Anyone looking to criticize an organization you’re frustrated with, take notes from Pat McAfee on how to do it.
McAfee took a blowtorch to the Indianapolis Colts in a post on X Sunday. He shared his post hours after the Colts lost to the 3-13 New York Giants 45-33 despite Indy fighting for a playoff spot and the Giants being in contention for the No. 1 pick.
McAfee was egged on by a fan, who wrote on X that he was hoping McAfee would rip into the Colts on “The Pat McAfee Show” Monday.
“I hope @PatMcAfeeShow does not hold back on the state of the @Colts tomorrow on the show!” the fan wrote.
McAfee apparently couldn’t wait until Monday, because he decided to rip into the Colts in response to the fan. McAfee, who spent his entire career (2009-2016) with the Colts, criticized the team for having a poor culture. The former All-Pro punter disclosed that he would not be renewing his season tickets.
“Your unwarranted arrogance, laziness, and lack of professionalism has lead (sic) you to ANOTHER early vacation… which is probably what most of you entitled bums have been hoping for,” McAfee wrote in his note.
You can read the entire note in full:
“I’ve said what I believed to be the truth about the team.. & a bunch of ‘Colts fans’ on the internet were trying to get me booed out of the city..
“Current players, who have won nothing during their entire tenures, started using me and my face to try and paint me as the enemy in the city I’ve committed my life to.
“And in the end… everything went.. just like I f-cking said it would
“In the biggest moments everybody with a brain knew they’d crack.. and they did.
“A blind person could see the red flags on this team.. Work ethic questions, NEVER happens on good teams.. Preparation commitment questions, NEVER happens on good teams.. Late to meetings, NEVER happens on good teams.. Late to/skipping treatment, NEVER happens on good teams.. The franchise QB tapped out of a game.. on 3rd down.. in the red zone.. because he was tired… NEVER HAPPENED in the history of the NFL.
“That’s literally the only thing you need to tell someone (who knows ball) and they could tell you everything about this team…
“’Hey the franchise quarterback, who’s a professional athlete getting paid millions of dollars, and the face of a multi billion dollar franchise tapped out of the game because… because… because he was tired in the middle of the season’
“‘Oh wow.. that team has no chance’ would be the immediate response..
“And to the surprise of nobody.. that was the response by everybody who’s ever played/coached the game before but.. Colts blogs and fans who have been covering the Colts since 2020 and more recent knew better than everybody… Started personally attacking me and trying to kick me out of town.
“When I said Joe Flacco gives us a better chance to win than AR immediately after the tap out.. I would’ve said whatever backup QB we had on the roster. That can’t be what the face of your team is doing.. just can’t be.. and to a bigger aspect of it all, somehow AR thought it was ok to do that. That’s a locker room issue.. that’s a culture issue.. thats an indicator of a loser attitude radiating thru a building that was built by greats.
“I have no idea how they fix it.. I don’t think it’s like a light switch. ‘Alright, we’re gonna become Pros now’ but… maybe it is, but what do I know?
“Oh wait….. how this was all gonna work out. I knew that.
“As a multiple year season ticket holder (not renewing).. and someone who has actively, daily, attempted to be an additive to this beautiful city. I hope they become a good franchise again.. this city deserves it.. the OGs in the Colts building deserve it (equipment managers, trainers, ticketing, PR, sales).. and on the flip side the players/coaches in that building deserve whatever happens to them. Your unwarranted arrogance, laziness, and lack of professionalism has lead you to ANOTHER early vacation… which is probably what most of you entitled bums have been hoping for.
“I don’t speak for the city.. and I don’t speak for all ex Colts players because I was only a punter.. nominated for the HOF 3 times now but nonetheless.. I speak from my own perspective.. I’ve never seen a group waste opportunities/talent/money more than this group.”
I’ve said what I believed to be the truth about the team.. & a bunch of “Colts fans” on the internet were trying to get me booed out of the city..
Current players, who have won nothing during their entire tenures, started using me and my face to try and paint me as the enemy in… https://t.co/qCWb7SL1l8
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) December 30, 2024
McAfee’s post was edited by LBS to remove the profanity, but his points all stand.
Colts linebacker Zaire Franklin has his podcast called “The Trenches Show,” and has had teammate EJ Speed on as a guest. The two made McAfee out to be an enemy for being critical of the Colts. That likely fueled McAfee to get to this point with his sharp criticism of the team.
For context, the Colts made the playoffs five times and won their division four times during McAfee’s eight-year career. He was on the team towards the end of Peyton Manning’s Colts career and at the beginning of Andrew Luck’s. He was part of plenty of good teams, which helps explain his frustration with the current group. The Colts last made the playoffs in 2020.
