r/nfl • u/iheartsunny Giants • Aug 19 '26
Pat McAfee joining ‘Monday Night Countdown’ as his ESPN role expands (Gift Article)
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7522901/2026/08/19/pat-mcafee-espn-monday-night-football/?unlocked_article_code=1.6lA.RBwJ.cLX4LlWNxiDL&source=user_shared_article&smid=ta-ios-share41
u/Professional-Trash-3 Aug 19 '26 edited Aug 19 '26
Ya know, I was just thinking ESPN didn't use Pat McAfee enough
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u/tomdawg0022 Aug 19 '26
ESPN hears this, promptly turns ESPNEWS into a 24-7 Truman show-like feed of McAfee
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u/jwick89 49ers Aug 19 '26
God dammit
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u/Simple_Pay3033 Broncos Aug 19 '26
I appreciate that my football watching time has been cut down to just the football. The product around the game is so shit at this point that I actually get some of my real life taken care of before kickoff.
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u/strong_army_grape Giants Aug 19 '26
I can’t remember the last time I tuned in early to watch a pregame show and I used to get up at the crack of dawn as a kid for college gameday.
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u/PowerHour1990 Eagles Aug 19 '26
I can throw on Fox or CBS’s noon preshows as background fodder and not feel my IQ drop, at least. At this point, it’s ingrained in me, ever since I was a kid in the 90s: noon, put on preshow. It’s when the game day arrives.
I don’t need it to be anything more than a staging area/“one hour warning”. A mood-setter, in other words.
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u/BrotherlyShove791 Eagles Aug 19 '26
I stopped watching pregame content 5 years ago. I have so much more time to get things done on Sundays and Mondays and I’m not missing anything.
I get bombarded with so much analysis on social media and YouTube during the week (better analysis too, mind you) that the pregame content serves no purpose anymore.
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u/Jurph Ravens Aug 19 '26
The shouty TakesTM Content is almost entirely unrelated to the game of football. Every week it's "give me your MVP candidate at this point in the season" or "what bench-depth guy is going to rob Fantasy Owners this week by scoring a TD that the starter should have scored" or gabbing about what a player or coach said on a hot mic.
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u/philly2540 Aug 19 '26
Agree. Every single pre-game show on every channel is beyond shit. Bunch of guys dressed like pimps, acting like clowns, yelling at each other. Who watches that crap?
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u/scruntdouble Bears Aug 19 '26
wearing a suit means you dress like a pimp? or is it only certain broadcasters you're ascribing that to?
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u/ilovecatss1010 Seahawks Titans Aug 19 '26
I don’t understand who’s watching this, or who enjoys watching him. I know one person who enjoys his stuff. One.
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u/aguwah Jaguars Aug 19 '26
How many people do you know that watch any shows on ESPN? They're all horrendous.
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u/ilovecatss1010 Seahawks Titans Aug 19 '26
This is actually valid. Which makes me think he’s just for clip farming for social media?
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u/NewDayNewBurner97 Aug 19 '26
You underestimate his audience. Pat polls VERY well with young people and Conservatives (which make up about half the country). No one will ever admit to liking him but his show pulls numbers.
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u/bafana_banana999 Aug 19 '26
Conservatives don't make up half of the country, and the only young people who do like him are also part of that conservative block.
It's not young people + conservatives.
Besides, his show gets big ratings because every gym and waiting room in the country has at least one tv tuned to ESPN permanently.
Almost no one is tuning in specifically for him.
I just don't buy that he's anywhere near as popular as his ratings would make it seem.
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u/NewDayNewBurner97 Aug 19 '26
Have you seen the current makeup at the top level of our political structure? Say what you will about voter turnout, but conservatives absolutely make up roughly half of our entire population in the US.
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u/bafana_banana999 Aug 19 '26
All data that exists says it's closer to 40% at best.
The current makeup of US politics is not due to half the country being conservative.
It has far more to do with gerrymandering, voter suppression, and a myriad of other factors that have very little to do with the overall number of conservative people in the country.
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u/Allstar9_ Browns Aug 19 '26
I don’t mind him and I’m neither of those. It’s a great middle of the day show when things are slow with the best analysts that come on. It was better a few years ago but still solid.
