Stephen A. Smith and Chris ‘Mad Dog’ Russo Share Super Bowl LIX Predictions on the Stern Show
Legendary sportscasters also talk Oscar hopeful Timothée Chalamet and quarterback turned broadcaster Tom Brady
January 22, 2025You couldn’t throw a football without hitting a bonafide media icon on Wednesday morning as legendary sportscasters Stephen A. Smith and Chris “Mad Dog” Russo joined the Stern Show together for the very first time. The delightfully opinionated stars of ESPN’s “First Take” sat with Howard for a candid interview that covered all the bases — not to mention football fields and basketball courts — but sports weren’t the only topics of the day. The outspoken duo also discussed everything from Stephen A.’s side hustle as a daytime soap star and Mad Dog’s latest weed gummy adventure to their thoughts on Oscar hopeful Timothée Chalamet’s latest performance and Tom Brady’s first season in the broadcast booth. Stephen A. wasn’t afraid to shine the spotlight on his own love life, either, as he discussed the possibility of settling down.
“I want to get married someday. It will happen,” Smith told Howard.
“He’s more of a romantic than you think he is,” Mad Dog revealed. “He’d get on his knees with the candlelight, and a nice Italian dinner, and ask somebody to marry him. I could see him doing it.”

Speaking of bold predictions, Howard asked his guests to foretell the winner of next month’s Super Bowl LIX. “Will it be the [reigning champion Kansas City] Chiefs?” he wondered.
“God forbid, Howard. I’m so Chief-ed out,” Mad Dog said, revealing he hoped Kansas City would lose Sunday’s AFC Championship Game to the Josh Allen-led Buffalo Bills. “Buffalo is 0 and 4 in the Super Bowl,” he added. “It’s a good city. It gets a bad rap.”
Stephen A., meanwhile, shared several reasons to root for the NFC-favorite Philadelphia Eagles. “I worked [for] 17 years at the Philadelphia Inquirer, and I think it’s a phenomenal sports city,” he said before adding a caveat that their upcoming opponent, the Washington Commanders, might be an intriguing sleeper pick. “Here’s where everything goes bananas: what if a rookie quarterback by the name of Jayden Daniels goes out there and wins you a Super Bowl championship?” he wondered.
“Will it happen, Stephen?” Howard asked.
“I don’t think so,” Smith said, suggesting both Philadelphia and Kansas City have a much better shot. “I can’t pick against [Chiefs quarterback] Patrick Mahomes,” he concluded.
Watch more of Stephen A. Smith and Chris “Mad Dog” Russo’s conversation with Howard (below).
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Watch Stephen A. Smith and Chris “Mad Dog” Russo on ESPN’s “First Take” and catch Russo on Mad Dog Sports Radio, Sirius XM channel 82.