Espners Call Out Pat Mcafee Over 'college Gameday' Comments: 'you Are Not A Victim'

During a standoff that took spot betwixt nan 2023 assemblage shot play and nan summertime of '24, it wasn't clear that Pat McAfee would return to College GameDay as a imperishable fixture connected nan expert table for a 3rd season. Following a critical canvass tally by The Athletic in which conscionable nether 49% of responses said they didn't for illustration McAfee connected nan show successful October '23, McAfee publically flirted pinch nan thought of leaving GameDay.

That, of course, didn't happen. GameDay stalwart Herbstreit later threatened to time off nan show if McAfee walked, and ESPN yet came to an statement pinch nan erstwhile Colts punter. In nan 2 seasons since, McAfee has go a staple connected nan show, instituting a celebrated caller student kicking title successful which he's fixed distant a important chunk of his ain money, and mostly filling Lee Corso's domiciled arsenic nan final expert to springiness his pick for nan crippled hosting that weekend's show. He doesn't put connected immoderate headgear, often opting to lead nan location fans successful chants and cheers—and connected 1 occasion, going disconnected a precocious dive astatine Miami.

MORE: Predicting Where ESPN's 'College GameDay' Will Head for Each Week of nan 2025 Season

Even pinch Corso retired, nan show has been pulling nan champion ratings of its full run, and McAfee is its caller intermezo centerpiece. All indications are that immoderate issues viewers person had pinch McAfee person mostly receded—or astatine nan very least, aren't stopping group from tuning in—but that hasn't stopped McAfee from griping astir nan curen he's received connected nan show.

In a caller video posted to his Instagram stories, and transcribed by Awful Announcing, McAfee took purpose astatine those who kick astir his antics, moreover mounting his sights astatine immoderate of nan producers of GameDay.

“If you deliberation astir aged achromatic group and aged ESPN people, those are really nan group that dislike maine nan astir astatine this shape of life,” McAfee said. “Now granted, there’s immoderate different groups that surely person threatened my life connected a beautiful regular basis, I’d opportunity they dislike maine too. But passim nan entirety, aged whites and nan aged ESPN group complete nan past for illustration 3 years person really hated me. That’s who each nan producers are of GameDay too. So now—it’s been a nosy run. College shot is great. O.K., cheers. Have a awesome day.”

Now, logic would dictate that GameDay's producers don't really dislike McAfee, considering his domiciled has only grown. He, of course, is nan 1 sitting astatine nan halfway of nan GameDay desk—not Herbstreit aliases chap newcomer Nick Saban—and erstwhile clip comes to adjacent nan show, McAfee is seemingly allowed to do immoderate he wants.

His comments did tie nan ire of immoderate anonymous ESPN employees, though, who responded successful a study by Front Office Sports. From newsman Michael McCarthy:

“Totally unnecessary. Grow up and talk to these group to make it better. You are not a victim,” 1 root told FOS. “Everyone is bending complete backwards to put you successful a bully position—and these aforesaid group are incentivized for you to succeed.” Another was much blunt, complaining McAfee sometimes acts for illustration an “entitled diva.” 

Even if he's ruffled nan feathers of immoderate mid-level producers, those that beryllium successful Bristol's highest chairs person consistently supported McAfee, pinch president of contented Burke Magnus telling FOS, “Pat is simply a imaginative force. He’s pushed difficult to advanceCollege GameDay and his effect has been enormous."

This is acold from nan first clip that McAfee has brushed up against his ESPN colleagues. In nan astir notable example, McAfee accused ESPN SVP Norby Williamson of trying to "sabotage" his show successful early 2024. Williamson, a astir 40-year seasoned of nan Worldwide Leader, left nan network little than 3 months later.

McAfee whitethorn judge that he is still an outsider astatine ESPN, and successful immoderate ways that is true—he owns his ain accumulation and licenses his eponymous regular talk show to nan network. However, arsenic nan Williamson incident shows, he wields astir arsenic overmuch powerfulness arsenic immoderate on-air characteristic there.

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