo go year-by-year, debating questionable winners, offering alternatives, and devolving into cultural, movie, and sports tangents.
• Russo, never shy, declares:

  “[Sean Connery] is just too old. He's too old to give it to him then....That to me would not make me think he's the sexiest man alive at 59 years of age.” (72:00)

• Funniest tangent: Katie introduces Adam Levine’s scandalous DMs—Russo, not amused:

  “That's a bad one.” (79:06)

• Frequent suggestions for athlete winners (Tom Brady, Aaron Judge), plus deep cuts for classic film stars (Sidney Poitier, Robert Redford).
• Final reflection on Poitier’s sex appeal, and gripes that athletes (especially baseball and basketball stars) rarely get their due.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Being Honest About What You Don't Watch:
  Chris Russo:

  “If you're enthusiastic about [something], the audience will grab. If it means something to you, it will mean something to the audience. And as a result, that's how you become a good talk show host.” (56:01)

• On the Insanity of Scheduling as a Sports Broadcaster:
  Chris Russo:

  “The sports calendar is very, very important. I would never schedule something that I have to go to the day of the championship game in NFL football.” (47:18)

• On Pop Culture Gaps:
  Katie asks Mad Dog if he knows Cardi B or ever uses social media.
  Chris:

  “No, I do not... My daughter does my Instagram.” (65:37–65:43)

• On Sexiest Man Alive Eligibility:
  Katie:

  “The world knows who you think is the sexiest. And I think that's the most important.” (86:48)
  Chris:
  “There you go. It's important.” (86:53)

• Russo on Athlete Sex Appeal:

  “Brady would be one... From a sex appeal standpoint, I don't know if I'd put Michael Jordan on that level myself.” (83:51, 81:18)

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Fan Section: Isabella’s Fantasy Football Journey (89:14–94:55)

• Isabella returns to winning ways after picking Daniel Jones as her fantasy QB (despite leaving high-scoring Caleb Williams on the bench).
• Light teasing from the crew about learning fantasy, ties, and game tiebreakers. Isabella maintains her first-place standing in the league, to widespread amazement.

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Final Thoughts

Katie delivers what she promises: a show where hardcore and casual fans alike can enjoy both sports news and cultural silliness. The Russo interview is a highlight, blending wisdom, candor, and humor. The “Sexiest Man Alive” segment is a standout, both for laughs and gentle generational confusion.

For those who missed the episode: This summary captures the major laughs, opinions, and insight, serving as an ideal guide to the November 6, 2025 episode.

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Episode Highlights At a Glance

• Mad Dog Russo opens up about his career, the sports media landscape, and his viewing rituals.
• Hilarious, exhaustive breakdown of “Sexiest Man Alive” winners—plus Russo’s suggestions for better, long-overlooked picks (especially athletes).
• Musings on NFL trade chaos, Steve Ballmer drama, and fantasy football ups and downs.
• Unforgettable Russo one-liners and pop culture blind spots.

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Want to reach the show? [e-mail] | IG/TikTok: @CasualsThePodcast | Voicemail: 646-801-0043

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(This summary skips all advertisements, sponsor reads, and generic intros/outros. Timestamps refer to the podcast's original episode.)

Transcript

[Katie Nolan]

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[Isabella]

What is that?

[Katie Nolan]

Hilary Duff. Hilary Duff is. Oh yeah, we are, we are.

[Isabella]

And I'm so happy about it.

[Katie Nolan]

Her new single drops today.

[Isabella]

Oh, oh, I didn't know in that way.

[Katie Nolan]

She announced she's signed with Atlantic Records and she's gonna drop an album. She hasn't put out music In I think 10 years. And her new single, Brady, what's it called?

[Brady]

Mature.

[Katie Nolan]

Mature is out today.

[Isabella]

I like that.

[Katie Nolan]

We're recording this on Tuesday, so we haven't heard it yet.

[Isabella]

Oh yeah, no, we haven't.

[Katie Nolan]

But I bet we'll like it. Are you a Hillary Duff, gal.

[Isabella]

Yeah. I watched her growing up.

[Katie Nolan]

Yeah. I mean, Lizzie McGuire was my show.

[Isabella]

Lizzie McGuire. This is what dreams are made of.

[Katie Nolan]

And let's also. Hey, now, let's also not forget she was Cadet Kelly.

[Isabella]

Cadet Kelly. Sorry.

[Katie Nolan]

Cadet Kelly. Please don't apologize. Cadet Kelly. Is that the movie where she goes on one of the craziest.

[Isabella]

She's like, what is it, military school or something?

[Katie Nolan]

Yes.

[Isabella]

And then she does, like the gun dancing thingies or whatever.

[Katie Nolan]

That's right. Gun dancing. Drill team. I think she's on the drill team. She also in that movie, I believe. Or maybe it was in Lizzie McGuire does rhythmic gymnastics now. Oh, yeah, yeah. In a really offensive way. A way that doesn't take it seriously as a sport at all, which I didn't love, but representation matters. And that's. As a kid, that was the first time I went like ribbon. And so shout out to Hilary Duff. What movie is it where she does the like. Hi.

[Isabella]

Oh, my God.

[Katie Nolan]

Raise your. Your voice.

[Isabella]

Raise your voice.

[Katie Nolan]

Hey. Yeah. Yeah.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Hello.

[Katie Nolan]

Hello, and welcome to Casuals, the sports podcast that loves you and means it. I'm Katie Nolan, your host, joined here briefly by my Casual tees. We got Isabella, our sports newbie.

[Isabella]

Hi.

[Katie Nolan]

We have Chris, who edits this lovely podcast.

[Chris (Podcast Editor)]

Hi.

[Katie Nolan]

And Brady, who's never gotten a fact wrong ever once in his life.

[Brady]

I'm also here.

[Katie Nolan]

Also here. We're gonna. We have a lot to get to today. Thank you for listening. If you want to reach us [e-mail], our voicemail is 646-801-0043. On IG and TikTok, we are CasualsThePodcast. It almost breaks the format of the podcast to reference the cold open here, but I do wanna say that we, Isabelle and I just got to show Brady and Chris the scene from Raise youe Voice where Hilary Duff goes on a little run and just. Did you guys have any reviews you wanted to say? Now that your life has changed, how.

[Chris (Podcast Editor)]

Do they think they could get away with that?

[Katie Nolan]

It was a long time ago. I don't know.

[Brady]

Oh, boy. It sounded like a significantly different voice than the Laguna beach theme song. I thought that they had to be different people.

[Chris (Podcast Editor)]

It's not that. It just sounds different. It doesn't match what her mouth is doing.

[Katie Nolan]

Yeah.

[Brady]

Isabella, this is your version of the Randy Johnson bird fastball.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

It feels like from the other side.

[Katie Nolan]

Isabella, did you watch Laguna Beach?

[Isabella]

No, I didn't watch it.

[Katie Nolan]

I got season one on dvd. If you ever have a Weekend free.

[Isabella]

Okay.

[Katie Nolan]

Something to do because it was. There was a boy on there named Talon, like the fingernail of an eagle. It's just a fascinating little slice of life. A shout out to Hillary Duff. I'm just very excited to see her back. We've got a lot to get you today. Incredible guest, you guys. Look, I know when I pitched this podcast, I did a lot of promo, and in that promo I was often mentioning we're a sports podcast without the yelling. And I. I still stand by. But today's guest is a little loud. He may be known for being loud. We have Chris Mad Dog Russo in studio with us today. I know because we are a podcast for casuals that some of you may not know him. He has an institution in sports talk, and I don't want you to think this episode isn't for you. We talk to him in a way that is interesting to a casual. So don't go anywhere. It's very fun. We have a very fun time. We talk about the World Series, we talk about his career, and then we as an anybody would when they have Chris Russo on their show, we button by discussing with him people's Sexiest man of the Year throughout the years. It's the 40th anniversary of Sexiest man of the Year, and so we got into that with him, which is very fun. Before we get to that, we've got a little bit of updating you guys to do on. On news. The thing is, we're recording this on Tuesday, which is well before Thursday, and if it were any other Tuesday, that's kind of okay. The problem is this Tuesday. It's NFL trade deadline. So as we sit here, a lot of stuff is coming in. Last thing I saw was that Sauce Gardner is being traded from the Jets. Where did he go? He went to the Colts.

[Brady]

Went to the Colts.

[Katie Nolan]

Very interesting. Brady has. What are the other big things that have come in while we've been talking to Mad Dog?

[Brady]

The jets may trade someone to podcast.

[Katie Nolan]

So that's going to be a problem.

[Brady]

I think the jets may trade somebody to this podcast by the end of the day.

[Katie Nolan]

Is it a fire sale?

[Brady]

Sending Buddy, it's a fire sale. The we are. They have sent Quinn and Williams.

[Katie Nolan]

Was that the Simpsons?

[Chris (Podcast Editor)]

No, that was the rest of the bell.

[Katie Nolan]

Okay, thank God. Go ahead, keep going.

[Brady]

The jets have sent defensive lineman Quinn and Williams to the Dallas Cowboys for two draft picks and another defensive tackle. If it feels like the Dallas Cowboys had extra picks and a need for a defensive lineman, it's because they just did this in the other direction. They are replacing. They just suddenly realized they needed to replace Micah Parsons.

[Katie Nolan]

The two. Are you telling me that they sent away the two picks they got in the Parsons trade?

[Brady]

I think they sent a first round and a second round.

[Katie Nolan]

Oh, my God.

[Brady]

To get Quinn and Williams. They just got two first rounds from the packers for Micah Parsons.

[Katie Nolan]

That's wild. That is. So that's probably the big trade. Because last night, Monday Night Football this week, Jerry, they were playing his quote that he said to Ste. Stephen A. Smith about how he we made a big trade and didn't mention a name, a position, a team he was coming from. Just was vaguely alluding to a trade to the point where you go like, do you even know the name of the guy?

[Brady]

Why are you giving me half of us scoop?

[Katie Nolan]

It's like what the guy who always says, Jerry Jones is always like, we live to stir up controversy. If you're talking about the Cowboys, that's good for me financially. Okay, great, dude. But don't go on a radio show and give him absolutely nothing. We made a big trade and we're gonna keep making big trades. You're like, okay, thanks. Thanks for the scoop.

[Brady]

I made a big trade, but I'm not telling you who.

[Katie Nolan]

Brutal. Absolutely brutal. I made a trade. I also would love to talk about Steve Ballmer being sued now 11 former employees of. What's the name of the company?

[Brady]

Aspiration.

[Katie Nolan]

Aspiration. But it's not anymore. It's named something different. So it's a little confusing. Also, again, recording on Tuesday, coming out on Thursday. I have no idea what's gonna happen between and then. But basically Pablo, who's been finding out, I have to go there again this week to do an episode with him. I don't know what it is.

[Isabella]

Be careful what you have beforehand.

[Katie Nolan]

Pretty afraid. Probably gonna have to bring an Oedipal in case you get there and you go, this is one of those episodes. But I've learned my lesson to not go in. Already ready to go. But he found out. And a bunch of former employees of that company who was accused of having signed Kawhi Leonard to a no show contract that was paying him a boatload of money that he never did any sort of marketing for. They are now suing Ballmer, basically alleging that Ballmer was aware of both the deal that they had with Kawhi and also the fact that they were. He expressly stated to them the purpose was to circumvent the salary cap and be able to give more money to Kawhi in order to entice him to come to the team. So, again, I don't. I can't dive in on it because it'll probably be old news by the time you hear it. But if you hadn't heard it, I just wanted to acknowledge. We heard it, and we'll talk about it later when we can have a more timely episode. We weren't supposed to do this on Tuesday. Schedules changed. We had to move. It is what it is. I just wanted to make sure everybody knows, like, that story is getting kind of wild because Steve Ballmer, when you really look at it in terms of look, owners of sports teams are all rich. Steve Ballmer's, like, rich rich. I think he's, like, much richer than most of the other owners. And so this controversy doesn't feel like it's going away anytime soon. I've said that for a while, and I guess we'll just keep an eye on what the league does about it. I know they are probably not happy with the timing of this and the FBI investigation and, oh, the beginning of their season. So, Chris, how's the actual product? How's the basketball going?

[Chris (Podcast Editor)]

The basketball's been great as well. You're getting a lot of great games, some incredible individual performances, putting up some big numbers. Like, Giannis is looking great. Wemby's looking great. Yeah, a lot of these guys are.