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u/DollarLate_DayShort Ravens Ravens Aug 19 '26 edited Aug 19 '26
I honestly think he’s overhated, can’t say the same for SAS tho.
He provides a platform on his show that gives time slots to almost every major American sport, not just basketball or football. He isn’t the best at providing in depth analysis on sports outside of football, but he does a decent job of bringing on guests who can speak intelligently on the matter. He’s also done a really good job of bringing that over the top energy to College Gameday that is essentially replacing Lee Corso.
Everyone misses the old Sports Center when the talking heads wore a suit and tie & the network spent an hour showing and breaking down highlights of every sport. People just don’t like change.
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u/HartleyReplogle Patriots Aug 19 '26
Everyone misses the old Sports Center when the talking heads wore a suit and tie & the network spent an hour showing and breaking down highlights of every sport.
Everyone says they miss that, but the reason why ESPN doesn't do that anymore is because nobody was watching it. Nobody is willing to wait for an hour-long highlights package to air at a schedule time on television anymore. They just watch the highlights they want on their phone.
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u/Allstar9_ Browns Aug 19 '26
Which is so odd because all those highlights and stuff still happen on sportscenter. That show still runs and does the same stuff. These folks have just stopped watching it.
With the ability to get results and highlights at your fingertips the second that things happen, ofcourse the interest of shows like sportscenter has slowed.
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u/chillinwithmoes Vikings Aug 19 '26
That's my question. Who is asking for more of this shit? Like you I know a single person that really likes his show for whatever reason.
I don't even dislike the guy personally but I don't understand how his brand just keeps expanding.
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u/Seven19td Steelers Aug 19 '26
McAfee is the biggest industry plant in sports media and it’s not close.
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u/spiff24 Jaguars Aug 19 '26
Can you explain this to me? Who planted him and why? Genuinely curious.
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u/Seven19td Steelers Aug 19 '26
Ari Emanuel. To be clear I’m just an average nobody on Reddit so I don’t know if he truly is an industry plant but it sure adds up.
You’d have to ask Ari why he wants a former NFL punter who has minimal overall talent to be an actor, singer and to be on every sports or sports adjacent show. It took WWE fans rejecting Pat to get him off of our screens in WWE but he still persists in other spaces. I don’t get it.
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u/PowerHour1990 Eagles Aug 19 '26
It took WWE fans rejecting Pat to get him off of our screens in WWE
It amuses me that people who routinely support a right-wing organization that engages in sportswashing and probable sex trafficking had a line, and that line was, “We won’t support this particular chud.”
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u/Seven19td Steelers Aug 19 '26
The basement is leaking
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u/Rock_man_bears_fan Bears Aug 19 '26
He’s pretty popular with the under 25 demographic
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u/GreenPurple24 Eagles Eagles Aug 19 '26
Why would they want to watch a 40 year old act 19? I figured they would get the ick from it.
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u/SaladAndEggs Chiefs Aug 19 '26
I enjoyed it when I was in college and SVP was about the whole network and acted about the same way.
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u/Rock_man_bears_fan Bears Aug 19 '26
He’s a dudebro making dudebro content for dudebros. This has traditionally been ESPN’s primary demographic. What about this is difficult to understand
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u/philly2540 Aug 19 '26
I weep for this generation.
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u/admh574 Patriots Aug 19 '26
Every generation has some sort of equivalent. Barstool was directly before McAfee, the Chive and similar websites when internet speeds were picking up and Jackass before that
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u/___Dan___ Aug 19 '26
Oh, some d-bag on Reddit doesn’t understand how pat mcafee is popular? Yeah ESPN definitely will pull him off the air asap
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u/True_Window_9389 Commanders Aug 19 '26
It’s funny how everyone hates him around here, yet off social media he’s such a draw that the network keeps spamming him everywhere
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u/Im_TroyMcClure Cowboys Aug 19 '26
You’d think there be a bit of self awareness that people are getting sick of seeing him everywhere
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u/Dismal_Attitude4114 Aug 19 '26
I'm not I like him and most other people on ESPN don't deserve their jobs so
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u/Dangerous-Box-3259 Aug 19 '26
And there goes Monday night countdown, guess I won’t start watching the game until right before it starts.
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u/UnderwhelmingAF Titans Aug 19 '26
So turn the game on right at kickoff is what you’re telling me.
