Pat McAfee suggested in a social media video earlier this week that there are some issues between him and those he works with at ESPN, and he may have created a few more problems in the process.
In a video on his Instagram story Tuesday, McAfee highlighted some comments that were written about him on a post from the official “College GameDay” account. The video that was shared by “College GameDay” showed McAfee playing to the crowd earlier this month in Eugene, Ore. McAfee called attention to comments that said things like “Pat needs to go” and “wish he wasn’t on the show,” according to Ben Axelrod of Awful Announcing.
McAfee then said in a video that most of those comments come from “old white people” who don’t like him. He indicated their opinions are shared by some of his own producers at ESPN.
“If you think about old white people and old ESPN people, those are really the people that hate me the most at this stage of life,” McAfee said. “Now granted, there’s some other groups that certainly have threatened my life on a pretty regular basis, I’d say they hate me too. But throughout the entirety, old whites and the old ESPN people over the last like three years have really hated me. That’s who all the producers are of ‘GameDay’ too. So now … it’s been a fun run. College football is great. OK, cheers. Have a great day.”
According to a story that was published by Michael McCarthy of Front Office Sports on Friday, some of McAfee’s co-workers have grown tired of what they perceive as “diva-like” behavior from the former NFL punter.
“Totally unnecessary. Grow up and talk to these people to make it better. You are not a victim,” McCarthy was told by one ESPN source. “Everyone is bending over backwards to put you in a good position — and these same people are incentivized for you to succeed.”
Though there has been some grumbling among ESPN employees, McAfee is said to have the support of the most powerful people at the company, which is a group that includes chairman Jimmy Pitaro, president of content Burke Magnus and Walt Disney CEO Bob Iger.
Magnus admitted in a statement to Front Office Sports that McAfee has caused some “friction” at the network but praised the 38-year-old.
“Pat is a creative force. He’s pushed hard to advance ‘College GameDay’ and his impact has been enormous,” Magnus said. “Since he joined ESPN, ‘GameDay’ — as well as his own daily show — have experienced unprecedented success. Pat is also an innovator, and when you have someone who disrupts the status quo, it’s not surprising when there’s friction and disagreement as a result. We will continue to encourage and support Pat and the entire ‘GameDay’ cast and crew as together they break new ground on one of ESPN’s most important franchises.”
McAfee’s style is not for everyone, but ESPN hired him in part because he is a polarizing entertainer. His personality has largely been well received by his on-air counterparts — even in situations you would not expect.
Though ESPN executives would probably prefer for McAfee to not air his grievances in public, they will be more than happy to look the other way as long as he produces ratings and revenue.
