- Pat McAfee is speaking out about the controversy sparked by his ESPN show
- The broadcaster said it was having trouble sleeping because of the headlines generated by The Pat McAfee Show, including a war of words between frequent guest Aaron Rodgers and Jimmy Kimmel
- McAfee said he knows people are questioning the future of his show
Pat McAfee’s ESPN show is known for making headlines, but that doesn’t mean he sleeps well at night writing the news.
In a recent guest appearance on All the smoke podcast, the outspoken broadcaster shared his thoughts with co-hosts and retired NBA stars Stephen Jackson and Matt Barnes on the popularity of his show — and reflected on his place amid the controversy his show has sparked, which includes comments from his frequent guest, Aaron Rodgers.
“There were a lot of moments where I asked, ‘Do I deserve to have this platform if I don’t know everything about everything?’ ” McAfee, 36, said.
He added: “There were nights when I couldn’t sleep. Like I was like, ‘Maybe I’ve completely screwed this up.’ ”
Pat McAfee apologizes after Aaron Rodgers claimed Jimmy Kimmel had ties to Jeffrey Epstein
Still, the former NFL player stands by his show, which allows for “conversation.”
“I think we just have a different style of programming,” McAfee said. “We are interlocutors. We have no idea where we are going. We have no scheduled questions. I don’t prepare anyone when they show up. I don’t have a list of questions. I’m just talking to people and, man, it sure got us into some s…”
He added: “But it also brought us magic. So it’s a weird dynamic.”
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The College game day co-host has previously taken responsibility for Rodgers’ inflammatory rhetoric on his show, namely following a war of words between Rodgers and Jimmy Kimmel in January.
After the New York Jets quarterback said Kimmel had ties to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein — prompting the talk show host to threaten to sue the athlete — McAfee said he regretted the role his ESPN show played in the rise dust.
“Obviously we don’t like to be associated with anything negative,” McAfee. “We would like our show to be stimulating, cheerful, entertaining, but that’s because we talk… and try to take everything lightly. It’s obvious that people get very angry about some things, especially when they are — serious allegations.”
Pat McAfee explains why Aaron Rodgers won’t be on his show, adds he wants to ‘try and avoid’ controversy
On All the smokeMcAfee said he understands viewers are now wondering about the future of his show.
“People think we’re going to get kicked off ESPN this year,” he said. “People are already assuming that it’s not going to work, that it’s not going to last because Aaron started a war with Jimmy Kimmel on our show.”
He added, looking back, “It was a lot…the block got really hot for about three weeks.”
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Source: HIS Education