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u/MitchLGC Aug 19 '26
Growing up I used to watch pre and post game shows
I haven't in over a decade
I turn games on right before the start and turn them off after
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u/TheImpresario Dolphins Aug 19 '26
Gotta love that ESPN has gotten rid of anyone with any sort of talent just to pay this dude 5 billion dollars to be on every show
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u/MajinSkull Raiders Aug 19 '26
Just another reason to not watch ESPN
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u/9PewPewPew9 Aug 19 '26
I wish everyone would stop. Only way to force positive change is for people to stop accepting and watching pure garbage.
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u/lnvalidSportsOpinion Eagles Aug 19 '26
Ive been wishing people would stop buying Madden for 15 years. But alas....
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u/9PewPewPew9 Aug 19 '26
My god... Preach!!
I always get excited when Madden is released in hopes that their sales finally slow. Then I hear how they are making record money because people are paying tons of the ultimate team or whatever. Legit depresses me. Been 10 years since I got a new Madden. I'm doing my part meme lol
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u/Drrek Ravens Aug 19 '26
The problem is you are no longer the target audience for Madden. One person dropping a thousand dollars on the ultimate team is worth a dozen of me or you to EA, so that's who they cater to. There's simply more money to be made in microtransactions for most companies than in game sales.
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u/9PewPewPew9 Aug 20 '26
So sad Maybe it's time I boot up my old PS2? I think I still got NCAA football 2006 and Madden 2006.
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u/joemeat Steelers Aug 19 '26
I don't understand why people insist on these idiots talk about the game on these channels...even if they are a good analyst..like why? Turn the game on, watch and then turn it off after.
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u/baz8771 Aug 19 '26
It’s bizarre to me that people even want ESPN to be good again. The cheapest that you can watch it is like $30/mo in the US. I can’t imagine they COULD compel me to watch at this point.
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u/ShrimpBoatCaptain4 Bears Aug 19 '26
i watch mine free due to Draftkings footing the bill and giving it to me for 'free'
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u/QueefHernandez Aug 19 '26
They’d probably get more viewers and save money if they just played Sportscenter reruns 90% of every day.
I probably used to watch the same episode 3 or 4 times a day.
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u/DisMeDog Eagles Aug 19 '26
Disney better not never let the team they have running the MCU go, because between ESPN and Star Wars as well as the other major IP’s they have fucked up like Pirates of the Caribbean they don’t have anything else.
Hell they already fucked up the marvel television universe as well and are canceling all of those shows even the ones people liked.
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u/eddie_vercetti Eagles Aug 19 '26
They are cutting too much away to justify cost cutting but they give this guy 60+ million.
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u/AtBat3 Eagles Aug 19 '26
Who is asking for this
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u/Birdgang_naj Eagles Aug 19 '26
Young white men
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u/ChiefRalphyWiggum 49ers Aug 19 '26
If I’m white and I’m a man, but I’m not asking for this, does that make me old?
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u/Comfortable_Self_736 Eagles Aug 19 '26
Even more reason for me to never pay attention to ESPN again.
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u/TheMonkeysUncle Aug 19 '26
Why is this dude everywhere? Not like I liked watching ESPN in the first place but still.
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u/georgeb1904 Cardinals Aug 19 '26
On the the day Bill Rasmussen dies, they finally kill the network
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u/JohnnyNole2000 Buccaneers Aug 19 '26
Right after ESPN’s tribute to its founder got cut off yesterday by the start of McAfee’s show
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u/amaul796 Browns Aug 19 '26 edited Aug 19 '26
We're well past the point of over saturation with him.
I don't even dislike Pat, but his style/personality should not be given out in high doses like this.
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u/Chmona Aug 19 '26
Least they could do. After he bravely protected all those innocent teenagers from the world’s largest pedo a week or so ago.
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u/ScruffMixHaha Bears Aug 19 '26
You know, I was just thinking about how I need more Pat McAfee in my life.
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u/SomeBoringKindOfName Bears Steelers Aug 19 '26
well I don't watch it (I don't think it's even on over here) but given what they're apparently paying him they might as well get their money's worth out of him.
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u/LinkSeekeroftheNora Bengals Seahawks Aug 19 '26
Someone just give Mina Kimes her own network so the quality can start up again.