[Katie Nolan]

Just, you know, looking great.

[Chris (Podcast Editor)]

Yeah, exactly. How did you know I was gonna say that?

[Katie Nolan]

I just knew. I just had a feeling. We're just on the same wavelength like that. How are. How do our Celtics look?

[Chris (Podcast Editor)]

Not too bad up until they lost to the Jazz last night. That wasn't. That wasn't the Jazz. Everybody gets in Cavs last week, so it sort of. It balances out a little.

[Brady]

Looks like their style is rubbing off on a lot of people.

[Katie Nolan]

You know what, Brady? How dare you, Isabella, he was trying to make you laugh, I think, with Jaylen Brown rubbing his head off against.

[Isabella]

Oh.

[Katie Nolan]

And getting his hair fibers onto. We support Jaylen Brown, so I don't think we need to be.

[Isabella]

Yeah. Like, that's not even a piece of funny content in my mind, because I love that he's balding, and I love how he wants to deal with the balding.

[Katie Nolan]

Thank you. What's the thank you?

[Brady]

Someone has to wash those jerseys. You think it's fair for a New York Knicks clubbie to have to go wash black hair dye off of a white jersey now?

[Chris (Podcast Editor)]

Is it hair dye if it comes off that easily? It's not going to Be an issue.

[Brady]

Brady.

[Katie Nolan]

That's right.

[Brady]

What if it's oil based?

[Katie Nolan]

Okay, wow.

[Isabella]

Okay, then put dawn dish soap on it or something, girl.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Okay.

[Brady]

Like we're scrubbing a duck on a coastline. No, this is a basketball jersey.

[Katie Nolan]

I like Saskatoon. Brady. I'm kind of into as a recurring character also calling out dawn dish Soap. That's somebody who's had to get makeup out of their shirt before because, oh my God, the amount of time you.

[Isabella]

Seen those commercials with the getting the oil off the ducks.

[Katie Nolan]

I believe that's what he meant for a duck. I have dropped a glass bottle of foundation and had it explode all over a shower curtain and been like, what the fuck do I do now? And the answer is dawn dish Soap. So if you have ever been wondering. So, okay, we can't really talk about Steve Ballmer. And I also, I know there's something big going on in the NWSL with an op ed and a lot of people responding to it. I think it's really important. I also think it's really important that people talk about the product on the field nwsl. So. And I also, third, feel very a sense of responsibility when talking about a complex topic. And I'll be honest, I have not had time to dive in on that drama yet. So we are not addressing that either on the show today. Maybe something we can tackle next week. But it is happening and I wanted to acknowledge that it's happening and that you can, you know, search around online to get informed on that if, if you want to it regard. It's in regards to gender. There's, I believe, a racism line to it. It's a. It's kind of a mess. But I think it's important that we not lose sight of the finals, of the, the playoffs of the NWSL season, because that always happens with women's sports. It's always like we the issue and I love that we talk about the issues. I think it's very important. I don't mean please hear me correctly when I say I just want to make sure. On a national sports media level, we are discussing also the soccer being played by the women in the postseason. So we will discuss the op ed and all of the things surrounding it hopefully next week. Another story that's kind of happening right now. Dan Quinn. So Jaden Daniels left. Brady is a Commanders fan and I guess technically even once worked for the.

[Isabella]

Why aren't you a Ravens fan?

[Katie Nolan]

We want to talk about that.

[Brady]

So when I the Ravens have only been in the state of maryland since like 1990. 5. When I grew up, like this was my local team jumping ship. I've stayed with it through thick and a lot of thin. Very little thick. But I have been here.

[Katie Nolan]

Really good question, Isabella.

[Isabella]

I've been wondering that. And every time I wonder it is when I'm not at work. So I'm like, well, I think it'd be weird if I just text Brady, like, hey, why aren't you fan at like 10 o' clock at night?

[Katie Nolan]

When I'm randomly thinking about it, the amount of times I've typed a text in our group text and gone. We can just talk to them about this later. I don't really think you need to bother them right now with this. So I get it. But Jaden Daniels was hurt in the game this weekend. Who'd they play?

[Brady]

Seahawks.

[Katie Nolan]

That's right, the Seahawks. I mean, it was kind of yucky. Kind of a yucky game. Kind of a yucky.

[Brady]

Fans were. Fans were leaving in droves before halftime. It was 28 nothing. Want to say 31 7ish at half.

[Katie Nolan]

It was rough, really ugly. And now Jaden Daniels has dislocated his elbow. Correct.

[Brady]

The non throwing elbow.

[Katie Nolan]

Okay, does that mean something? What's the timeline on it?

[Brady]

So it's kind of week to week. There was no fracture in his elbow. So it's. If something's fractured, you know how long it takes for a bone to heal, but really it's just the joint has to get reset and put back together. And one of my neighbors is like an orthopedic surgeon. He's like, dude, I don't know. I don't have an answer for you.

[Katie Nolan]

Dang it.

[Brady]

I pulled out all the stops. I have no idea.

[Katie Nolan]

You're the guy who should have. First of all, let's talk about his license. Let's maybe call that. You mean you don't know Fix it. I saw today Dan Quinn accepting blame for it. Brady, what is your. What did he say and how do you.

[Brady]

Well, Dan Quinn came out and said there, you know, he shouldn't have been out there. It was like seven minutes to go in the game. The commanders were down 20 some points. And a lot of times teams will start pulling their starters where, you know, you don't want to risk somebody being out there in a contact sport longer than they have to. If you're saying we're going to lose this game, I'm not going to put my quarterback out there to take hits. Jaden Daniels was trying to score. He was trying to get on the perimeter and get into the end zone and he got taken down, his elbow, got his hand, got stuck in the ground, bent his elbow backwards. And Dan Quinn was like, I accept the blame for him being out there there. I shouldn't have had him out there. It's my fault. And I don't know. I want to wrap my arm around Dan Quinn and be like, man, it's your job to put him out there to play football. Like, we can't bubble wrap the guys.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

If.

[Brady]

Do you. Do you have a number where it's like, if we are down this many points, we cannot continue to play the game? I don't think Dan Quinn should get blamed for that. I mean, it boils down to, like, it's a sport and, you know, shit happens.

[Katie Nolan]

Why does it always happen to your quarterbacks? I feel like.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Feel often.

[Brady]

Well, a lot of times it was because they just had really poorly kept turf. And like, Robert Griffin and Alex Smith and Joe Theisman would get their legs stuck in the ground. And this one feels different. This is at least an arm necessarily going to be out. It's not even the one he throws with.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

I just.

[Brady]

I don't think Dan Quinn should have to get all this blame for it. Yeah, I don't think Dan Quinn should have to have, you know, an act of God with Jaden Daniels arm getting stuck in the ground and bending the wrong way. Have that fall on him. Happens.

[Katie Nolan]

Yeah, happens. I do also think that it's nice to see a coach go, yeah, my bad. I like seeing that. I like when they say, like, not cool, I shouldn't have done that, or whatever. Especially because I think a lot of coaches in the history of the NFL have, like, run guys into the ground or like, had designed runs for their quarterback who's hurt. And you're like, why would you even put them in that situation? So I guess in that way, I don't mind that he. How are you feeling about your season? I guess is my question. Brady, what's going on with the commanders? We were all excited. We were all rooting for you.

[Brady]

Last year, everything went right. Like, Jaden Daniels was the. One of the best rookie quarterbacks ever. He started 20 games, never got hurt. No one got hurt. They had a bunch of old guys that never got hurt. They were like 75% of their fourth downs they converted, which is an absurd rate. And this year it's going the opposite way. Terry McLaren was hurt, Debo Samuels hurt. They lost two other guys for the season that aren't even Jaden Daniels in this game. You know, Sometimes the breaks go your way, sometimes they don't go your way. This has been one of those years.

[Katie Nolan]

Where did not go nothing going our way.

[Brady]

It's the bad side of sports.

[Katie Nolan]

Yeah. Good side though is when your team wins six in a row.

[Brady]

I like that. That. I'm happy for you. I'm happy for you.

[Katie Nolan]

Thanks. The page.

[Isabella]

Do you just like stop. Is there ever a point where you just like stop caring about football for a little bit? Cuz you're like, I'll focus on another sport cuz my team.

[Brady]

I know I've said that out loud, but then Sunday happens and I'm like, oh well, here I am.

[Katie Nolan]

What am I going to do not watch it? I've got to watch it. I've done that. I mean I've done that with. I did that with baseball for a while, believe it or not. Isabella, had you been around for the.

[Isabella]

Did the Red Sox win a lot?

[Katie Nolan]

Like he bets of it all?

[Unidentified Speaker]

Yeah.

[Katie Nolan]

And then they got rid of the greatest guy we had and I was like kind of pissed off and didn't want to watch my team so I watched other teams. I just like gave up on the socks and then got offered a job in baseball and I was like, this is the worst possible time. I've kind of been out the game for a few minutes, thought I was justified in doing so. But you know, obviously now I'm a sicko and I'm back in. But I think it's a good question. Isabella, A lot of sports fans probably have thoughts on is when you go, I'm gonna take a just a break from this. This is doing too much to hurt me and I'm gonna devote my energy to the other sports. I think that's a reasonable way to be. Chris, you resonate with that at all?

[Chris (Podcast Editor)]

Yeah, for me it's a little bit different because whenever my team's being terrible, it's quite easy to avoid because it's on the other side of the world and time zones don't particularly cater towards my lifestyle because games will be on at 4 o' clock in the morning. So when my team is looking really terrible, I have been known to on occasions just say, you know what? I'm not gonna bother waking up at 4 o' clock in the morning to watch them.

[Katie Nolan]

I'm not gonna go out of my way to be hurt like this by these strangers.

[Chris (Podcast Editor)]

What is the point by the way?

[Isabella]

I'm sorry, one last question, Chris. What's your football team?

[Katie Nolan]

I realized, do you have Patriots?

[Isabella]

Oh, you are a Patriots.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Fan.

[Katie Nolan]

Yeah.

[Isabella]

I feel like you never. You don't really sound that first place paid, baby.

[Chris (Podcast Editor)]

Let's do it.

[Katie Nolan]

Okay. I feel like you never say anything nice about them or care or wear any of their.

[Chris (Podcast Editor)]

Always correct Katie, whenever she leaves off the first place when she's talking.

[Isabella]

Oh, and it's because you're a fan. I thought it was because the producer. Yeah, like, it was like a funny thing.

[Brady]

I thought you were gigantic as hell.

[Katie Nolan]

You were just producing the podcast. And then the Panthers, I think, are the big story that we do have to talk about because we've discussed before. Meow Mix, which was the podcast that had been going for, like, I think, like, six years. These two guys had been talking about the Panthers, and they. I'm trying to see if I have Stephen Costner and Jerry Dempster. They originally announced that they were going to step away from their weekly recording schedule. This was after The Panthers lost 42 to 13 to Chris's New England Patriots first place path. They weren't first place at the time. So now things are getting bogged down. I'm so sorry. It was for a bit. The duo announced that they were going on an indefinite hiatus. After six years of covering the team, they basically were like, we can't effing do this anymore. This team's driving us nuts. They step away. Okay. And since announcing their hiatus on October 1, they at the time were one in three. The team, they had lost three straight games. It looked absolutely brutal. Since the hiatus began, Carolina has gone 41 winning games against Atlanta, 30 to nothing. Dallas, 30, 27, the New York Jets, I mean, whatever, 13, six. And now Green Bay. They beat Green Bay, who we've been talking about being so good. The only loss in that span came in Week 8 against Buffalo. It was a blowout. But Andy Dalton, their backup quarterback, was in. Bryce Young was out. He had an ankle injury. So all of the games they've played with their starting quarterback since this podcast quit, they've won. The hosts came out and said that they were going to return, and people online were not happy about it. We have some of their tweets. I don't know who wants to read them, but I know that we've got some tweets of people reacting. Chris, let's hear about these people reacting to the announcement that the Meow Mix podcast was going to come back.

[Chris (Podcast Editor)]

We had one person say, no, you have to stay retired. We had another person, Trey Boston, former former Panthers player, saying, guys, don't be selfish now. If you love us, don't come back. We're undefeated. When Bryce starts 4:0, boys, just take the season off. Your wives and families are most important. Y' all said it. This is a team sport. Play yours role.

