This weekend, ESPN experienced a unique situation that highlighted the consequences of airing partisan commentary. Host Pat McAfee found himself at the center of attention due to a viral post that spiraled out of control.
During Saturday’s highly publicized game between the University of Tennessee and the Texas Longhorns, excitement was in the air. McAfee even gave away $1 million to a college student, while “Jackass” star Johnny Knoxville attempted to hand $20 to a referee. Plus, the sitting president was there, raising the stakes even higher for the big match-up.
However, an hour before the game kicked off, a misleading post circulated online, falsely attributing a quote to McAfee. This led to the former NFL punter receiving death threats.
A tweet from an account claimed, “Pat McAfee picks President Donald Trump to win the Texas vs. Tennessee matchup on College GameDay,” adding that McAfee stated, “I only root for one team, and that team is TEAM USA.” The post included a manipulated photo of McAfee with Trump as part of the supposed prediction.
Despite the account labeling itself as “satire,” many viewers took the fabricated quote seriously and bombarded McAfee with harsh criticism.
“What a f**king sellout,” one commenter expressed, while another added, “Nobody likes ESPN commentators sharing political opinions.”
On Sunday, McAfee shared screenshots of some particularly harsh responses, one of which eerily suggested he should “get kirked,” likely referencing the assassination of a political figure. That Twitter account appears to have been deleted.
Another individual called McAfee a “worthless piece of s**t,” prompting McAfee to reflect on whether viewers knew the original post had been flagged by a community note on the platform.
McAfee talked about how users who interacted with that post might receive notifications about the community note, but not those who just viewed it. “I mean, they surely know it’s not real, right?” he pondered, referencing the more than a million people who saw the misleading information.
He also named the person who posted the misleading image and criticized OutKick writer Jon Root for an article that mischaracterized his earlier comments regarding military flyovers. McAfee stated that Root had “completely lied” about his words, which could have significant real-world implications for him.
The OutKick story had suggested McAfee’s comments were about illegal immigration, when in fact, his remarks were directed at the military and its adversaries.
In a turn of events, Root responded to McAfee’s post, condemning the threats against him and issuing an apology. “I apologize for taking that statement last week about the National Guard as an illegal immigration joke. I corrected it soon after posting, but I should have just deleted it,” Root wrote.
Despite the troubling comments aimed at him, McAfee tried to maintain a positive outlook, joking, “That’s fun. That’s the good stuff.” He further added, “And if I do get ‘kirked,’ please know that I love my kin and I love ball. Now … Let’s have a phenomenal NFL Sunday.”
Pat McAfee receives death threats for comments about Trump that he never made.
This weekend, ESPN experienced a unique situation that highlighted the consequences of airing partisan commentary. Host Pat McAfee found himself at the center of attention due to a viral post that spiraled out of control.
During Saturday’s highly publicized game between the University of Tennessee and the Texas Longhorns, excitement was in the air. McAfee even gave away $1 million to a college student, while “Jackass” star Johnny Knoxville attempted to hand $20 to a referee. Plus, the sitting president was there, raising the stakes even higher for the big match-up.
However, an hour before the game kicked off, a misleading post circulated online, falsely attributing a quote to McAfee. This led to the former NFL punter receiving death threats.
A tweet from an account claimed, “Pat McAfee picks President Donald Trump to win the Texas vs. Tennessee matchup on College GameDay,” adding that McAfee stated, “I only root for one team, and that team is TEAM USA.” The post included a manipulated photo of McAfee with Trump as part of the supposed prediction.
Despite the account labeling itself as “satire,” many viewers took the fabricated quote seriously and bombarded McAfee with harsh criticism.
“What a f**king sellout,” one commenter expressed, while another added, “Nobody likes ESPN commentators sharing political opinions.”
On Sunday, McAfee shared screenshots of some particularly harsh responses, one of which eerily suggested he should “get kirked,” likely referencing the assassination of a political figure. That Twitter account appears to have been deleted.
Another individual called McAfee a “worthless piece of s**t,” prompting McAfee to reflect on whether viewers knew the original post had been flagged by a community note on the platform.
McAfee talked about how users who interacted with that post might receive notifications about the community note, but not those who just viewed it. “I mean, they surely know it’s not real, right?” he pondered, referencing the more than a million people who saw the misleading information.
He also named the person who posted the misleading image and criticized OutKick writer Jon Root for an article that mischaracterized his earlier comments regarding military flyovers. McAfee stated that Root had “completely lied” about his words, which could have significant real-world implications for him.
The OutKick story had suggested McAfee’s comments were about illegal immigration, when in fact, his remarks were directed at the military and its adversaries.
In a turn of events, Root responded to McAfee’s post, condemning the threats against him and issuing an apology. “I apologize for taking that statement last week about the National Guard as an illegal immigration joke. I corrected it soon after posting, but I should have just deleted it,” Root wrote.
Despite the troubling comments aimed at him, McAfee tried to maintain a positive outlook, joking, “That’s fun. That’s the good stuff.” He further added, “And if I do get ‘kirked,’ please know that I love my kin and I love ball. Now … Let’s have a phenomenal NFL Sunday.”
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