Pat McAfee received some backlash on Sunday for a joke he made about disgraced former Michigan State sports doctor Larry Nassar, but it appears as if the longtime media personality is going to ignore the mob.
Evan Fox, a producer on “The Pat McAfee Show,” tweeted a photo on Sunday reminding fans of some hideous alternate uniforms Michigan State once wore. McAfee replied to the tweet and wrote, “I think Nassar was in on the design team actually.”
I think Nassar was in on the design team actually
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) July 30, 2023
Nassar is currently serving decades in prison after being convicted in 2018 of sexually abusing female gymnasts, including Olympic medalists. He also pleaded guilty in 2018 to additional counts of sexual assault stemming from when he was a doctor at Michigan State University. The 59-year-old was recently stabbed multiple times during an altercation in prison.
Many people found McAfee’s joke to be offensive, which is often times the point of a joke. One of the reasons McAfee is so popular is that he is unafraid to cross a line that others would not dare venture over. That is why a lot of people are concerned that his recent deal with ESPN will change him and his show.
There were plenty of calls for McAfee to delete the tweet, but it remained up as of Monday morning. McAfee even had a funny response when one follower suggested he should hit the delete button.
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) July 30, 2023
Historically, ESPN has pressured — if not forced — its employees to delete tweets like the one McAfee sent. That is the main reason we think McAfee is lying to his fans and himself when he says he is not going to change. If he leaves the tweet up, that could say a lot about the future of his brand.