[Katie Nolan]

That's not bad. I, I kind of agree with it. We've talked before about when a fan feels like they're controlling. You know, superstitions and stuff where you're like Isabella in her post it notes. It's like, I, I know I don't. Logically, I'm not affecting the game, but.

[Isabella]

What do you mean?

[Katie Nolan]

I kind. Exactly. But I am. And so it's kind of like, guys, if you really love this team, I mean, I saw some people calling them fair weather fans and bandwagon fans being like, you shouldn't have left when they were losing. I don't agree with that. I think that you said this word.

[Isabella]

I'm sorry, you've said this word like five times today. And I need you to explain what that means.

[Katie Nolan]

Which word?

[Isabella]

Fair weather fans.

[Katie Nolan]

Yeah, so a fair weather fan is. It's said as like a, in a derisive way. It's said to separate me, a good fan, from you. A fair weather fan. Gotcha. And a fair weather fan is like, when the team sucks, you're not around or loud about it. And when the team is good, you're a front runner. You're like, this is my favorite team. They're my everything.

[Isabella]

Sports people regularly use this word. This isn't just like a vocab word.

[Katie Nolan]

That you personally choose to like, use? No, this is a, this is a part. This is like in the sports parlance, gotcha.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Gotcha.

[Katie Nolan]

I am of the, of the, the mindset because we just were kind of talking about this. When your team is bad, I think you're allowed if you like all of the sports. If you're just a football fan and you're a Pats fan and the path suck and you leave your team, that I would feel is fair weather. But if you're a multiple sports fan and one of your teams is like actively pissing you off by making stupid moves and the front office isn't spending any money or you're not putting together wins, I could see you shifting your attention to your other teams. That's fine by me. I'm a little bit lax on the fair weather of it all. But I think in the wor, in its worst case, it's a person who like, does it claim a city until they're winners and then won't shut up about claiming that city. And you're like, all right, bro, you're a fair weather fan. Where were you before at all? That's my stance on it.

[Brady]

Cowboys Laker Duke fan.

[Katie Nolan]

Yes. That was a. That's a common trope, Isabella, because in our formative years, the teams that were all really good were like, the Cowboys were really good. Duke, the college basketball was really good. And so oftentimes you'll find people who are all of those teams. I feel like, like, Bulls is their basketball team.

[Brady]

Oh, yeah.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Yeah.

[Katie Nolan]

Or Lakers. Yeah. Either way, I like those people who are. You're clearly just collecting all their fate, the best teams and being like, these are my teams.

[Isabella]

Oh, that's boring.

[Katie Nolan]

Yeah, exactly. We have made a sports fan. I don't know if we're. We can still pretend we're in the process of making her, but Isabelle is a sports fan, and I'm actually.

[Isabella]

And I'm not AI generated.

[Katie Nolan]

Thank goodness. That's all the stories, I think, right. That we can get to here. We should get to Chris Russo. Yes. Okay. If you don't know Chris Mad Dog Russo, he is, first of all, the namesake and like, you know, head of the radio station that I very recently got a radio show on. Mad Dog Sports Radio that's on Sirius XM, obviously. He came over to SiriusXM in 2008, but before that, I mean, he was part of a legendary duo in sports radio called Mike and the Mad Dog. He's had like 40, 40 plus years in sports radio. He is in the radio hall of Fame, and he's widely considered one of the people who basically set the standard for this genre. He, like, made Sports Talk what it is today. He's a legend. I don't think I've said that enough. I just want to make sure I'm saying that he's a. A legendary name. You might have seen him on First Take. You may have seen his show on MLB Network that was called High Heat. He's. He's known to yell. He's very animated. But I genuinely. And we talk about this in the interview, one of my favorite things is he'll be honest about, like, I don't watch that. I don't watch that. I don't care about that. Which for me, as a woman was a real hurdle. Getting to a point where I felt comfortable enough saying on a place where people were waiting to tell me I didn't like sports, that, like, I wasn't watching one of the sports and sort of people like Chris made me feel more comfortable doing so because it was like, look, nobody's watching every single sport all the time live. That would be insane. So anyway, we have what I think was a really good conversation. I made him say right up front that he, if it didn't go well, he wouldn't fire me from my gig on his radio station. So we've got that on wax. He can't go back on that now. We talk about a lot of things and there might be a little bit of yelling. So I know I promised that this podcast would never yell about sports, but this is is this is for fun. 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Quint.com casuals Chris Mad Dog Russo. Very cool to have you here, Katie.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Great to be here.

[Katie Nolan]

Thank you for being here on Mad.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Dog on Mad Dog radio. Good for you on that too.

[Katie Nolan]

Thank you. A little bit of me feels like if this doesn't go well, I lose.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

That job and I think you're okay.

[Katie Nolan]

Okay.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Nothing to worry about.

[Katie Nolan]

Promise?

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Yeah.

[Katie Nolan]

Yes. Say it into a camera so we have a record. Katie.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

This has nothing to do with Katie. 12 to 1 here on Mad Dog.

[Katie Nolan]

Radio which is very. I've really enjoyed. Thank you for having me on your radio today.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Thank the company. Thank the company.

[Katie Nolan]

It's really, really incredible. We are a. The concept of this podcast is to try to reach casual fans. So there is. I. You are a legend.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Well, I'm a serious fan. So I have to now reach the casual.

[Isabella]

Yes.

[Katie Nolan]

Well, here's. I'm going to help you. It's you just be. You don't worry about them. But I just, I bet it's very rare for you to go to a room where people might not know you. And so I would just want to make sure the people. I will have given you a glowing introduction before this so they'll know you're in the hall of fame. They'll know that you are.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Don't go crazy.

[Katie Nolan]

Standard bearer for sports media.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

I'll go crazy. I'll throw up when you do that. But go ahead.

[Katie Nolan]

I won't do it in front of you, but it will have happened. But I do want to. I think that people would be interested to know sort of like when the sports bug bit you, like when you were younger, what it was that sort of was your like shining moment that got you into loving sports.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Absolutely. Well, I, it's, it's a simple one for me because remember I'm an only child and when you're an only child, you don't have any Brothers or sisters to bounce things off. And I always used to like to talk to myself. And for whatever the reason, I gravitated towards sports at a very early age. The early Green Bay packers, mid to late 60s, 67, a little bit of 66, obviously with Lombardi's last year, 67. And also the San Francisco Giants, which really kind of hit me in 68. So I was about 8, 9 years old. And the fact that I had friends in a sports oriented community in Syosset, Long island, and I had a lot of friends who were sort of in the same situation with me who were big sports fans. I remember in the late 60s in New York, Namath with the Jets, Marv with the Knicks and the Rangers. And the Knicks won a championship in 69. 70 Rangers got good. Obviously the. The Mets won a world series in 69. So you put all that together. Long Island, New York, only child. You know, sometimes you just get. I mean, I was. It's almost like I was put on this earth to do a sports talk show.

[Katie Nolan]

It's almost like.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

To make a long story short, matter of fact, the first general manager that I really had was a fellow by the name of Mike Guyer, and he was a radio station general manager, WKIS in Orlando, Florida, who put Bob Trumpy on the air at CKY in Cincinnati. The former Bengal tight end who died yesterday. Oh, and Mike used to bring me in his office. This is in 1980. Mike used to bring me into his office and says, you have the perfect blend for a talk show host. So it's almost like I was put on this earth, Katie, to do a talk show.

[Katie Nolan]

I mean, you do have the perfect blend, I think. Let me also. I had a boyfriend in Syosset.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Did you really?

[Katie Nolan]

Yeah, we did. Like, my college boyfriend was from Sayasa and his dad owned a. A car dealership around there. So I'm almost hesitant to even tell you his name in case you possibly know the Bossio family.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Remember I left Syasset in. I went to a boarding school in upstate New York o and out of Syed a lot. But my parents left in 1997.

[Katie Nolan]

Huh.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

So I was born and raised in 50. I was born in 59. So I was in Zed really from 59 to 87. And I have great memories of it. 59 and 97, I don't think you overlapped at all.

[Katie Nolan]

So luckily you won't.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

I think you're a little younger than me.

[Katie Nolan]

You wouldn't. Just a little. When you were talking about 84, I was like, we're getting close. We're getting close. To me, I was 87. But you know, at this point I feel old. So it doesn't. I don't even feel young saying that anymore. I think another thing that would make you very relatable to a casual fan is it came up, I want to say, around the pandemic, maybe a little after that. You were talking about how you eat half of a weed gummy.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Yeah, I do that a lot. I used to do that a lot more. Remember, I went to a boarding school in upstate New York still in existence right in between Albany and Pittsfield, Mass. I went there for four years. 74 to 78. Matter of fact, I'll tell you a story that's interesting. I walked out of here last Wednesday after I did a show here. I got to the elevator bank and their lady there, there was a concert that night. Band, you know, the fans come in.

[Katie Nolan]

Yeah.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

And so the lady's there. Before I press the elevator button, she says, are you Christopher Russo? And I said, yes. He said, did you go to Darrow School?

[Katie Nolan]

School?

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

I said, yes. Not many people go to Darrow school. I had 33 kids in my graduating class. 130 kids co ed boarding school. I said, yes, I went to Darrow school. Well said, well, so did I. I said, you went to Darrow? She said, yep. I said, when did you graduate? She said, she graduated in September of 78. And I'm sorry, when did you get there? September of 78. And I graduated in May of 78.

[Unidentified Speaker]

Wow.

[Katie Nolan]

Wow. Just missed job.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

It was such a weird one to see her out here last Wednesday. But anyway, I went to Darrow School in New Lebanon, New York. And I was there for four years. And that was very important. I was important boarding school by myself. Learned a little bit about how to handle life. Parents and I, you know, we sort of had. We were driving each other crazy was the right move for me to make at that point. And you know, that is where I picked up the idea. Who's not going to be in boarding school in 1975. This is only five, six years after Woodstock. Who is not going to walk around? And it was a great campus in the mountains of the Berkshires. Smoking a doobie.

[Katie Nolan]

Yeah, you're gonna have an extra.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

That's all there is to it. And we had a lot of that at Darrow. And we had a lot more drug infested scenarios at Darrow that I did not necessarily take a part in, but I. Yes, there was a period there between say 76 and 86. I was completely into it. And, you know, to me, it actually made me more enthralled with sports because I looked at it a little differently.

[Katie Nolan]

Yeah. And. And so you, you know, not to get too much into your drug history, but you were smoking it 76 to 86. But now. Now it's.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Well, yeah, I mean, occasionally. Occasionally.

[Katie Nolan]

Don't arrest the man. 4.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Four older kids, you know, so you got to be a little careful of setting the right example.

[Katie Nolan]

Sure. My mom grows it at my childhood.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Oh, really? So, you know.

[Katie Nolan]

You know what the examples out the window.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Well, my daughter gave it to me for a Christmas present about three years ago. The gummies. I said, kira, what are you doing to me here, for crying out loud? You're gonna make me. And then I made the big deal about it on the first take, and everybody got a big kick out of it. And, you know, watching sports with that mindset is interesting. Think about it a little differently.

[Katie Nolan]

You sure do. I have found that because I. I'm not. I. Gummies. I don't feel in control when the gummies. When I'm eating a gummy, because it's like you eat it and then you just gotta wait.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

That's exactly right.

[Katie Nolan]

And I don't like the waiting.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

I get that.

[Katie Nolan]

And so I'll do it other ways.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

So you like the hits and you can control the intake?

[Katie Nolan]

Yeah, yeah. You can do, like two hits or if I do three. You know, don't take advice from this, but it's just. I'm just telling the man what I do, but I find that, like, UFC is hard to watch, or boxing is hard to watch. I didn't realize that because I feel too. I almost think it's, like, empathetic. And then when they're getting hit and bloody, it hurts. It, like, hurts to watch. I don't know if. If you've had a similar experience or if you've ever.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

I've had some weird experiences with it, but not. I wouldn't watch necessarily those two sports anyway. And then when I started my. On radio, I. I got off it because I'm so. I was concentrating, just doing a decent job, so I didn't pay too much attention to it. But there was a time, again, you gotta remember, 1974, New Lebanon, New York. I am 14 years of age going on. No, it's. I'm sorry. Yeah. I was 15 going on 16. His birthday's in October. So you think about that for a second and you're in 74 again. Musical revolution. You know, Woodstock, your four years, four years past the Doors, you're three or four years past Joni Mitchell. You're in the heyday of Bob Dylan. I mean, that is, you know, that's not that far away from. And I loved Complete Unknown. Did you see Complete Unknown?

