Where to Begin

I guess I will start with a strategy post. Home game, playing with regulars. Under the gun raises 8x bb. I wait to look at my cards and as I do, Mookie, not this guy, declares "screw it, I'm all in" from the small blind. Now I have just discovered rockets in the cut off and tell him to hold it, I have not acted yet. Background, he is on tilt from playing crap starting hands, hitting the board hard and still losing to better starting hands. So my question is this, how would you play this hand?

I thought for half a minute and put the $25 in the pot to cover him. He looks at me and starts talking. Everybody is talking and guessing. (horrible etiquette). He says "fuck it" and calls, original raiser insta folds. He shows AK and I have him crushed, duh. My hand holds up.

Is smooth calling the original raisers bet a stronger move than what I did? Doesn't that just scream strength. I was hoping my bet said I wanted to gamble. Or do I just call and hope he pushes still and the original raiser comes along for the ride. He had 88.