It’s a shame the kind of people we make into our celebrities, idols and public figures. With the advent of social media, we get to see both the good and bad sides of society. Everyone has a voice, for better or for worse.
One such group that is a product of the internet age is the “frat bro” influencers, including groups like the Nelk Boys and Friday Beers. These creators thrive on content that revolves around drinking, partying, and sports. The posts are seemingly crude and disrespectful.
With the “Pat McAfee Show,” which airs daily on ESPN and its affiliated channels, this type of content has now reached the national media.
Pat McAfee is a former NFL player and played eight seasons as a punter for the Indianapolis Colts. McAfee, a graduate of Plum High School, about 17 miles outside of Pittsburgh, was a kicker for West Virginia from 2005 to 2008.
While at West Virginia, McAfee was part of the now infamous “13-9” upset, in which a 4-7 Pitt team traveled to Morgantown and defeated an undefeated West Virginia team that Pitt needed to beat to claim its first national championship in program history.
During the game, McAfee missed two close-range field goals, contributing to one of the biggest upsets in college football history.
These days, however, McAfee and his co-hosts spend most of their time openly discussing sports on “The Pat McAfee Show.”
The show was riddled with controversy, including McAfee’s continued hosting of current NFL quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who has come under fire for Spreading misinformation about the COVID-19 vaccination and its effects on male fertility in the program.
In a segment about the 2024 NCAA Division One men’s basketball tournament, McAfee and co-host Connor Campbell referenced the Japanese ritual act of seppuku, saying that Japanese point guard Keisei Tominaga had “committed seppuku“ after his team Nebraska’s 15-point loss to Texas A&M in the opening round of the NCAA tournament.
After just 11 games into the career of basketball phenomenon Caitlin Clark, McAfee called her “a white female in the Indiana team.” McAfee wanted to point out that Clark was far superior to her competitors in the 2024 rookie class, but was criticized for his comments. McAfee would later to apologizebut the words had already been said.
Other people around the world noticed when tennis legend Serena Williams made an indirect dig at McAfee during her appearance as host of the 2024 ESPYs. During one segment, Serena, along with her sister Venus Williams and actress Quinta Brunson, took a second to Clark situation.
“Just don’t use the B-word. You know who you are,” Serena Williams said.
Regardless of the intent, it is unbelievable that we allow content like this to be so popular. To have a program on the national sports media that contains sexist, racist and other inflammatory elements is a stain on the sports media as a whole.
It’s important for athletes to have a voice. Throughout the history of sports, athletes have fought for what they believe in. Now, with the largest audience ever, athletes can speak out for things like civil rights and equal pay. What McAfee is doing with the platform he’s been given is the opposite.
There are so many things to write about, talk about, and create content in the world of sports. You can talk about game play, press conferences, and athletes’ favorite restaurants. There is absolutely no reason why a show that spouts such negative things about athletes that are largely out of their control should be broadcast nationally.