[Katie Nolan]

No, I haven't seen. I'm not a biopic.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Oh, that was really good, though. But you'd like New York and Dylan in the early 60s. Anyway, to make a long story short, I'm in the perfect spot. Small boarding school, upstate New York, cold weather. What are we gonna do on a Saturday night? There you have it.

[Katie Nolan]

Yeah, it makes. It does make perfect sense. No one's blaming you. You mentioned the Dylan biopic. So I should ask you while we're here, because you're a big Springsteen guy, right? And that's.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

That biopic is out and I saw it last weekend. Yeah, Huge Springsteen source. Springsteen for the first time in May of 78 at the Capitol Theater in Albany, New York. That was the second show on the Darkness on the Edge of Town tour. I played 24 songs. I can remember it like it was yesterday. And I've seen him, you know, I don't know how many times. Everybody, the Springsteen groupie, loves to count the amount of times he's seen him. So I'm not going to bore you with that amazing amount, but it's probably like 30. Oh, easy.

[Katie Nolan]

Yeah, yeah.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

I. I like to look at it from a location perspective more so than the amount of times you've seen them.

[Katie Nolan]

Huh.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

So, you know, Boston Garden, TD Bank, North Asbury Park Convention Center, Baltimore, Maryland, you know, Nassau Coliseum, you know, I like to look at it from that standpoint. Anyway, I've saw him. I. I've seen him plenty. 77 and a spring scene movie is very good. The acting is excellent. The problem with it is I don't know if the average musical fan is that wrapped up with seeing Bruce deal with contra complex issues with his personality circa 1982. You know, I don't know if it's not a musical concert. The Dylan movie is a musical concert. They play 40 songs.

[Katie Nolan]

They do they use the original songs or do they have the actors?

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Charlemagne did it.

[Katie Nolan]

He did say.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

And so did the. The Joan. I forget who played her. The Joan Baez part.

[Katie Nolan]

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. That's Cat. Cat something.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

I'll think of it in a second. I had her in studio and she did a great job.

[Katie Nolan]

She's great. Yeah.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

And also you had Ed Norton play Pete Seeger. You did not have this Here there's only a couple of songs for a brief period. So it's a. It's a different kind of movie. But I'm not saying it's. It isn't good. It's very good. But I don't know if the appeal for the average fan is the same as maybe the appeal deal for Brute, for the Dylan thing.

[Katie Nolan]

Yeah.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Because he was so good playing Dylan. He played 40 songs.

[Katie Nolan]

Yeah.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

So I like that better. But, yes, I did see it.

[Katie Nolan]

Who's playing Springsteen?

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Jeremy White.

[Katie Nolan]

Do we like.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Yeah, he's in the Bear. You know, the. I'll tell you who's excellent in it is Stephen Graham, who played Al Capone in Boardwalk Empire. Oh, did you see Boardwalk Empire?

[Katie Nolan]

I think I did a season or two.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Steve Buscemi plays Nookie.

[Katie Nolan]

Yeah.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

About. About the Prohibition period and.

[Brady]

Yeah.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Down in Atlantic City. And Graham, who's an English actor, played Al Capone. This is. It's set in the 20s, and he was great. And he plays Bruce's father in this. In the movie. And a movie's a lot about Bruce and his father.

[Katie Nolan]

And you like that?

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Well, I mean, it's about the fact they had a dysfunctional relationship. There wasn't a lot of connection there.

[Katie Nolan]

Interesting to you or not know.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Well, I read his book, so I, you know, I mean, I'm all Bruce all the time now.

[Katie Nolan]

That's why I'm saying it's important what your thoughts on this movie are. They're important.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Yeah. I mean, I've seen him, you know, so I did like it very much. But I can understand why it wouldn't necessarily be that successful at the box office, which it hasn't been.

[Katie Nolan]

Oh, it hasn't. But I don't think anything's doing all that well.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

That's fair. That's fair, too. But the Dylan movie, I like better because I like the music better. The music was tremendous.

[Katie Nolan]

I gotta watch it.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Did a great job.

[Katie Nolan]

I always feel like those movies are just showing me how little I know. And then I feel stupid. I'm like, I, I. I feel almost like this happens with sports, too, where you say you like something and then someone quizzes you on knowing everything about it. You're like, well, I don't. I don't know.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

You don't. You don't want to give them. You don't want to make it sound like that. You're an expert. Then they test your expert, and if you don't have it, you feel like an idiot. So I do understand.

[Katie Nolan]

Exactly. It's actually One of my favorite things about you as a radio host, if I may, is I feel like you are very honest about what you watch and what you don't watch. I feel like you're like, I'm not really paying attention to that, which to me is very freeing as a, as a sports fan. I grew up in Boston, so it was like in my blood. I had no choice. I just loved sports since I was born. But I always felt like, how is everybody watching everything all the time and having these expert takes? And with you I found it really refreshing. I don't know if that resonates with you at all to have you be like, I'm not, you know, I'm not paying attention to that. You know, that I don't care.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

I think the problem for a talk show host, sometimes the TV guy doesn't have to worry about it as much because he can focus on it as one thing sport. I think the problem for a guy who's on the air every day, or in your case in the afternoon or a lady on the air every day, you feel an obligation sometimes to watch sports. I'll give you an example. All right, you got Duke in Texas tonight. In college basketball, that's Boozers first game. Texas is a good team. It's at 8:45 now I'm four behind task. Have you seen task on HBO?

[Katie Nolan]

No, but I've heard it's on my list.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Very good. And I haven't. I'm four behind and I wanted to watch one of those two tonight. But I'm going to feel guilty or I feel obligated to watch some of that Duke Texas game. So that is a situation as a talk show host that you sometimes get yourself in an issue with. And I better keep an eye on this just in case, blah, blah blah. And that's where the. Sometimes the job. You don't feel obligated to watch the football. It's the football. You don't feel obligated to watch the World Series because you're going to watch it anyway. NBA finals, you're going to watch it anyway, anyway. But certain things that you don't think of that big a deal that you know somebody out there does. So you feel like I better keep an eye on it. There's an example.

[Katie Nolan]

Do you ever second screen? Do you ever do like I'll keep Duke over here while I'm watching Task?

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

No, no, no, definitely not.

[Katie Nolan]

No, no.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

I might do multi screen with football, right?

[Katie Nolan]

Two games at the same time, but.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

I am not going to watch a Show and have a sporting event at the same time. Because then you're taken away from the show. You want to enjoy the show.

[Katie Nolan]

Yeah.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

And I can't do that in that scenario. So I do not do that, do that. But, you know, I mean, do I want to. Do I have to think about it? Maybe I'll bet it in some capacity.

[Katie Nolan]

Do you dvr? Are you, like.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

No, I do not.

[Katie Nolan]

No.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Sports, Same sports. I gotta watch it live.

[Katie Nolan]

Same. Because it's. It to me, it's like 90 of it. Is the experience of watching it at the same time, watching it?

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

No, again, it's not. Like, I never have, but.

[Katie Nolan]

Right. I mean, you must have reasons to have to.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Sometimes you got to catch it at 45. I'll tape it for the. Pick it up. I'll watch the first. I missed the first 45 minutes. I'll tape it and I'll catch up later on. You know, there have been times I do that, but I try not to spend too much time on that. And I am very aware of scheduling where I will not schedule a party, an event, where if I look at the calendar, I know there's a lot going on. Most people don't do that. I do. Like, I would never schedule something that I have to go to the day of the championship game in NFL football. I will never schedule something where I know. Well, you know, that could be game seven of the World Series, that I can't have an event that night just in case. So I will use my noodle as a sports fan.

[Katie Nolan]

Smart.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Know what the schedule looks like. And for instance, Sunday, Masters. You know, I'm not. I'm. No, I'm not going with Jeannie. We're not going to dinner that night. It's Sunday at the Masters. So there are scenarios where you have to. As a sports fan, you got to put your foot down.

[Katie Nolan]

Jeannie, of course, you're a lovely wife.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Lovely wife, yes.

[Katie Nolan]

That's really interesting, because I am so. It's my worst. My. My biggest weakness is awareness of where we are in the schedule of the year. I just lose track of time. It's very common. I lose track of time. And so I would say, if I may use that noodle of yours, because it seems very valuable in this way. If you had to plan a wedding, let's just say you'd been engaged for a while and you were putting off planning a wedding.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

So you have to do that.

[Katie Nolan]

When is the best month that I should be targeting so that it doesn't interrupt any of my important Sports I need to watch.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Not. Not in the fall.

[Katie Nolan]

Not. But that's when I want a wedding. That's when I want. I want it to be, like, a little cold, but not too cold.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

May. I got married in May.

[Katie Nolan]

That's such an expensive month to get married.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Well, okay, so, yeah, I got married on May 6, Willie Mace's birthday.

[Katie Nolan]

Oh, also right near Mother's Day. And your mother's birthday, because that's my mother's birthday as well. May 9th.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

How about that? Yes. Maybe May 6th, I got married. So I would. I would avoid. Well, again, from a financial standpoint, I. I'm going to take that out of it. You just ask. From a sports perspective, I would avoid the fall.

[Katie Nolan]

Yeah. It's probably like May. June.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Yeah. May or June are pretty good. I would also avoid a little early April because you got the Masters and the NCAA Final Four. You're going to get married on a weekend.

[Katie Nolan]

Yeah, most likely. Yeah. It depends on the pricing. I know it's been a while since you got married.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Yeah. You got to get married on a Saturday or a Sunday, these things.

[Katie Nolan]

Yes. Saturday, probably. Probably in an ideal world, but they're so. It's so expensive now.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

I've heard, you know, a lot of. A lot of weddings on Friday nights.

[Katie Nolan]

I know. I went to one on a Thursday.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Did you really?

[Katie Nolan]

I was like, what is that? You know, we could do this, but it's Thursday. You got to get a deal if you want to have a nice venue. A lot of them are like, you're out of luck for a Saturday.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

No kidding.

[Katie Nolan]

They set you back a lot of money.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Well, you're making plenty of money, and I.

[Katie Nolan]

And I thank you for that. I just, you know, it's still just stressful. It's a lot of money. Money to spend on like a.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Are you gonna go on a big honeymoon thing.

[Katie Nolan]

I have no idea. We're both sports fans. Maybe we'll, like, do a sport.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Yeah. You know, May. This. It's a little. I'm not saying it's quiet, but it's not deciding championships.

[Katie Nolan]

It is the right time.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

So that's the thing.

[Katie Nolan]

The unfortunate thing is that the. The time. I'd love to like the time we got engaged. Our month is, like, October. We have a lot of romance in October, but I feel like it. That's a terrible time to get married.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

You're gonna miss the baseball, and you're gonna miss, you know, football. Guts of football. College, too. Yes. Bad month.

[Katie Nolan]

Terrible month. Bad month. I know. You're right.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

I had an issue on October 18th because that's my birthday. It was a Saturday and there was something in baseball and I had events to go to and that was tricky. And last year I did a 65th birthday party, but I did it in November to avoid any issues for the baseball. Yep. And football too.

[Katie Nolan]

That's smart.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

So sometimes you gotta. You gotta maneuver. That is a trick. If you're a serious sports talk show host and you look. The sports calendar is very, very important.

[Katie Nolan]

Yes.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

So you gotta. And you're now gonna have to make some of those decisions.

[Katie Nolan]

I know.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

And I pull that off.

[Katie Nolan]

I have tried everything. I've like got a Google calendar where I'm putting in and trying to look ahead. I just hate scheduling stuff. I'm very. I live right here. I'm in the moment. Moment. It's very hard for me to look ahead and consider. It's just too much. Too much.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

I get it. I get it.

[Katie Nolan]

Too much to ask. You've been in this industry for 40 plus 83. Yeah. So I. You've. It's changed so much.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Absolutely.

[Katie Nolan]

From how you watch sports. There's the streamers now are all getting in on everything. I'm sure you're not a huge fan of that. Having to go to 18 different places.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

To find your sport drives me crazy.

