Latest news with #PatMcAfee
New York Times
2 hours ago
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Pat McAfee apologizes to Ole Miss student months after amplifying false rumor
Pat McAfee apologized to Ole Miss student Mary Kate Cornett on 'The Pat McAfee Show' Wednesday, months after amplifying an unsubstantiated rumor involving Cornett in February, and the subsequent fallout, which forced her to switch to online classes and move out of her dormitory. The rumor, which involved a false claim involving Cornett's romantic life, started on the anonymous messaging app YikYak, before making its way to X and later the sports talk world, including posts by Barstool personalities KFC Barstool and Jack Mac, a discussion by ESPN radio hosts in St. Louis and a mention on McAfee's show. Advertisement 'I have since learned that the story was not true and that my show played a role in the anguish caused to a great family and especially to a young woman, Mary Kate Cornett,' McAfee said on his show on Wednesday. In an interview with The Athletic in April, Cornett, who was 18 at the time, said that after the rumor took off, she had vile messages slipped under her dorm room door. Campus police told her she was a target, and she switched to online classes and moved to emergency housing. The Athletic has reached out to Cornett and her lawyer for comment on McAfee's statement. Once Cornett's phone number was posted online, she told The Athletic that she received degrading voicemails and that someone created a cryptocurrency memecoin with her name attached to it. Police showed up at Cornett's mother's house, her boyfriend faced online bullying and her grandfather received a taunting call in the middle of the night. 'I would like people to be held accountable for what they've done,' Cornett said in April. 'You're ruining my life by talking about it on your show for nothing but attention, but here I am staying up until 5 in the morning, every night, throwing up, not eating because I'm so anxious about what's going to happen for the rest of my life.' In April, weeks after first discussing the rumor, McAfee alluded to the situation during a live event in Pittsburgh, saying that he 'didn't want to add any more negativity as it was taking place' and would try to 'make some sort of silver lining in a very terrible situation.' KFC Barstool, Jack Mac and Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy also apologized for the situation. McAfee refrained from naming Cornett specifically at the time. He said on Wednesday that he waited to discuss the situation in detail until he could talk with Cornett and her family directly. Advertisement 'I recently got to meet Mary Kate and her family, and I got a chance to sincerely apologize to them and acknowledge that what I said about Mary Kate was based solely on what others were saying on the Internet or had been previously reported by others, and that we had no personal knowledge about Mary Kate or her personal life.' McAfee's show and its guests have a reputation for pushing the boundaries and are proud provocateurs. Despite that, McAfee has apologized for language in the past, such as when he described WNBA player Caitlin Clark as a 'white bitch.' The opening to his show includes the disclaimer that 'it is meant to be comedic informative' and that 'the opinions expressed on this show do not necessarily reflect the beliefs of their peers, their boss, or ESPN.' 'I deeply regret the pain that was caused,' McAfee said about Cornett on Wednesday. 'I hated watching what our show was a part of in our interviews and reading about it. And my hope is that this can be something that we all learn from going forward. I know we certainly have.'
New York Times
a day ago
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Rich Eisen to take over ESPN Radio's noon slot: Sources
'The Rich Eisen Show' will be the new centerpiece of ESPN Radio, with its program airing nationally from noon-3 p.m. ET beginning Sept. 2, sources briefed on the move told The Athletic. In May, The Athletic reported that a strong possibility existed for Eisen's program to be a staple of ESPN Radio. It will also appear on Disney+ and ESPN+, as well as ESPN's full direct-to-consumer app that is set to debut in the fall. Advertisement The show that is currently in the noon slot, 'Joe & Q,' featuring Joe Fortenbaugh and Qiant 'Q' Myers, will be disbanded. Fortenbaugh, a sports betting guru, will focus on his TV and radio spots, while Myers will be a Monday-Friday late-night host on ESPN Radio 'GameTime.' The rest of the lead-in lineup, including its morning drive show, 'Unsportsmanlike,' hosted by Evan Cohen, Chris Canty and Michelle Smallmon, and the 10 a.m.-to-noon show 'Clinton & Friends,' centered on Clinton Yates, will remain the same. 'The Rich Eisen Show' will be on at the same time as 'The Pat McAfee Show' and will be available on ESPN, the forthcoming ESPN DTC and YouTube. Meanwhile, Stephen A. Smith is beginning a new SiriusXM program that will compete directly with Eisen. Smith remains the star of 'First Take.' The Rich Eisen Podcast Network will also be on ESPN's platforms and will include a new, yet-to-be-named podcast that will have Eisen, a former SportsCenter host from 1996-2003, interviewing colleagues from his run behind the desk.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Pat McAfee Show To Be Broadcast Live From Steelers Training Camp
This article originally appeared on The Pittsburgh Steelers report to St. Vincent College on Wednesday for their annual training camp. The location has hosted the Steelers since 1966. Media coverage will be on hand from multiple sources. However, Pat McAfee announced on Monday that The Pat McAfee Show will be broadcast live on location on July 30. McAfee is no stranger to Pittsburgh. Most recently, he hosted a huge, successful prime-time show when PPG Paints Arena hosted his 'Big Night Aht' event. The event drew in many locals and out-of-town visitors. Additionally, one of the show's most popular regular guests is now the Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback: Aaron Rodgers. McAfee could have him on live for some interviews along with other players, coaches, or other Pittsburgh legends. Click here to read more from Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW
National Post
4 days ago
- Politics
- National Post
Adam Pankratz: Roberts and McAfee are right — no one cares what sports personalities think about politics
