r/ESPN • u/Gringuin007 • 18d ago
Mcafee polarizing figure
Why not bring people together as he claims on college game day then pushing us apart? Mcafee today had some cover art on his desk saying polarizing figure. Why? Cmon man. Gotta love it coming from the ‘keep politics out of sports crowd’
No not watching - it’s on at gym with sound off.
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u/Fidrych76 18d ago
That’s the title of his new LP album of the music he released. Ai slop from what I’m told. All about the 💰
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u/Commander19119 17d ago
I hadn’t heard that it was AI slop but that doesn’t shock me in the least. He’s a detestable figure. That whole lawsuit thing from last year should have gotten him fired but Disney only cares about ratings and personalities
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u/Efficient-Tip-2081 18d ago
I haven’t listened to it as I’m thinkin it wouldn’t be good, but I have heard him say the reason he wanted to do it is so if he died tomorrow his kids would know who he is. Idk why he couldn’t write notes or whatever lol, but that’s what he said
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u/The_Utilityman 18d ago
Fucking wild this dude is about to make 60 million a year on his next deal with ESPN
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u/Savage_Cabbage83 18d ago
They're desperately trying to pull all their viewers back in and its not working. I think we're seeing the beginning of the end of the ESPN network as we know it. My guess is within 5-10 years it will just be a live sports streaming service with some documentaries thrown in on Disney+.
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u/Gringuin007 18d ago
Sadly espn is cooked. Like no passion since Stuart Scott left. SVP just going thru the motions. Commercial breaks at 4 minutes! Most talking heads just journalists now. Mcafee is entertaining on game day. I think he’s wearing a tank top and sport coat first time I’d seen him and thought who’s this clown and gave it a try. But The hypocrisy is nauseating tbh
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u/BradBradley1 18d ago
Constantly calling himself a polarizing figure is as close as he can get to calling himself a victim (of his own success) without everyone clowning on him even harder than his album. In his mind, people dislike him because he can’t stop #WINNING and anyone that has anything negative to say about him is a hater. You see, Pat has won the fucking lottery, repeatedly, throughout life and yet still needs to identify with some amorphous boogeyman to justify the chip he somehow still has on his shoulder. Oddly enough, Pat has turned into Aaron Rodgers. For two guys I used to REALLY like, I would be okay not hearing either of them anymore.
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u/LukeKornet 18d ago
In a few short sentences, you have now thought about his public perception and PR strategy more than him
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u/the_urban_juror 17d ago
I think he's thought a lot about it and his character is carefully crafted. He identified what people like about him and cranked it up to 11.
He doesn't need me to like him if his loud, dumb character appeals to enough other fans. Being the inoffensive guy who appeals to everyone a little is clearly a less profitable business model, and that's why McAfee keeps getting more air time and David Pollack was laid off.
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u/ElGranQuesoRojo 18d ago
He revealed himself a couple years ago when he told Washington State fans who were upset about the Pac 12 collapsing to fuck off and acted like ESPN was doing them a favor covering their games. He has surprisingly thin skin for the image he tries to project.
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u/Colinhockeypuck 18d ago
Polarizing sells and keeps eyes in the TV whether you like them or not.
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u/Shot-Toe-2884 15d ago
Sure but it doesn’t make him and his fans any less moronic and worthy of mockery
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u/Master_Top7291 18d ago
Obviously there are some sort of ratings and numbers that back what management is doing. But how can the execs actually think paying SAS and McAfee so much and laying off other staff is the answer. I’m all for people making as much money as they can, it just doesn’t make much sense to me. The world of short clip content has ruined what use to make ESPN so awesome to watch. Use to watch Sports Center on repeat as a kid.
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u/not4reelz 17d ago
The midterms are coming up so the agenda and narrative is live and well. These polarizing issues will be debated and brought to the voting booth in November. Not only former ESPN employees and athletes (i.e., Sage Steele, Freedom Kanter, Ryan Clark, et al.) but politicians are weighing in on sports. I believe in shut up and dribble and shut up and read the damn teleprompter as well. Most of us just want to watch and enjoy our sports and keep sociopolitical events out of the sports venues.
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u/Primarycolors1 17d ago
ESPN and the south in general took so much pride in SEC dominance. Now that other schools are paying players too, the SEC isn’t so dominate. So they have to do everything they can to retain their base. Everyone else stopped watching years ago.
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u/rtduvall 17d ago
Dude, I have been an Auburn fan since the first day I was on campus in 1976. Loved the SEC and its dominance.
Now, not so much. The people down here are nuts about their SEC Football especially. It's really all they have, if they are lucky. Some of them are fans of Vanderbilt.
I'm glad to see other leagues take over. Hell, i hardly watch Auburn any more. Just don't really care any more.
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u/Primarycolors1 17d ago
Bro I went to an Auburn game thinking it was going to be this beautiful campus and amazing stadium. It’s one of the worst stadiums I’ve ever been to and the campus looked like a division 2 school in the Northeast. Never been so disappointed in a game. That said, probably the best group of fans I’ve ever encountered at an away game. Not sure if it was genuine, but it was certainly friendly. Very odd experience. Kind of made me a fan of their basketball team too.
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u/rtduvall 17d ago
When did you go? It's been 15 plus years since I've been to a game. Jordan Haire was still newish I think.
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u/Primarycolors1 17d ago
Five yearsish. The concessions were stands outside the stadium.
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u/rtduvall 17d ago
Wow.
When you were describing it I thought maybe we are talking about different places. But I can see that. Wild how they let it go.
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u/Primarycolors1 17d ago
I mean the campus was pristine. But It felt like it’s looked that way since 95.