[Katie Nolan]

The also the rise and maybe fall of dear podcasts that we have. I'm just curious to know your perspective on where sports media is at right now.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Very hard compared. I have a. One of my kids is doing a talk show host right now. And he's good. He's 23, but he's gonna. To separate himself is gonna be hard for him while. And when I started in 83, you know, my. I don't wanna say competition, but the things that I was dealing with were other talk show hosts and columnists. Columnists in newspapers. Because in 83, no Internet, you know, no podcasts. So the columnist in the town was a big deal, the main one. And obviously the guy maybe doing the afternoon drive. Talk show host, the talk show guy was a big guy and it was only two or three guys. Now there are so many people who are doing this in some capacity, all looking for content. So to separate yourself from the pack is so much harder today than it was, you know, 40 something years ago when I got started in it. And I think that makes it very, very tricky. You could be the best thing in the world today. And there are more sports to spend your time with, so you have more content to fool around with. And there are more Specialty hosts than there used to be. You know, you got a guy who just does baseball, a guy who just does football, guy who does the boxing. Here's a guy who does Premier League soccer. That didn't happen. Happened 40 years ago. 40 years ago, your main talk show host did the main three or four sports. He did the big boxing fights, you know, did the occasional horse racing, and he did the golf a little bit and some tennis. But his four big sports were the football, the basketball, the baseball and the hockey. And depending where you lived, some college football. Now it's different. And so I think it's a lot harder to separate yourself from everybody else who's doing it compared to, say, when I was able to do. Do it a long time ago, I had to throw in the idea that you got to stay into it, you know, the cardinal cowboy game. Still, if you're doing it for 40 years, that still has to mean something to you. If you're going to do it right. You still have to care about the outcome because you'll find out and you will see this. The older you get, the more, you know, little dispassionate you get with the results. Well, I've seen that. Okay, they've won before. I've seen that. You know, well, we've won this. How many times? I gotta watch them, you know, the Dodgers win a championship. I've seen that. You have to love sports in such a way that even if it's been done before, it still resonates with you. And I think that's harder the longer you do it. So I think that's a difference too. But I think the biggest difference is the plethora of people who are making sports their living compared to 1990.

[Katie Nolan]

That's a lot. And the plethora of media companies.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Oh, my. Who are doing it, you know, and are specializing. And it's funny, when I first started at WFAN when I was in New York, when fan first started, I didn't think ever that fan would be able to be. Would survive, only appealing to men because I always looked at radio stations appealing to the general population. Now there are people who just do particular events appealing to their particular job. That is something that I grew up not thinking was possible. And it's proved to be possible.

[Katie Nolan]

Yeah, that's such like a small. It's like a micro.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

You know, there might be. The great basketball expert doesn't know anything about the other sports.

[Katie Nolan]

Yeah.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

40 years ago, if you did basketball, you also did the other sports.

[Katie Nolan]

Right. And you had to know Right. Which is kind of unfair to you that you had to do all those things.

[Unidentified Speaker]

Yeah.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

It was fun, though, if you love sports. You know, my old partner loved it as much as I did, which helped. Loved it as much as I did.

[Isabella]

How do you keep.

[Katie Nolan]

Keep it fresh. How do you keep your love of sports alive in that way?

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

I try to make sure what I do. Being a good talk show host is about being a good salesman. And if you can sell what you're enthusiastic about, the fans will. Will grab onto you. So if you show that you're interested in something obsolete, you'd be amazed. Wow, look at that. He's this into this. This must be something pretty good. They will latch onto it. I'll give you an example. I did the. There's an old coach from Notre Dame, Frank Leahy, who lost like four games in a decade back in the 40s. And there's a new book out on him called American Coach, and Ivan Maisel wrote it. He's a big writer. College football. Well, anyway, the book came out on September 16th. Sends me a copy. I would have found it, but he sent me a copy. I loved it. Brought him in studio last Wednesday for an hour. Hour. And people got into it because they didn't know anything about Leahy. But since I was so into it that, you know, your enthusiasm sells.

[Katie Nolan]

Yeah.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

And if you're enthusiastic. Enthusiastic about it, the audience will grab. If it means something to you, it will mean something to the audience. And as a result, that's how you become a good talk show host. If you go through the motions and nothing kind of moves you. Well, it's not going to move your audience if things move you. Game seven moved you.

[Katie Nolan]

It did.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Blue Jays, Dodgers.

[Katie Nolan]

Sure did.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Well, if it moves you and you're on the air, you should be able to convince the casual sports fan who's not that into the baseball. Wow, I must have missed something phenomenal here. This was a great game. If you're into it and you're good at it, you can sell it to the audience. That's kind of how I look at being a talk show.

[Katie Nolan]

Speaking of that World Series, if you had told me at the beginning of the season that the Dodgers were going to win the World Series at the end of it all, I think I would have been like, I can't. We're doing this again.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Good point.

[Katie Nolan]

I actually really did enjoy the World Series that we saw, but I know a lot of the conversation around it became about this looming salary cap conversation in the CBA negotiations. Do you Think it was about that. Did it feel like it was about that?

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

I think sometimes. I think sometimes over the long years, year, I think the Dodgers advantages, and not just the Dodgers, but their advantages with their resources. They're going to make the playoffs every year. You know, 70, I think it's 80% in the last 30 years that have won a World Series are a big market team. And I think it's 78% of big market teams make the playoffs. That's over the top 15. So that's a high percentage. So the Dodgers, the Yankees, teams like that have advantages of getting into the postseason because of their payroll structure and who they can sign and everything else. But once you make the postseason, anything can happen. And I think you saw a little of that in this series with Toronto. Now, Toronto is a big market team too, but they're not like the dodgers. You have $400,525,000,000 payroll. When you consider the taxes and everything else, they have to pay 525 million. But you know, Miguel Rojas was great in the World Series. Anybody could have had him. Teoscar Hernandez, the right fielder, big hits all over the place throughout the postseason. Anybody could have had him. You know, Will Smith, the catcher, and he's not making 50 million a year. KIKI Hernandez out in left field, anybody could have happened. Paez makes that great catch. Anybody could have had him. So now. So that's the one way to look at. The other way to look at it is, well, hold on now. Yamamoto is making $320 million and he depicts forever. I understand that, but still, it's such a crapshoot in the postseason. That's why the baseball postseason is the best. A, it's the quickest. August, it's only less than a month. And B, there is no correlation. Best record winning at all. Best record in the NBA, they win all the time. Best record, NFL, you got a big advantage, home field, less games, you got a good chance to win. Hockey and baseball. Hockey, the goaltender and in baseball, the best record doesn't always win. Anybody can beat anybody else. And you know the Dodgers the way they want won. The fact they won the last two games on the road, the fact they had a lot of those unnamed or unsupersar kind of player be a big difference maker. Hey, you know what? It's hard to sit there on Monday morning and start thinking, well, the Dodgers only won because they have a big payroll, because they had a lot of guys making huge contributions who don't make any money. So I can't watch sports on that level, thinking about, well, they have an advantage because they spend so much, much money. You can't.

[Katie Nolan]

Thank.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

You're going to ruin it.

[Katie Nolan]

Thank you.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

You got to ruin it. You got to watch it for what it is. Two teams playing for a game, seven for a title. And I can't say, well, Yamamoto's making $320 million. So I. I can't look at sports that way. I take it for what it is now. I will know offseason.

[Katie Nolan]

Plenty of time to discuss all that in the middle of the World Series. It's like, just watch the baseball. Talk about the baseball.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

There you go.

[Katie Nolan]

Not the payroll. I also am hesitant with this. I hate this conversation about salary cap. I get it. That you don't. That teams are sick of. Look, I'm a Red Sox fan. Watching my former players playing for the Dodgers because that's who would spend the money on them. I mean, obviously, Mookie, but, like, Kik just is like. It's very frustrating. But at the same time, I'm like, the owners have so much money, and we do not talk about how much money they have, and we don't force them to spend it. So I'd much rather rather force them to spend than force the players to make less.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Yeah, I think in a lot of ways, in. In baseball, not so much in football, there's a salary cap, NBA, same thing in baseball, in a lot of ways, your most valuable player on your team is your owner. I mean, look at the Mets. Now, it hasn't worked out so good because, you know, they haven't spent it in proper places. But look at Cohen. You know, he's got the most money, and you know, that is important that you have the owner who's going to want. Who doesn't care about his bottom line because he cares about his team and he wants to win.

[Katie Nolan]

That's what I would want in an.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Owner, and that's what you want in an owner.

[Katie Nolan]

Y.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

There's some owners, the Pirate owner, the Red Zoner. There are some owners, the brewers owner, who look at it as a business, and they will put into the team what the team makes. And the great owner is the guy that isn't so much worried about his one loss record financially. He wants to win, and he doesn't care how much money he loses to do that. And there's some owners that are good at that and some who aren't.

[Katie Nolan]

It's right. It feels like it's becoming more rare. Everybody just wants their team to always make more Money.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Absolutely.

[Katie Nolan]

Right.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

You got to find the right guy. Now, the Dodgers have it both ways. They spend a fortune, but they make a fortune because now they have the gateway to the. The. The Asian market, which is a big help for them.

[Katie Nolan]

Huge help. I mean, once you get that core of incredible Japanese players, they're all going to come in. Why would a Japanese player go to a different team? I can't think of a reason. Okay. In the NFL. I'm a little confused by the NFL this year. It's there. Teams you think are good or bad, and then teams you think are bad end up being good. And then, like, the Colts were crazy good with Daniel Jones. And then this last week, Daniel looked like old Daniel Jones. So just. But who's good to you in the NFL this year? Who are the teams you're looking at?

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Yeah, the NFL's had a, you know, not had a good year. There's too many bad teams. Number one, Saints are terrible. Tennessee stinks. The jets are terrible. The Giants are awful. Nobody can watch a Raiders game. I mean, there's a lot of. There's a lot of. You know, there's. I. I just named you a few. There's a lot more. There are a lot of. Who else? Sam, Saints, Tennessee, the Raiders, the Jets, Miami stinks. You can't watch half these teams, and that's a Cincinnati. Their defense, you can't watch these teams. So that's one issue the NFL's had. At the end of the day, I think Philadelphia is excellent. I still think they're going to be right there at the end. I think the Rams, with Stafford and McVay are excellent. I think they're going to be there right at the end. And I think the Lions, who have stubbed their toe a little bit, I trust them in a big game. I trust the head coach. They have a good defense. I think they have a chance to win it all. I am not doubting Mahomes despite the four losses. Buffalo with Allen, he's the best quarterback. He's a great quarterback. They're 6 and 2. I think they have an opportunity. I think the super bowl winner might come from one of those five or six teams. Phil, Philly, L.A. detroit, Kansas City, Buffalo. I don't think the Colts, they just got Sauce Gardiner, by the way.

[Katie Nolan]

Crazy.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

But I don't think the Colts are winning a Super Bowl. I don't think Seattle with Donald is going to win a Super Bowl. I don't think the packers, they're a little inconsistent. I don't trust them entirely. With Jordan Love. This is a team that's lost to Carolina and the Browns. I don't think they're winning a Super Bowl. I think. I still think the Chiefs could. The Ravens might be too far behind to win a Super bowl, but I think those five or six teams can win it all.

[Katie Nolan]

What about the Patriots?

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

You know, the argument would be against them is that they're a young team, young quarterback, new coach, you know, but he's been around, so. I mean, he's a youth coach for them, but he's got a experience. But you'd be a little worried about them once the. They've had an easy schedule. They've had a very easy, you know, Tennessee, Carolina at home, Atlanta at home. They've had a. They haven't even played Miami. They've played a. They did beat Buffalo, and Buffalo, we'll give them credit for that. And they played Tampa this week in Tampa, which is interesting. But I do think that. I think they're good. They're going to, you know, obviously be in a postseason. I wouldn't think there'd be a Super bowl team. And the same thing goes for Tampa, you know, because Mayfield's had a great year. They're going to win their division, they're going to get a home playoff game. But I think at the end of the day, I'm not going to pick Tampa in Philly to beat the Eagles in mid January or go to LA and beat Stafford and McVeigh in mid January. I still think that maybe those five teams I gave you or the teams. And I do trust Detroit, and they've been a little spotty, five and three, but I. I still kind of trust Detroit. So I would say about six teams can win it all myself.

[Katie Nolan]

All right. And then this is a bit pop culture, but it relates to football. Do you know who Cardi B is?

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

No, I do not.

[Katie Nolan]

You don't have any cultural awareness of Cardi B at all?

