Rarely at ESPN—or any television network or media outlet, for that matter—do two front-facing personalities get into wars of words. Contentment, or at least the appearance of contentment, is king.
ESPN analysts Dan Orlovsky and Chris Russo do not seem to have received that memo.
Monday saw Orlovsky—a veteran of 26 NFL games over 12 years, and Connecticut’s all-time leading passer since jumping up to FBS—defend his football bonafides after Russo labeled him a “scrub.”
The broadside was prompted by a video of Orlovsky participating in a passing drill at the Pro Bowl.
“You were impressed? I could do this!” Russo said. “This is not that difficult. I can do this. Hand me the ball. I’ll throw the football that far. This is ridiculous. He was a scrub in the NFL. This doesn’t make up for that.”
"He was a scrub in the NFL, this does not make up for that." – Mad Dog with no love for Dan Orlovsky's Pro Bowl performance. pic.twitter.com/FsfjNs3Z8q
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) February 5, 2024
Orlovsky appeared to take exception to the radio veteran’s comment.
“May be a HOFer but this is classless,” Orlovsky said, referencing Russo’s Nov. 2022 induction into the Radio Hall of Fame.
May be a HOFer but this is classless
— Dan Orlovsky (@danorlovsky7) February 5, 2024
Clearly, something has to give between two personalities not known for being easily dissuaded.