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It’s no secret Pat McAfee has been involved in a fair amount of drama behind the scenes since taking his talents to ESPN. A new report has shed some additional light on his antics, and it sounds like he can be a bit of a diva based on how he reacted after a clip of him whiffing against an Oklahoma softball player made it onto College GameDay.
Plenty of NFL players have pivoted to a media career after wrapping up their time in the league, but there aren’t many guys who’ve managed to stick the landing as well as Pat McAfee.
Prior to his retirement in the wake of the 2016 season, the former Colts punter was probably best known for the suspension that stemmed from his decision to go for a swim in a canal in Indianapolis after a night of drinking.
However, he was able to carve out a niche when he linked up with Barstool Sports to kick off a post-playing career that led to his eponymous show being picked up by ESPN a year after he was tapped to join the College GameDay panel.
He was a pretty divisive addition thanks to the brashness that serves as the foundation of his Personal Brand, and a poll that was conducted last year showed he’s still a polarizing figure among viewers. However, plenty of people appreciate the energy he’s able to inject into the program, and his weekly field goal contests have been a very welcome addition.
His tenure at ESPN has also managed to spawn a fair share of drama, and it’s pretty clear the man who has publicly butted heads with the suits at the network prides himself on being the king of his domain.
That’s certainly the conclusion that can be drawn in an article that The Athletic published on Thursday concerning his efforts to exert his influence on the programs he appears on, which asserts he “essentially banned” Adam Schefter from coming on The Pat McAfee Show for three months because the insider opted to contribue to a free agency special on ESPN2 instead of contributing to his program.
It also includes an interesting anecdote concerning the College GameDay episode that aired when it headed to Norman in September ahead of the showdown between Oklahoma and Tennessee, a trip where the crew got the chance to take some swings with the Sooners softball team.
@collegegameday Nothing like a little bit of pre-gameday fun with @ou softball 🥎‼️😮💨 #cfb #ncaafootball #collegegameday #softball #oklahoma #football
That video does not include a clip of McAfee failing to make contact on a pitch that aired on that week’s installment of College GameDay—a development that sources told The Athletic did not sit well with the analyst:
McAfee grew upset about being shown swinging and missing during a segment in which he faced a University of Oklahoma softball pitcher. McAfee, according to sources briefed on the incident, demanded to know the name of the GameDay staff member who put it on the air, but he was denied the information.
It’s not necessarily the most surprising revelation, but it’s also not the best look if true.