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

No.

[Katie Nolan]

Fascinating.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Who is that?

[Katie Nolan]

She's a rapper. She has been famous for five, seven years. I would say, say started out. I think she came into cultural relevance on a reality show. Do you watch any reality tv? I don't. No way. No. Yeah. And you have no social media?

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

I do not.

[Katie Nolan]

Incredible.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

My daughter does my Instagram.

[Katie Nolan]

Oh, good. Well, it's good that you have a presence there.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

I have.

[Katie Nolan]

Also good that you don't have to.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

I don't go pay attention to it too much. I got too much to do.

[Katie Nolan]

But I just. I. You've got to be. You've no cultural context for Cardi B. That fascinating.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

I do not.

[Katie Nolan]

She's dating Stefan Diggs, who is on the Patriots now, wide receiver. And she's pregnant with his child.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Oh, really?

[Katie Nolan]

And she is. I just didn't know if you had any awareness of her. She was sitting next to Bob Kraft at the game this week.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Oh, really?

[Katie Nolan]

I thought that was an interesting.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Interesting.

[Katie Nolan]

Yeah, an interesting conversation. But we'll. We can skip Cardi B.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

You might like her interesting one. And you know Diggs is an important player for that team.

[Katie Nolan]

Yeah.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Because when May plays his first playoff game, he's going to need a little security blanket. And Diggs could be that person for him.

[Katie Nolan]

Yeah, I agree.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

I'm still a little down on Diggs because after he dropped that pass two years ago in Buffalo against Kansas City, which cost him the. That game, they lost 27, 24. He blew off the media after the game and never has talked about. And then he was down on Buffalo wanted out. Well, hold on now. If you make the catch, you would have won the freaking game. And he left the locker room without talking to the press about how he dropped the point. So I was a little down on him.

[Katie Nolan]

I get that. Hey, I get that. I was down on him.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Old school, though. I'm old school.

[Katie Nolan]

I was down on him because they did a video asking everybody on his team when he was. I want to say this was when he was with the. I don't. But maybe it was the Bills. They went around and asked everybody in the locker room who they would least want their sister to date. And without hesitation they all said digs, like right away.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Really?

[Katie Nolan]

Which to me was like.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

They say it funny, some of them.

[Katie Nolan]

And some of them were like, oh, Stefon Diggs, do not let him near my sister. So it was just a. Interesting telling without telling. You know what I mean?

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

I get it. It was very telling without selling.

[Katie Nolan]

Very interesting. Okay, I want to get leave time for this bit that I want to do today. It is. Look, you are known for many things. One of those things is rants. You get. You go off on rants on. On first take. We can see it. I know you have that segment and I just wanted to. I wanted to get your opinions. You have strong opinions. And there was a. A big announcement today. It is the 40th anniversary of people magazine's Sexiest Man Alive.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Wow.

[Katie Nolan]

This has been happening for 40 years.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Who won 40 years ago?

[Katie Nolan]

Mel Gibson.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Wow.

[Katie Nolan]

So that was our very first Sexiest Man Alive. Now, things happened since that, you know, but he it's been around for 40 years. Cultural institution.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Who won it this year?

[Katie Nolan]

This year's Jonathan Bailey.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Who is he now?

[Katie Nolan]

I barely know who he is, so I don't. Would never have expected you to. He's in have you seen the Wicked musical?

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

I know, I know the. I haven't seen it, but.

[Katie Nolan]

And he was also in Bridgerton, which is the Netflix show. I've heard of it. Right. And then he was also in Jurassic World, Rebirth.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

I wouldn't watch that.

[Katie Nolan]

Yeah, no, I wouldn't.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

With all the dinosaurs.

[Katie Nolan]

You didn't like any of the Jurassic Park?

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

I read the first book. I did not. But I do love Scarlett Johansson. Wasn't she in this last one?

[Katie Nolan]

I think maybe I gave up on. I gave up on the franchise a while ago. Why? What makes you a big Scarlett Johansson fan?

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Horse Whisperer.

[Katie Nolan]

Okay.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

She was great in that. She did that with Redford. Redford. Did you see that movie?

[Katie Nolan]

I don't think so, no.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Oh, that's a great movie. Just died. You should do that.

[Katie Nolan]

Okay. All right. Horse Whisperer. Yeah, that's a.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

He plays somebody who. Who is. Got to deal with a damaged horse.

[Katie Nolan]

Yeah.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Oh, it's a great movie.

[Katie Nolan]

I believe you.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

And nobody's better than Redford, who just passed away.

[Katie Nolan]

So handsome. I mean, he should have gotten. Gotten sexy stars.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

He wouldn't want to win that. That's up against 19 and it's. Don't forget, he would have wanted. Have you seen the Sting?

[Katie Nolan]

No. I'm gonna disappoint you.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Here's what you need to do. Go watch the intro of the Sting.

[Katie Nolan]

Okay.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Where he did it with Paul Newman. Another hottie who won the Oscar.

[Katie Nolan]

Yeah.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

The 73. Sting won the Oscar. He plays a con man in Chicago. Chicago. Go look at him in a three piece in a tux and you're gonna say, wow, that is a good looking guy. Have you seen Barefoot in a Park? Did you see.

[Katie Nolan]

No.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Any of those earlier ones with Barbra Streisand in the late 60s and early 70s?

[Katie Nolan]

Probably.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Have you seen the candidate with Redford when he picked. Oh, my goodness.

[Katie Nolan]

I know.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Go take a look at Redford. That's. That's the guy who.

[Katie Nolan]

Take a look at Redford.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

That's one.

[Katie Nolan]

Okay. So anyway, they've been doing this for 40 years. Jonathan Bailey. Do we have a picture of Jonathan Bailey that we could show so that he knows that's who won this year?

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

I've heard of him. I've seen him.

[Katie Nolan]

He's a very handsome guy. First openly gay, sexiest man of all time. Shocking to me considering people's demographic. I would never. 2025. You waited to put. But anyway, super handsome and with a dog. So that always works. I'm less interested in this year's winner, Mad Dog. I'm. I want to talk to about controversial past winners.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Give me a few of them.

[Katie Nolan]

They have named some people as well.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

You'll be better at this than me.

[Katie Nolan]

And I'll help you. I'll let you know. In ninth, let's start with 1987. The winner of Sexiest Man Alive is Harry Hamlin. He's obviously known from. For LA Law.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Oh, I loved him in LA Law.

[Katie Nolan]

Right. Loved him in LA. That was on TV from 86 to 91.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

I love Susan Day and that. I had a big crush on Susan Day. I love the theme song. Was a wonderful theme song. He was good. That's a good one.

[Katie Nolan]

He's. I mean, he's handsome. Yes, but he's one year into LA Law and what did he do after LA Law?

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Nothing. He has not. He did not have a. No. I don't know. But I don't feel he's had a huge career.

[Katie Nolan]

I mean, he's cute, but I don't know. Sexiest man Alive.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Little young looking there. All right, you got me in a weird topic. Go ahead, give me 88. Give me another year.

[Katie Nolan]

All right, all right, all right. Well, I was going to make you a pitch action. Actually. 1987.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Right.

[Katie Nolan]

Who it could have been.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Let me see, let me see.

[Katie Nolan]

Some could have been Tom Selleck, who was in Magnum PI Dan Johnson and Don Johnson. And Eddie Murphy.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

And Eddie Murphy.

[Katie Nolan]

Any of these would have been great. Don Johnson, Sexiest Man Alive.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Miami Vice.

[Katie Nolan]

87. Miami Vice.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Yes.

[Katie Nolan]

It's.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

These are the obvious, you know, and then a mustache for Selleck. One of the few guys who could.

[Katie Nolan]

Wear one and wears it perfectly.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Yeah, My wife loves him.

[Katie Nolan]

Yeah.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

I would say Don Johnson.

[Katie Nolan]

Yeah. See, I agree with you. I think you give it to Don Johnson. All right. 1989. Sean Connery.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Sean Connery. It's just too old. He's too old to give it to him then.

[Katie Nolan]

59 years old at this point.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

You know, 1963 is when you give it to Sean Connery with James Bond. It's a little too old to give. He doesn't have his hair and everything else. That's not. That to me would not make me think he's the sexiest man alive at 59 years of age.

[Katie Nolan]

Right. It's like we're not saying you aren't sexy. Don't have something about you that fits it. It's too late. It's too late. They should have done it forever ago. 1989. You could have gone with Kevin Costner. That was field of dreams. 89.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Yes.

[Katie Nolan]

A year after Bull Durham.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Yes. And they got Keaton on the right. And who's in the middle?

[Katie Nolan]

Bruce Willis. Yeah, Bruce Willis.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Costner.

[Katie Nolan]

Yeah. Give it to Costner.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

He was. He had so many great movies in this young period. Have you see.

[Isabella]

Here we go.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

The one he did with Hackman. No Way Out.

[Katie Nolan]

No.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

I think that's what is. I'm a huge Gene Hackman. Are you a Gene Hackman fan?

[Katie Nolan]

Yeah. I don't. Yeah.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Have you seen Hoosiers?

[Katie Nolan]

Yes, but a long time ago.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Okay, so you did see Hoosiers at least?

[Katie Nolan]

Yes.

[Chris (Podcast Editor)]

Okay.

[Katie Nolan]

Yeah. I've seen a movie that you've asked.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

What was it? What was his name?

[Katie Nolan]

I don't think I've seen.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

What was his name in the movie?

[Katie Nolan]

I have no idea.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Nathan Dale.

[Katie Nolan]

Okay, now I know. I'll never. Let me write it down.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Oh, no. I'm sorry, Nathan. Normandale. Normandale.

[Katie Nolan]

Misinformation. Misinformation is running.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

That was a bad one. Normandale. He was great. Anyway.

[Katie Nolan]

Costner, 1989. Yeah. It just feels like the wrong. Very disrespectful to all of these people who. I don't think Costner has ever won it. Doesn't that seem wrong?

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

And he. He was. He was. I. I though. I don't like the. The girl. His daughter in the show. He's great in the.

[Katie Nolan]

Oh, whatever that's called. The 1980. Or no. Is he in the.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

No. 1. He just did, you know, the. Utah. He's out in Utah.

[Katie Nolan]

Yeah.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

I'll think of it in a second.

[Katie Nolan]

So will I.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

But I don't like the daughter. His daughter drives me crazy.

[Katie Nolan]

Yellowstone.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

That's it.

[Katie Nolan]

Yeah.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

He's good in that.

[Katie Nolan]

He is. I haven't seen it. Put it on the list of things I haven't seen.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Yeah, it's fun. You gotta probably first three. First three seasons.

[Katie Nolan]

It's a lot of TV. That's a lot of TV. That'S a lot of stuff.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

All right, give me another one.

[Katie Nolan]

1992, sexiest man alive. Nick Nolte.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Oh, he's. I don't have a problem with that.

[Katie Nolan]

Yeah.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Have you seen Prince of Tides?

[Unidentified Speaker]

Yes.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

That's a great movie.

[Katie Nolan]

It is a good.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Oh, he is good. Net. I am. Did you see the Deep in 1976 with Jacqueline Bassett?

[Katie Nolan]

No.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Right after Jaws. No, he's. I'm a big Nick Nolte fan.

[Katie Nolan]

Got a nice good jawline.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

And he was also excellent in the remake with De Niro with the nutcase who wants to go after and kill his old lawyer who threw him in jail that Robert Mitchum played in originally with. What's it called?

[Katie Nolan]

Cape Fear.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Cape Fear, yeah. He is great. He was great in that. Yeah, great. That is. I'm a big Nick Nolte fan. I like that one. Go ahead.

[Katie Nolan]

Cape Fear and Prince of tides came out 91. This was 92. So it's perfect.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Same thing. And he was. And Robert Mitchum is an old sexiest man alive.

[Katie Nolan]

Okay.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

But that would have been Mitchum, 40s, in the. Oh, Mitchum.

[Katie Nolan]

Oh. Way before it even happened.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Oh, Mitchum. Robert Mitchum. Oh, my God. God.

[Katie Nolan]

In the 40s.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

You weren't allowed in the 50s too.

[Katie Nolan]

Yeah.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Mitchum is a guy that. He is a woman killer.

[Katie Nolan]

Okay.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Yes, he is.

