ESPN's Chris 'Mad Dog' Russo has been forced to issue a humiliating apology to Caitlin Clark after he accused her of faking her Kansas City Chiefs fandom.
WNBA star Clark watched Travis Kelce's team beat the Houston Texans in the divisional round of the playoffs on Saturday alongside Taylor Swift.
Clark joined Swift in the Kelce family suite to witness a masterclass from the tight end as the Chiefs take another step toward a historic three-peat Super Bowl.
The pair sat together for the thrilling finale, which saw Kelce score a fourth-quarter touchdown while the match was on edge.
Swift burst into joy in the VIP suite, jumping to her feet and hugging Clark. It was the key moment of the game and gave the Chiefs an eight-point lead. They would record a 23–14 win.
But Clark's presence in the VIP suite should hardly come as a surprise. Not only is she a lifelong Chiefs fan, but the Indiana Fever guard was recently a guest on New Heights, the popular podcast hosted by Kelce and his older brother Jason.
Caitlin Clark was accused by Chris 'Mad Dog' Russo of faking her Kansas City Chiefs fandom
Russo reluctantly apologized to the WNBA star after being told that Clark is a true fan
Despite making it clear on the podcast that she is a big Chiefs fan, Russo claimed she isn't and only supports them “because they win.”
A day later, Russo was told by Dan Patrick that Clark is definitely a Chiefs fan.
In response he said, “I'm Chief'd out, Dan. I'm Chief'd out. And now Caitlin Clark is suddenly a Chiefs fan?
“Let me guess this clearly, we were watching Caitlin, a great athlete… I've never seen her wear a Chiefs jersey, wear a Chiefs hat, see her dad wear the Chiefs… and now she's suddenly a big Chiefs fan? Oh, come on!'
When Patrick told Russo that Clark had announced years ago that she was a Chiefs fan, Russo responded, “I didn't know that. Did she do that? She's a Chiefs fan. She knows about Super Bowl I…does she know about the 27-24 double overtime win over Miami-Kansas City for one of the most famous games in National Football League history?”
After bringing up a photo of a young Clark wearing a Chiefs jersey, Patrick asked Russo if he would like to apologize. To which he said, 'I think so. I think so. I shouldn't be bullying Caitlin Clark. I'm gone.'
On his podcast Mad Dog Unleashed on Sunday, Russo also bluntly labeled Swift “the girlfriend” while criticizing both women.
He said, “I've had enough of Kelce. I've had enough of the girlfriend. Now I have Caitlin Clark in the mix.
Russo claimed that Clark had shown no sign of supporting the Chiefs in Iowa or in the WNBA
“By the way, who have I seen Caitlin Clark play fifty games in college over the last two years? Parts of it. I've never heard a single reference. I never saw her dad with a Chief jersey on. I've never seen her with a Chief hat on. I haven't heard of her being a Chief fan once in 50 games, and now all of a sudden she's a huge Kansas City fan.
“Come on, please stop. I understand you want to be a fan because they win.
'It's ridiculous. And ESPN, they will be just as guilty as everyone else. They'll show you Swift and her and that damn press box until the cows come home.
“If Taylor Swift is Bob Dylan, come back and talk to me. Come back and talk to me when she has that impact. Not for 18 year old girls like my daughter… If you change your music, come back and talk to me.”
Former FS1 and ESPN host Skip Bayless was also furious when he saw Clark sitting next to Swift.
He posted during the game: “WAIT, CAITLIN CLARK IS IN THE ARROWHEAD BOX WITH TAYLOR SWIFT???
“CAITLIN, YOU DON'T NEED TO BE SEEN WITH HER. YOU ARE BIGGER THAN THEM. STAY ON YOUR OWN PATH.'
Clark and Swift went wild after Travis Kelce scored a touchdown for the Chiefs against Houston
Clark and Swift pictured themselves hugging in the VIP suite after Kelce's fourth-quarter touchdown
Clark, the WNBA's biggest star, is a huge Swiftie — and revealed earlier this year that the singer told her she'd like to watch the Chiefs with her.
They started the game separately, but in the third quarter they switched seats and sat with Clark laughing as Swift spoke to her with her hand over her mouth.
The 22-year-old is a Chiefs fan because she has family who live in Kansas City and went to a Chiefs game during the holidays as a child.
“I had family in Kansas City and grew up in Des Moines, Iowa, just a three-hour drive from Kansas City,” she said during her recent appearance in New Heights.
“So that's just the closest NFL team: My dad was a huge Chiefs fan growing up.
“People think I'm a fan of the Chiefs bandwagon, I'm like, 'No, I was there before Patrick (Mahomes) and Travis.' We were ride or dies, so we were big fans.”
Kelce danced in the end zone after his crucial touchdown relieved the pressure on the Chiefs
Clark also attended two of Swift's Eras Tour shows in Indianapolis earlier this year and attended another Eras show the year before that.
Saturday's win means the Chiefs are now just one win away from next month's Super Bowl.
They return to Arrowhead next Sunday night, where they will play the Buffalo Bills to punch their ticket to New Orleans in February.
Swift will definitely be back and after a day like this, it would also take something to keep Clark away.
