80s Rocker, 73, Drags Pat McAfee For ‘Embarrassing' Antics
80s Rocker, 73, Drags Pat McAfee For 'Embarrassing' Antics originally appeared on Parade.
John Mellencamp isn't pleased with the behavior of some basketball fans during the 2025 NBA Eastern Conference Finals between the Indiana Pacers and the New York Knicks.
In response, ESPN host Pat McAfee is firing back at the '80s rocker — even going so far as to tell the 'Jack & Diane' crooner to 'shut the f*&k up!'Mellencamp first posted a tweet Friday morning criticizing how some Pacers fans had rejected traditional 'Hoosier Hospitality' during Game 4 of the Knicks vs. Pacers series. The Indiana native called out fans who booed Knicks supporters who had traveled to Indiana for the game, writing that the behavior made him 'not proud to be a Hoosier,' despite having lived in Indiana his entire life.
While Mellencamp didn't call out anyone by name, former Indianapolis Colts kicker Pat McAfee took the tweet personally. The Pat McAfee Show host had led the charge during Game 4, riling up the home crowd to boo Knicks fans — even calling out high-profile attendees like Timothée Chalamet and Ben Stiller. McAfee incited the game day atmosphere by declaring, 'Let's send these sons of b------ back to New York with their ears ringing!'McAfee escalated the beef Friday morning on his show, criticizing the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer's tweet, 'The graphic, the quote, the timing — you're two days late, John! You're two days late, bub!'
McAfee, who emphasized that he hates seeing anyone attacked online, added that Mellencamp may not have realized how many fans McAfee has, thanking those who defended him on social media.
He wrapped up his rant with a pointed message, 'I'm sure I'll see you again at Game 6. I don't want any of your bulls____. I don't like you. I know your name, and I don't like you."
The John Mellencamp vs. Pat McAfee feud might just be the most entertaining subplot of an already heated Pacers vs. Knicks series.
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80s Rocker, 73, Drags Pat McAfee For 'Embarrassing' Antics first appeared on Parade on May 30, 2025
This story was originally reported by Parade on May 30, 2025, where it first appeared.
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