[Katie Nolan]

Or was probably.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Yeah, he died. He died in Santa Barbara, California, about 20 years.

[Katie Nolan]

May he rest. Other. I was just going to give you other options for 92.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Yeah, go ahead.

[Katie Nolan]

We also had Michael Douglas, who I also like. Very handsome. Alec Baldwin, obviously. And LL Cool J. He had just done the Grammy Awards. He did Mama said Knock youk out at the Grammy Awards.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

When did American President come out? Because. Google it. Because he was great. Michael Douglas in that. With Annette Benning.

[Katie Nolan]

I love Annette Benning.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Oh, he was 95, so that would.

[Katie Nolan]

Have been a little too. Before that.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Douglas. Douglas had a. Had a run there where he did a lot. Fatal Attraction. When did that come up?

[Katie Nolan]

This was. Fatal attraction was 87.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Okay.

[Katie Nolan]

Wall street was also 87.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Right.

[Katie Nolan]

Basic Instinct was 92. So that's. That's the era of Michael Douglas.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

I remember his father lived to. He's 103 years of. Don't forget his father here.

[Katie Nolan]

Crazy.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Yeah, I like that.

[Katie Nolan]

And Baldwin was in Glengarry Glen Ross. That's that era.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

And he was also very good as Nick in Working Girl.

[Katie Nolan]

Oh, my God. I saw Working Girl. I saw Working Girl. Too young to have seen Working Girl. I saw it with my mom and she fell asleep on the couch. And there is a scene in that movie that's a. It's a sex scene. It was my first sex scene I ever saw was in working girl.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

80 at. That's a great movie.

[Katie Nolan]

Yeah, I thought you were gonna say that's a great sex scene.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

I love that. It's one of my all time favorites.

[Katie Nolan]

It's a Very good movie. It was a very. My Mom. The next morning, Meg Griffin.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

And I'll tell you, Harrison Ford is great in that movie as Jack Fisher.

[Katie Nolan]

Yeah, I think it was Jack Fisher again. I doubt most of it.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

That's a great movie.

[Katie Nolan]

Pretty embarrassed. Okay, now we're getting into more modern times. This was a very controversial pick in 2013. Adam Levine, one sexiest man alive. He is. Do you know who that is?

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

I don't.

[Katie Nolan]

He's the front man, or he was. I don't know if there's still a band, but Maroon 5 was his band, and now he's a judge on the Voice, the reality show.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

I don't know the band well, but I know the show. Why is it so controversial?

[Katie Nolan]

Because look at him, you know? Is that doing it for you? It's not really doing it for me. It's. There isn't. To me, the reason was it was for you to pick Adam Levine. I remember I was getting my license when their first album. I think it was their first album. They're like, most popular album came out. I was getting my license in 2013. I was like, graduated. I was on TV. So the amount of time between when he was maybe sexy to the time he was named Sexiest Man Alive, that's too far. A lot had happened.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Okay.

[Katie Nolan]

And. But I do think this predated. Since you don't know who he is, you definitely don't know about. About his scandal. He had a. So these are mad dog. These are texts that were found between Adam Levine, who was married with children, and a woman who was not his wife.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

That's. I. I'm not going to read it, but I get the idea.

[Katie Nolan]

You can gloss over them with your eye. You just can see the. Does anything jump out to you? For me, it's. I'd buy at a steak dinner and whisper sweet. Nothing into it.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Yeah. I mean, I. And this was this quote, and this somehow got leaked out.

[Katie Nolan]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I think he was cheating on his wife. The woman he was talking to.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Is the wife still with him or not?

[Katie Nolan]

I think so. I think she was. I think she was.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

She dealt with that.

[Katie Nolan]

I think she might have been pregnant at the time.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

That's even worse. Okay.

[Katie Nolan]

Okay. The worst part is that this woman who was messaging him, her name was Sumner or Summer. And they. And then before we found out that they were together, he named. He wanted to name their kids. Kid her name.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Oh, my.

[Katie Nolan]

Isn't that nuts?

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

That's nuts.

[Katie Nolan]

That's nuts.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

And the wife didn't pick up on that.

[Katie Nolan]

I mean, I don't think she knew the whole thing.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

That's a bad one.

[Katie Nolan]

Wild. So we're. Thank you. We are in agreement. Get him out of here.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

I agree.

[Katie Nolan]

We hate him. 2013 should have gone to, I don't know, it could have gone to Jimmy Fallon. It could have gone to Bruno Mars. It could have gone to Justin Timberlake. But it didn't. Justin Timberlake gets mentioned on the covers a lot. Never got.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

I'll tell you who should have wanted to this year.

[Brady]

Who?

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Shalam.

[Katie Nolan]

I know, he is pretty sexy.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Shalam. Should have made it. Should have won it. He's got this great movie coming out at the end of the year. He's going to win the Oscar.

[Katie Nolan]

Oh, yeah? Which one's. What's the one play?

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

It's about a ping pong player.

[Katie Nolan]

That's right. What's it called?

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

He's with Gwyneth pal.

[Katie Nolan]

Marty Supreme. Marty Supreme.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

He is. You know, I. We met him last year. You know that, right?

[Katie Nolan]

Yeah, yeah.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Greatest guy in the world.

[Katie Nolan]

Yeah. He loves you.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Oh, I don't know if he loves.

[Katie Nolan]

Me, but nice was your respect.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Yes, he was in London.

[Katie Nolan]

Did a job.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Great. Great job. He should have won the award this year.

[Katie Nolan]

I think a lot of people were with you on that.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Oh, really? Good, good.

[Katie Nolan]

Okay. 2015. This is our first athlete who wins.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Yeah, I think Beckham's. And he just got knighted today. By today. Yes.

[Katie Nolan]

Congratulations.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

I think he's. I mean, to me he's way overrated. To me.

[Katie Nolan]

But wait, in terms of soccer or in terms of what he looks like sports? Yeah, yeah.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

He's not as great. No. I'm not a soccer expert in England. He never won a World Cup. To me he's a little over, but. Okay.

[Katie Nolan]

2015 is a weird year for it, though.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

You would know better than I would. Well, he's. I mean, he's good looking, sure.

[Katie Nolan]

But it's. He's retired at this point. Yeah.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

This is 10.

[Katie Nolan]

It's like, what are we. We finally do an athlete and it's David Beckham. Who hasn't played.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Brady didn't win one, huh?

[Katie Nolan]

No. A stark lack of athletes.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

You would think Brady would have won one here.

[Katie Nolan]

I know there's a lot of that. You would think in like 04 they would have capitalized on how much we were talking about baseball. Like it's. They. They never really cross over. And this to me was just a lackluster attempt.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Jordan wasn't going to win because Jordan's a man's man, so Jordan is not going to. You got to have a little.

[Katie Nolan]

Yeah, I will say there was on one of those covers.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Have a little finesse.

[Katie Nolan]

Yeah. For the. For the gas.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Doesn't have finesse.

[Katie Nolan]

But I think if you can. Isabella, not to make you go backwards, but if you could pull up the Sean Connery. It was the second one we did on the COVID Sexiest athlete. Michael Jordan. Isn't that interesting. Yeah. In 1989.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

You know, I wouldn't look at him. You know, he is such a guy you have to admire. But from a sex appeal standpoint, I don't know if I'd put him on that level myself.

[Katie Nolan]

I'm with you. I'm with you on that. I think I'm absolutely with you on that. Okay. We end on the world's most egregious sexiest man that they ever did. The year was 2017. Blake Shelton.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Yeah, that's a bad one.

[Katie Nolan]

I mean, what. What are we.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Yeah, that would not do anything for. Who else had a chance to win here in 17?

[Katie Nolan]

Well, who I think they could have gone with. Sterling K. Brown was in this is Us. Did you ever watch this is Us? That was a tear jerk.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

I didn't see that. Who's in the middle there?

[Katie Nolan]

In the middle we have obviously Adam Driver.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Oh, Driver. He's good.

[Katie Nolan]

Very good.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

I wouldn't put him on that level, though.

[Katie Nolan]

Kylo Ren. Adam and girls. And then Jason Momoa there on the end. Aquaman.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

I don't like any of those.

[Katie Nolan]

You don't like any of those?

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

I would take. I would take the middle one. Adam. What's his name? He's good act. Driver. Good act. He's a good actor.

[Katie Nolan]

They're all good actors.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

I don't know.

[Katie Nolan]

The guy in the left, Sterling K. Brown. He's very good. Very. It's not the best picture, I don't think, but it is. Obviously he was winning an Emmy, so he has that going on.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

I'll tell you another guy who would have. Definitely would have won one.

[Katie Nolan]

Yeah.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

1963.

[Katie Nolan]

Okay.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Sidney Poier.

[Katie Nolan]

Yes. Yes, of course.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Lilies of the field.

[Katie Nolan]

Yes.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Or go pick 1968. In the heat of the night when he played with Rod Steiger. Have you seen that movie? No. He plays a southern detective. Oh, Poitier is so good. He's. He's a. Oh, I'll give you another one. Guess who's coming to dinner.

[Katie Nolan]

Oh, yeah. That I've. I've definitely seen.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

That's with him.

[Katie Nolan]

Yeah.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Spencer Tracy. Katherine Hepburn. Hepburn and Spencer Tracy died three weeks after the movie came out. And Poitier. It's about a African American who marries. Who wants to marry a daughter of the editor of the San Francisco Chronicle. White. And he can't. And he's very liberal, but he can't handle it. Now, this is 1968.

[Katie Nolan]

Yeah. But never happened at.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Hepburn won the Oscar.

[Katie Nolan]

Yeah.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

And Tracy won the Oscar. And I won a movie of the year. And PO A is great in there. Have you seen a picture of Por in 1968?

[Katie Nolan]

Probably.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Tell Isabella to find one. Guess who's coming to dinner. Go ahead. You may continue.

[Katie Nolan]

I. That's. I mean, that's. Those are the big controversial ones. I do think the way. The best way to wrap this little segment up is to continue going on a list of guys you think were left off who are the sexiest throughout history. We have.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Brady would be one.

[Katie Nolan]

Brady's absolutely one.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

I'm going to look at it from a sports perspective.

[Katie Nolan]

Of course. I think that's the best. Safest.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Who would I consider. Brady is. It would be. Would be.

[Katie Nolan]

He does come to mind.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Yeah. He's the first guy I would think of basketball. You know, that's a tricky one in basketball. You don't think of him. I mean, Jordan. But I don't look at him quite the same way. I don't think Donkic is there. Denver's kid. Jokic isn't there.

[Katie Nolan]

I mean, Jokic is sexy in his.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Way, in a weird way, but he's big, he's lumbering and all.

[Katie Nolan]

He doesn't immediately come.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

How about baseball? Is there a baseball? How about Kershaw?

[Katie Nolan]

Yeah.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

A while ago I could see.

[Katie Nolan]

A little while ago.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Yes. I could see a little Kershaw.

[Katie Nolan]

I could see Kershaw.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Or Aaron Judge.

[Katie Nolan]

Aaron Judge. Sturdy, kind.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Six, eight.

[Katie Nolan]

Yeah. Obviously very talented. Do you think he's going to get mvp?

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

You know, I would vote for Raleigh, but I think Judge would probably.

[Katie Nolan]

You would vote for Raleigh?

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

I would. He's a catcher who hits 60 homers.

[Katie Nolan]

It's unreal.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Switch hitter.

[Katie Nolan]

It's absolutely.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

I would go for Rob.

[Katie Nolan]

He propelled that team. It didn't end up working out. I was really bummed about the Mariners. I was pulling.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Yeah, I was. So was I.

[Katie Nolan]

But he. I mean, what a. He was like the impetus of, like, he. He was the engine.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

He. Very important. And he had a good postseason. And they blew that. They. They should have had Toronto beat. That was. But anyway, that's a good segment there. But Poitier in 68.

[Katie Nolan]

Yeah.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

If Isabella can find.

[Katie Nolan]

Oh, wait, here he comes. We got coming up on our monitors here.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

No, hold on now. Sidney, that. Look at Sidney Poitier now. You mean to tell me that Sidney Poitier. Go look at some of those pictures of Sidney Poitier.

[Katie Nolan]

Yeah. Handsome.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

That's pretty good.

[Katie Nolan]

Yeah, he's really.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

And if you came up with a couple that were a little younger, I mean, look at Poitier. If you had a photograph of him. Or how about me and Mr. Tibbs? Look at that. When he play. Oh, he's so good. Poitier is one of the all time greats.

