While Chris “Mad Dog” Russo infamously reneged on a bet during the MLB Playoffs, there’s at least one radio host who made good on their World Series wager.
After the Texas Rangers clinched a trip to the American League Championship Series by beating the Baltimore Orioles, manager Bruce Bochy kicked off the celebration with a question for their catcher Austin Hedges. “The only thing I need to know right now — Hedgie, what’s the number on your a** right now?” Bochy asked, sparking a celebration and speculation over whether the Rangers were tracking their “magic number” on Hedges’ butt.
In response to Bochy’s question to Hedges, 97.1 The Freak’s Jeff Cavanaugh went on-air and declared, “If the Rangers win it all, I’ll get a tattoo with the number zero on my ass!” Vowing to get a tattoo on your butt if a team wins a championship is a bold claim. Vowing to get a tattoo on your butt when that team is just eight wins away from that championship is crazy.
Last week, the Rangers won their first World Series championship in franchise history, forcing Cavanaugh to make a decision. He could be like Chris “Mad Dog” Russo, who shamelessly reneged on his vow to retire if the Arizona Diamondbacks advanced to the World Series, or he could make good on his bet. Cavanaugh put his a** in the jackpot and chose the latter.
ICYMI: The tattoo heard around the metroplex!
Cavanaugh owns up to his bet with Austin Hedges and gets his
tattooed LIVE on 97.1 The Freak! swipe >>>>>> to watch him getting tatted by Tattbaby.daz (IG) #971thefreak #tattoo #worldseries #mlb #rangers #bet pic.twitter.com/JTgSVelLiK
— 97.1 The Freak (@971TheFreak) November 7, 2023
It’s not quite as bad as having to retire or eat horse poop, but a permanent butt tattoo is still a pretty big wager to settle. Monday afternoon on The Speakeasy, hosted by Cavanaugh, Julie Dobbs, Michael Gruber and Dallas sports radio icon Mike Rhyner, a tattoo artist was in studio and the bet was paid.
“I’m a man of my word, so we’re gonna tat up my butt,” Cavanaugh said on-air before he dropped his pants so the artist could begin her work. Soon after, Cavanaugh was left with more credibility than Russo, a permanent memory from the Rangers’ World Series win, and maybe even a reminder to be careful what you wager.