Former ESPN host Sage Steele found it amusing that Pat McAfee seems to operate with “no rules” at the network.
On Wednesday’s episode of Jason Whitlock’s show, the “Fearless” podcast, Steele discussed her recent interview with Donald Trump, which went viral on Veterans Day. She talked about how McAfee appears to have full control at ESPN.
In response to a question from Whitlock about whether it would be more challenging for someone like McAfee to interview Trump from ESPN’s Bristol, Connecticut, location, Steele remarked, “Pat McAfee… he stopped mentioning Norby Williamson — the former ESPN executive. I called him a rat on air, and nothing happened, not even after I did it again during a January 2024 episode of ‘The Pat McAfee Show.’
McAfee had claimed that some executives were attempting to undermine his program.
Williamson departed the network a few months following the incident.
Steele added, “We even had Norby’s successor, Burke Magnus, take a selfie with us on the field… and again, there were no repercussions. You know you’ve got total control when that kind of thing happens. Regardless of how you feel about it, everyone seems to openly criticize the executive and nothing occurs. Can you picture them telling McAfee ‘no’? That just wouldn’t happen. It’s inconceivable, and Pat knows it.”
“He has no rules. When the interview with Trump happened, it was funny imagining how the executives reacted. They were probably panicking, yet they couldn’t bring themselves to say no to him.”
Steele parted ways with ESPN in August 2023 after they reached a settlement related to a lawsuit she filed after she was taken off the air due to remarks about the company’s COVID-19 vaccine policy.
In addition, Steele pointed out McAfee’s open discussions regarding negotiations with Disney and YouTube TV as further evidence of his influence at ESPN.
It’s clear that McAfee speaks his mind on his show, which operates under the network. He has attracted attention for his bold remarks and controversial subjects, maintaining a refreshingly candid demeanor.
Currently, McAfee is in the second year of a five-year deal with ESPN.