[Katie Nolan]

Yeah.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

And he's stern. He's got a lot to like. There's some of the movies I forget about. Anyway, go ahead.

[Katie Nolan]

He's really. That's basically it. We just wanted to know your thoughts on the world's sexiest man. I think that's really all we have. I.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

You keep on doing a great job.

[Katie Nolan]

Hey, Chris, I really appreciate it. Anytime I can keep my show, you're saying yeah, yeah.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

For a little while.

[Katie Nolan]

Thank God.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Well, these two tomorrow. How's that sound?

[Katie Nolan]

That sounds good to me.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Take it a day at a time.

[Katie Nolan]

And you have to come around to hockey. Have you come around to hockey?

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Yeah, I love hockey.

[Katie Nolan]

Okay, good.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

I don't love it so much in the regular season. I like it in the postseason. I think that's a Bruin. You're a Bruins fan, right?

[Katie Nolan]

I would think so. I mean, what a nightmare been for us these past few.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Bobby or would have won one of those back in the early 70s.

[Katie Nolan]

I mean. Yeah, they. Ray Bork too.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Handsome Bobby. Or I mean Bobby or was hockey.

[Katie Nolan]

Hockey. Guys. Hockey. Handsome hockey.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Ted Williams would have won one.

[Katie Nolan]

Yeah, should have.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Big World War II vet. Korean War.

[Katie Nolan]

Crazy. When you think about like the. What life used to be for an athlete back then.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Yeah.

[Katie Nolan]

I mean to go to war and come back still be good.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Him two of them. Ted Williams definitely would have won it for that. No question.

[Katie Nolan]

He's a handsome guy. Well, now the world knows who you think is the sexiest. And I think that's the most important.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

There you go. It's important.

[Katie Nolan]

And I got to teach you about Adam Levine, star.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

I learned something.

[Katie Nolan]

We all learned something today. And I got a list of movies to watch.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

And pick May for your getting married. Pick May.

[Katie Nolan]

May. May.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Stay away from October.

[Katie Nolan]

It's gonna be maybe. You got it. Thank you.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

All right, Katie.

[Isabella]

It'S the season to come together. Over your holiday favorites at Starbucks, warm up with a creamy caramel brulee latte.

[Katie Nolan]

Get festive with an iced gingerbread chai.

[Isabella]

Or share a velvety peppermint mocha together is the best place to be at Starbucks.

[Unidentified Speaker]

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[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Shopping, more time online and more personal.

[Katie Nolan]

Info in more places that could expose.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

You more to identity theft.

[Katie Nolan]

But LifeLock monitors millions of data points per second. If your identity is stolen, our US.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

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[Katie Nolan]

Save up to 40% your first year.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Visit lifelok.com Specialoffer terms apply avoiding your.

[Katie Nolan]

Unfinished home projects because you're not sure where to start.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Thumbtack knows homes so you don't have to.

[Katie Nolan]

Don't know the difference between matte paint finish and satin or what that clunking.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Sound from your dryer is.

[Brady]

With thumbtack, you don't have to be.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

A home pro, you just have to hire one. You can hire top rated pros, see.

[Katie Nolan]

Price estimates and read reviews all on the app.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Download today.

[Katie Nolan]

Okay, big thanks again to Mad Dog for coming by. I thought that was fun. Do you guys think that was fun?

[Isabella]

It was so much fun.

[Katie Nolan]

He's a blast. So much fun. And he was like, isabella, pull up this picture. And you did. Beautiful.

[Isabella]

Thanks.

[Katie Nolan]

Absolutely beautiful.

[Isabella]

I so badly wanted to do my joke.

[Katie Nolan]

Yeah, he really did want to talk about Sidney Poitier, but you know we didn't have that prepped because why would we in 2025? We got to let these people go. We're keeping everybody way Too long. But of course, because it's Thursday, Thursday, we do have to stop in and check in on Isabella's fantasy team. Isabella, a sports newbie, drafted our podcasts fantasy team this year in a league and has been running it herself. She was undefeated until last week. She got her first loss, which we helped her through, I think. And then this week, the question mark was going to be her quarterback. She was wondering about Caleb Williams. She had been considering Daniel Jones. And. And so Isabella, first and foremost, who did you end up starting, starting at quarterback this week?

[Isabella]

Daniel Jones.

[Katie Nolan]

Okay.

[Isabella]

But honestly, his points weren't like. It was more than like the projected points they said was going to be like 16 and he gave me 17.

[Katie Nolan]

He did. Even with that. Even with the. Didn't he have like four turnovers?

[Brady]

There's a lot of turnovers and like one where he just kind of threw it right in front of his face to T.J. watt.

[Katie Nolan]

Absolutely brutal. And he still did. Okay, points wise.

[Isabella]

Yep.

[Katie Nolan]

Kind of wild.

[Isabella]

I mean, not as good as Josh Allen. Josh. Josh Allen gave 28 points.

[Katie Nolan]

Well, yes, of course. Yeah. Josh Allen. What about Caleb Williams, who I assume was on your bench?

[Isabella]

He was and he did 38.

[Katie Nolan]

That's a lot of points.

[Brady]

Caleb Williams not only threw for touchdown, he caught a touchdown pass.

[Katie Nolan]

Yeah. And you would have gotten points for that. Wait, how does it just was a designed play that he was.

[Brady]

He handed the ball to one wide receiver. That guy handed the ball to DJ Moore. And while they were running around, Caleb Williams ran out the other side of the backfield into the end zone and DJ Moore threw it to him. You remember the annexation of Puerto Rico? Pretty much.

[Katie Nolan]

That could have been you. And no, she does not remember the annexation of Puerto Rico.

[Brady]

Oh, no. So not the actual annexation of Puerto Rico. It was a play from Little Giants.

[Katie Nolan]

It was a play they ran in Little Giants, the movie.

[Isabella]

Gotcha, Gotcha, Gotcha.

[Katie Nolan]

She was like, I'm not. I'm not ready to globally politically discuss whatever this is you're even trying to say. So you could have had extra points from Caleb.

[Isabella]

Yeah, but I still won. Yes.

[Katie Nolan]

Ok. Okay. That's all that matters. Oh, yeah.

[Brady]

You still won by 40.

[Katie Nolan]

40 points.

[Isabella]

Yeah.

[Katie Nolan]

How many points did the person you played put up?

[Isabella]

95.22.

[Katie Nolan]

And what's her name?

[Isabella]

Caleb Williams is Neil Salon.

[Katie Nolan]

No, her name. The person you beat who called fan service today.

[Isabella]

Oh, I forgot her name.

[Katie Nolan]

Oh, I thought it was. What?

[Brady]

Maddie.

[Katie Nolan]

It's Maddie.

[Isabella]

Maddie.

[Katie Nolan]

Maddie called into fan service today and was like, dude, Isabella beat me and she had Caleb Williams on her bench. She's like, I quit. This sucks. And I feel bad. I feel really, really bad.

[Brady]

So here's your big challenge this week.

[Isabella]

Oh, what?

[Brady]

The Cowboys are on by this week.

[Katie Nolan]

Okay.

[Brady]

Which is why they traded for a bunch of dudes they can get to meet. Everybody you have to replace in your lineup.

[Katie Nolan]

George Pickens at wide receiver.

[Brady]

Javante Williams is in your flex currently, and Brandon Aubrey your kicker.

[Isabella]

I'm not worried.

[Katie Nolan]

Not worried, why?

[Isabella]

Cuz I think I have some other good players that I could put in or can get.

[Katie Nolan]

Kicker's gonna be tough, but.

[Isabella]

Kicker is gonna be tough. But honestly, since that one game where he did amazing, it's not like he's been giving me a crazy amount of points anyway, so.

[Katie Nolan]

Okay. Were you gonna think. You think you're gonna drop him or do you think you'll.

[Isabella]

No, no, no, no. I might move him to my bench and then maybe get another one.

[Katie Nolan]

Okay, maybe get another one.

[Brady]

Did you see Monday night, Brandon Aubrey also lined up to try to break the NFL record for longest field goal.

[Katie Nolan]

And didn't get it.

[Brady]

It's. He missed it left like it had 5 yards extra distance on it.

[Katie Nolan]

I know. Would have been.

[Brady]

Kickers are fun again.

[Katie Nolan]

Yeah. I love that. I live when they're like, I could do this. Let's go do this. All right. And Caleb Williams gonna move back up to your quarterback, you think?

[Isabella]

Yeah, maybe. Yeah.

[Katie Nolan]

I don't know who they have this. The Giants. Yeah, I would probably do it. I don't know.

[Isabella]

Yeah, I kind of miss him.

[Katie Nolan]

So it was a week, right?

[Brady]

Right.

[Isabella]

I know. But then there was one week where it wasn't. I think it was his bye week or something, and I didn't have him, and I was like, fair enough.

[Katie Nolan]

Bring him back. That's your. That's your boy.

[Isabella]

That's my boy.

[Katie Nolan]

All right. So welcome back to winning. I guess I thought maybe this was going to be you losing, and then it didn't.

[Chris (Podcast Editor)]

Yeah.

[Isabella]

The one loss doesn't look perfect, but it looks a lot better compared to everybody else.

[Katie Nolan]

Are you in first place in the league? Yeah. Oh, my God. By how much?

[Brady]

By one game. One game.

[Katie Nolan]

Okay, good.

[Brady]

But also by 100 points.

[Katie Nolan]

What?

[Brady]

No, there's one more team. There's a team in fifth place that has 1192 and they're in fifth. Yeah.

[Katie Nolan]

They must be so pissed. Well, because it doesn't really matter how many points you put up. It matters how much the person you're head to head with puts up.

[Isabella]

What does team mean Tiebreaker for the.

[Brady]

Season is the total points altogether.

[Katie Nolan]

What did you say, Isabella?

[Isabella]

Where it says WLT is the T tie.

[Brady]

Yeah.

[Isabella]

Okay, but doesn't that, like, never happen?

[Brady]

No, it's really. Because you have decimal points.

[Katie Nolan]

It's really hard, but possible it has happened or else it wouldn't be there. Okay. The worst. I think the worst outcome in fantasy football is to get the most points in your league and finish, you know, out of the playoffs. I feel like I've done that before. That's a sign of a brutal season. You're like, my team put up the points. Whoever I was against that week put up more points than me. Gotta be the worst way to live. But Isabelle is just cruising through her first season, so we'll keep an eye on that. Good luck this week. Not that you need it or even should have it.

[Isabella]

No, I'll still take it.

[Katie Nolan]

Best of luck to you. Thank you.

[Brady]

Do you know what it's like to like on Sunday? I get text alerts about her team. Mine.

[Katie Nolan]

Oh, no.

[Brady]

I get text alerts from her team and my teams and they just only come in for hers.

[Katie Nolan]

Oh, no.

[Brady]

I just stop looking at them.

[Katie Nolan]

Yeah. You're like, oh, my team's doing well. Nope, they're talking about Isabella. That's pretty brutal, Brady, actually. That sounds like you've set yourself up for a really brutal Sunday. All right, everybody. That's it. Feels early in the week to me to be done, but that is it for us this week. Hopefully you guys enjoyed this. Let us know how you're feeling about the podcast and how much you love us. Casualswithkatienolanmail.com Our voicemail 646-801-0043 on IG and tick tock, we are at Casuals, the podcast. We love you, we mean it and we will see you next week. Bye, Mazda. Once you discover the Mazda CX90 Mazda, it doesn't take long to get it. With three row seating and safety features like radar, cruise control and rear cross traffic alert to carry you and your peace of mind, it will have you saying Mazda. The Mazda CX90. It's made to move you.

[Brady]

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[Katie Nolan]

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[Brady]

Performance. Discover it at your local Mazda dealer today.

[Unidentified Speaker]

Are you ready to get spicy?

[Katie Nolan]

These Doritos golden sriracha aren't that spicy.

[Unidentified Speaker]

Sriracha sounds pretty spicy to me.

[Katie Nolan]

Um, a little spicy, but also tangy and sweet.

[Unidentified Speaker]

Maybe it's time to turn up the.

[Katie Nolan]

Heat or turn it down. It's time for something that's not too spicy. Spicy? Try Doritos Golden Sriracha.

[Chris Mad Dog Russo]

Spicy, but not too spicy.