Major League Baseball rolled into Atlanta, Ga., this past week for the playing of the 2025 All-Star Game. Amid the usual fanfare that accompanies the game and the Home Run Derby, there was a slightly awkward moment on Media Day when ESPN personality Pat McAfee was asked by a reporter why the game was in Atlanta at all, after it had been pulled from the city in 2021 due to voter suppression laws that president Joe Biden had described as 'Jim Crow in the 21st century.' Further adding to the awkward nature of the question was the fact that Dave Roberts, the National League manager for the game, had said in 2021 that he might boycott the game if it remained in Atlanta. Article content Article content Neither McAfee nor Roberts wanted to answer the question this year however, with McAfee's initial reply being, 'I don't know if any of us are the experts or the ones that should be giving the answers on that.' Roberts followed with, 'I'm not a politician … but right now I really choose to just focus on the players and the game …' Article content Article content How times have changed since 2021, and probably for the better. It would be a positive step if the incident reminded us that not everything has to be about politics and, in general, we should not expect in-depth and expert social commentary from sports personalities on all that ails society. Article content It is indeed a curious thing that we even look to a baseball manager or a sports reporter for their views on newly implemented state voting laws. Consider the reverse: asking a politician to explain the infield fly rule or what pitch to throw a batter in a 2-2 count with a man on second and two outs when the last pitch you threw was a cutter. It would be theatre of the most absurd kind. 'I don't know,' would a refreshing answer, although most politicians would likely take a blind stab at it for fear of being caught out for not knowing everything. Article content Article content For this reason, McAfee and Roberts deserve a certain kind of credit for their avoidance of the question. While it is easy to be cynical and say they simply toed the company line (they probably did, by the way), McAfee's assertion that 'I don't know if any of us are the experts …' is nonetheless a refreshingly honest admission that he and his fellow sports experts wouldn't have any idea what they were talking about if they began discussing Georgia's voting laws. Society would be better off if more people could boldly make that statement. Article content Article content Article content In our world today, self-identifying as a non-expert is rare. Rarer still is saying you don't have a political opinion on any given issue. Much of this is likely due to our ability to access second-hand information online or via social media. If someone is not an expert, they can likely find enough information to form a strongly held opinion by quickly brushing up on a few facts for their five minutes in the spotlight, when their true grasp of an issue is actually rather tenuous. Kudos to McAfee and Roberts for not doing that.
Time of India
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
"The NFLPA needs a dawg that..." Pat McAfee torches NFLPA leaders after shocking Lloyd Howell Jr. allegations
Pat McAfee slams NFLPA as 'phony' over exec scandal (Via The Pat McAfee Show) The recent resignation of NFLPA executive director Lloyd Howell Jr. has ignited a storm of criticism—led by none other than Pat McAfee. Known for his unapologetically bold commentary, McAfee didn't hold back after bombshell revelations emerged that Howell expensed strip club visits using union funds. As a former NFL player with firsthand insight into the inner workings of the NFL Players Association, McAfee's reaction struck a chord across the football community. Pat McAfee slams NFLPA leadership following Lloyd Howell Jr.'s exit Pat McAfee, who played eight seasons in the NFL and now hosts The Pat McAfee Show, took to X (formerly Twitter) on Friday after his show was off-air. With the kind of raw honesty fans have come to expect from him, he offered a deep critique of the union's leadership—past and present. — PatMcAfeeShow (@PatMcAfeeShow) 'I don't know what it was exactly like before my time in the NFL (2009 Draft)… But I know that literally since a week after I got drafted, at my rookie symposium listening to DeMaurice Smith speak for the first time, all the way thru now... the NFLPA has been led by people who would much rather be known that they're the heads of the NFLPA than actually work and act like they are the heads of the NFLPA,' McAfee wrote. He continued his takedown by pointing out what he views as a longstanding culture of self-serving leadership: 'These dudes think they're celebrities. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Is it legal? How to get Internet without paying a subscription? Techno Mag Learn More Undo These dudes think they're powerful. These dudes hire all of their friends and overpay them with the players' money.' According to McAfee, these leaders have exploited the hard-earned reputations and connections built by the players, choosing instead to bask in the spotlight. 'Then these dudes flex while using and abusing all of the connections that the players and the league have worked their asses off their entire lives for… and act like sanctimonious heroes thru it all.' Pat McAfee calls for real change and empathy-driven leadership Howell's resignation followed reports from ESPN that detailed a $2,426 charge at a strip club during February's NFLPA Summit, falsely filed as a 'Player Engagement Event.' That wasn't the only red flag—Howell is also facing heat for suppressing collusion findings and holding a paid consultancy with The Carlyle Group, a firm tied to NFL ownership stakes. McAfee believes the next NFLPA leader must be someone drastically different—one grounded in both empathy and business savvy. 'The NFLPA needs a dawg that knows legitimate business and generating capital running the NFLPA,' he emphasized. 'We need people that have empathy for the players who play/played in the NFL and don't just view them as an annual fee. We need creative negotiators, creators, and innovators.' For McAfee, this isn't just about ethics—it's about respect for the players who put their bodies on the line every season. His words send a clear message: the NFLPA must shift from performative leadership to purposeful representation, or risk betraying the very athletes it's meant to serve. FAQs 1. Why did Pat McAfee criticize the NFLPA leadership? Pat McAfee slammed the NFLPA leadership for prioritizing fame and personal gain over genuinely serving the players' interests. 2. What allegations led to Lloyd Howell Jr.'s resignation? Howell resigned after reports revealed he expensed over $3,000 in strip club visits using union funds and buried key grievance findings. 3. What changes does McAfee want in the NFLPA? McAfee urged for a leader who understands business, values player empathy, and brings innovation to truly represent the athletes. Also Read: 'First crisis together': Travis Kelce steps up for Taylor Swift during first major calamity in their relationship Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!
