Fans Defend Jason Kelce After He's Slammed By ESPN Colleague
Jason Kelce may no longer be a player in the NFL, but one sports commentator still has plenty to say about the former Eagles center.
It was during the Wednesday, Sept. 25 episode of ESPN's First Take when sports radio personality Chris "Mad Dog" Russo shared his hot take on Kelce, who retired earlier this year following his 13th season with the Philadelphia team.
“You’re gonna get mad at me. I’m gonna say it anyway because I feel like it. I’m in one of those moods," Russo said before boldly declaring, "I think we've seen plenty of Jason Kelce in the last few weeks."
Kelce, 36, has seemingly been everywhere lately, keeping busy during his first season as a retiree by starring in a handful of ads and making his debut on ESPN's Monday Night Countdown earlier this month.
But apparently, not everyone at the network is happy about it.
Russo, who was visibly riled up during the rant, went on to say, “They put him in the booth in the Philadelphia game against Atlanta!" in reference to the Eagles' matchup against the Atlanta Falcons on Sept. 16, when Kelce joined commentators Joe Buck and Troy Aikman in the broadcast booth.
But even though Russo had some qualms with Kelce's presence, the same could not be said for his ESPN colleagues.
Stephen A. Smith, who was also part of the conversation, disagreed with Russo, stating, "I happen to like Jason Kelce."
First Take host Molly Qerim also added, "We all do."
“He’s a new star to the network,” Smith chimed in again. "I’m very proud of him. I’m happy to see him. I ain’t got no problems with that."
Also present for the heated conversation was Jeff Saturday, who told Russo, "You're a hater."
And Kelce's fans online seemed to agree, with several users speaking out on social media to defend Travis Kelce's older brother.
"Jason is a reason for me to tune in. You are all negative haters," one user on X (formerly Twitter) wrote in response to Russo's criticism.
Another person added, "You can spot a hater a mile away."
While some users agreed with Russo's stance, including fans who argued that "Somebody had to say it," others thought Russo could have been speaking from a place of "jealousy."
"Bro jealous he’s been in the same spot for the last 25 years," one fan fired back at Russo, telling him, "We’re tired of seeing you."
"thats funny bc ive had enough of seeing Mad Dog Russo on ESPN," another person quipped.
And whether Russo likes it or not, Kelce is certainly here to stay, set to appear on ESPN's Monday Night Countdown each week throughout the regular season and ESPN’s Super Wild Card and Divisional Round playoff games, and the NFL’s Conference Championship weekend.
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