Pat McAfee lambasts 'old ESPN people' while sharing struggle with hate and death threats
ESPN host Pat McAfee has been one of the most talked-about figures in sports media over the past few years, but he's also received a fair amount of criticism
ESPN host Pat McAfee has hit back at online hate and even suggested that some of his harshest critics work at the network itself.
McAfee ranks among the most well-known personalities in sports media, though his unconventional approach attracts its share of detractors. When ESPN signed McAfee to a five-year deal worth roughly $85 million, the network simultaneously let go of multiple staff members.
While the former NFL punter sometimes riles up viewers with his remarks on The Pat McAfee Show and College GameDay, he also attracts substantial viewership. Recently, he's spoken out about receiving death threats and alleged that 'old white people' and 'old ESPN people' harbor animosity toward him.
McAfee posted screenshots of negative comments on Instagram, with numerous users declaring they're not supporters of the ESPN personality, reports the Irish Star.
Multiple fans stated they've stopped watching ESPN due to his presence, but McAfee acknowledged that he faces harassment on a daily basis, including threats against his life.
"I just got done with a little morning workout, it was nice to read those comments," McAfee remarked, alluding to his most recent wave of criticism.
"I'd just like to let all you old ----- know, I hate you too.
"Never got along with that class of people. Teachers, principals, you name it. Since I'm a kid. Always hated me. It's kind of a part of life now.
"Old white people, and old ESPN people, those are really the people that hate me most at this stage of life. Now, I get it, there's some other groups who have certainly threatened my life on a pretty regular basis.
"I'd say they hate me, too. But throughout the entirety, old whites and old ESPN people over the last three years have really hated me. That's who all the producers are of GameDay, too. It's been a fun run. College football is great. Cheers, have a great day."
While dealing with internet trolls is an unfortunate reality of success in today's world, McAfee has also had public spats with ESPN employees. He accused former producer Norby Williamson of manipulating ratings for The Pat McAfee Show to downplay its success.
Williamson has since parted ways with ESPN after a four-decade-long tenure. During an episode of The Pat McAfee Show, McAfee singled out Williamson and hinted that other ESPN staff were also against him.
"We're very thankful for the ESPN folks for being very hospitable," McAfee said during an episode of his show. "Now, there are some people actively trying to sabotage us from within ESPN - more specifically, I believe, Norby Williamson is the guy who is attempting to sabotage our program.
"Now, I'm not 100 percent sure. That is just seemingly the only human that has information, and then that information gets leaked, and it's wrong, and it sets a narrative of what our show is. And then are we just gonna combat that from a rat every single time?".
"Somebody tried to get ahead of our actual ratings release with wrong numbers 12 hours beforehand. That's a sabotage attempt. It's been happening this entire season from some people who didn't necessarily love the old addition of 'The Pat McAfee Show' to the ESPN family. There's a lot of those."