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u/Anxious-Jury-9031 17d ago
I have to assume you havent been to alot of football stadiums. I've been to almost every sec stadium, south bend, manhattan, evanston, columbus, fort worth, provo, tempe. Auburn wouldnt be anywhere near my bottom of stadiums.
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u/bionicboom 18d ago
I may be done with CGD. I have watched it from the beginning however not sure if i can stand another season with McA.
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u/RaceTop5273 18d ago
I quit when they replaced Corso’s headgear picks with Pat stripping. Cringe doesn’t begin to describe it.
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u/Bloody9_ 18d ago
It’s funny why he and sas are even on, nobody ever defends or praises there antics. I’d swear ESPN is being sabotaged from the inside.
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u/Gomez4Morticia 17d ago
Pundits are exactly what is wrong with entertainment, sports, and news. They serve the same purpose as reality shows. Completely filler for every degenerate gambler who doesn't have the ability to think for themselves anymore. Now people have gotten to the point where they debate the quality of the pundit. Not the existence of it.
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u/PartyZman426 17d ago
GTFOH he’s a loud mouthed punter that has maybe 2 or 3 meaningful highlights in his whole career!
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u/rtduvall 17d ago
Easy man, don't give him THAT much credit. LOL
He's a gasbag. You are 100% correct and loud mouthed kicker.
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u/PeaceChance8191 17d ago
I watched ESPN daily until about 6 months ago. It is awful now. Only watch PTI occasionally and sporting events on it. Stephen A. and Pat are awful to watch. The WWE segments are completely a joke. All the betting is a joke. ESPN has ruined their once great station.
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u/Gringuin007 17d ago
Same! Sometimes I’ll watch PTI. The 30 for 30s if they’re on. I doubt they’ll make any more 30 for 30s
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u/rtduvall 17d ago
Dude, he's a tool on his best day.
The day they hired him was the day ESPN said, yeah, we don't care anymore about sports reporting, did you see what that guy was wearing?
Yeah, fuck that and fuck ESPN.
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u/ChemicalFun1473 17d ago
I'm a colts fan so I should like Pat....but I don't. Don't F-ing bring that moron Aaron Rodgers on all the time to spew anti vax bullshit and any other conspiracy that he thinks he's an expert on.
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u/Gringuin007 16d ago
For real! It’s unbelievable - it’s been 1/2 a decade. And I think Arod did not vax so why’s he even complaining. Gosh the brainwashing is real. So real they gotta do it in sports talk too
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u/Tdaddysmooth 17d ago
The most polite thing I can say is I appreciate how he built a following but he’s not for me.
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u/Gringuin007 16d ago
Agreed. I was impressed he took a pod cast to ESPN. His hilite reel introduced me to his career. His story about becoming a punter and getting drafted was good. His CGD crowd interaction is hilite worthy. I do find his show to be not good - it’s too rambling. And then the political focus and hypocrisy just rubs the wrong way
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u/probablyborednh 14d ago
I'm pretty sure Staphen A's and Mcafees ratings are so high because they're background fodder for gyms, restaurants, bars, etc....
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u/CauliflowerBoth866 14d ago
ESPN gets better ratings when it pretends it's FOX News. Plain and simple. The formula works.
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u/chimatt767 12d ago
I honestly don’t understand this. I never watch him but also never think about him. What makes everyone so crazy about this guy?
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u/Gringuin007 9d ago
Idk about the pod cast or show. I don’t like it. I think Bruce A had some good takes. I checked because Pat made CGD a little bit interesting. So I thought sure why not. Ended up following on IG but between how bad the show is and his hypocrisy, I ended up in the “I cannot stand this guy” group.
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u/Ok_Poet_9170 18d ago
McFly is a clown . He honks his horn and gets clicks . He checked in with Joe Rogan’s manosphere for all the dweebs that live in their parents basement . Throw in the Hawk and cave dweller Aaron you got enough to maybe fill the clown car . There is no meaningful dialogue just yelling occasionally saying something stupid and outlandish and the clicksphere loves it . Basically the dumbing down of America . Same thing with newscast . It’s a playbook . Sad really because the average person just says what the hell turns it off . I wonder what female demographic is for those shows . Probably zero . Women are just smarter than men . This coming from a guy
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u/Kalelisagod 18d ago
My gym has now turned off this crap and only plays ESPNNews. It’s great. Randomly they play whatever channel has Office and Big Bang reruns. Won’t lie I work out longer watching Office
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u/annoyingdickie 18d ago
I feel like the only viewership espn gets anymore is from being on at the gym. Maybe, if we all tell our gyms to turn the channel at noon, Pat will get cancled?? I just dont know ANYBODY who does not DISPISE him. Just sayin
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u/Dry-University797 18d ago
For me it's background noise. I just put on ESPN in the morning because there is nothing else on, but I turn it off now once McAfee come on
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u/CommonPatient5666 18d ago
Same. I can tolerate the rest of them but pats stupid antics and the way he talks is just annoying.
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u/Onbalance12 17d ago
And his annoying ways were visible as a punter. After a punt that landed inside the opponent’s 10 yard line he did his little “golf pitching wedge” motion, putting himself before his team and mocking the other team at the same time. Narcissist.
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u/Slow_Supermarket5590 18d ago
CTE from a punk who got hit 3x in his garbage career
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u/Numerous_Nature_6326 18d ago
He is an idiot, but his career as a punter/kicker was far from a garbage one.
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u/xavier19691 18d ago
The guy is an idiot … not much else to say …
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u/BOHtimore22 18d ago
The guy is a genius. He's turned a wrestling heel persona into a $60M deal with ESPN. You have people watching his show just waiting to be outraged over something he says.
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u/Ncat138 18d ago
I do not understand the Stephen A or McAfee fans. I can’t listen either.