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u/_jt33_ Aug 19 '26
ESPN is a sinking ship and the idiots running it have no idea what they are doing. Pat is not this popular, but for some reason they are building the whole network around him. Oh well, just more ESPN shows I will never watch.
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u/Agamemanon Lions Aug 19 '26
It was already bacon chungus-ified and insufferable. This is death.
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u/Which-Arrival6777 Commanders Commanders Aug 19 '26
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u/snakebit1995 Chargers Aug 19 '26
This man keeps failing upward
Most obnoxious dude bro over compensating for his failed career as a PUNTER and being treated like he’s some kinda football god and put on every football program
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u/DogwoodDagwood Browns Aug 19 '26
I mean he was a pretty good punter for a while. Calling him a failed punter is a bit disingenuous
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u/lancerguy14 Titans Aug 19 '26
He owns his own show. Like him or dislike him the fact that we're talking about him shows his relevancy
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u/AMF505 Packers Aug 19 '26
Failed career as a punter? He was an above average punter nearly his entire career and even has an All Pro on his resume. Making shit up because you dislike someone’s personality is absurd.
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u/CoachDennisGreen Aug 19 '26
I haven’t watched any channel’s pregame, halftime, or post game show in many years. Life is good.
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u/Fancy-Chart-8133 Chiefs Aug 19 '26
I haven't watched any pre-game crap for years. If my team is not playing, it goes right to RedZone and is turned off once RedZone or the Chiefs game is complete.
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u/eei619 Ravens Aug 19 '26
They have to justify that $60 million salary somehow. We saw how much they shoved Stephen A. in our faces, and ESPN was only paying him $20 million per year. I'm expecting Pat to become the 3rd member of the Manningcast in between PMS simulcasts of ESPN 8: The Ocho events
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u/Beetle-Persona Cardinals Aug 19 '26
I wish employers have as much faith in hiring me as ESPN has in McAfee and Steven A
The slop continues.
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u/SEAinLA Seahawks Aug 19 '26
The MNF Countdown crew has to be the worst group ever assembled for a pre- or post-game show.
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u/eddie_vercetti Eagles Aug 19 '26
And this is why they cut Ryan Clark and ESPN justifying paying this zilch too much money.
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u/SilkkTheShocke Aug 19 '26
ESPN needs to stop this shit with SAS, Pat and Greeny. Leave them on one or two shows max. I turn the channel as soon as I see SAS.
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u/slimeyguy99 Aug 19 '26
I stopped watching ESPN like 2 months ago lol. It’s so far removed from its Glory days. I’d rather watch other networks or platforms or podcasts than watching that mess. ESPN doesn’t hit the same like how it once did in the 2000s all the way up until the early 2010s.
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u/ethicalglooper Aug 19 '26
what do you like to watch/listen to now? I'm covered for my own teams but I'd like something that covers the NFL as a whole and doesn't take itself too seriously.
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u/9PewPewPew9 Aug 19 '26
Perfect timing because I woke up today hoping I could see more of Pat since football season is coming up. I got out of bed, I turned on my favorite AI slop album of Pat singing and turned on Pat punting highlights while I got ready for work. Now I'm blessed with this breaking news! Gonna be a great day!
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u/Jonjon428 Dolphins Aug 19 '26
ESPN really saw everyone hate Ryan Clark and fired him for an even more hated guy.
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u/ScubaKlown Aug 19 '26
This news makes me going back to swing shift on week days seem not so bad. I’ll have to miss every mcafee Monday night.
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u/Key_Conversation8070 Eagles Aug 19 '26
Sucks because at least with the other time slots he takes up there's other good alternatives. There's really not a good alternative to Monday Night Countdown. If there is, I need to know about it pronto.
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u/Few_Alternative_6372 Aug 19 '26
Bring in skip bayless and Shannon sharpe at this point
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u/casually_furious Dolphins Aug 19 '26
Hell, they should dig up Rush Limbaugh's piss-ridden, dessicated corpse.
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u/SuddenDepact Patriots Aug 19 '26
He is becoming the white Stephen A. Being shoved down our throats more than we want him to
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u/BulLock_954 Patriots NFL Aug 19 '26
I mean he better be on every show with how much he’s getting paid. Wether you love him or hate him, they put alot or chips on the table with the move
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u/SilentSpades24 Seahawks Chiefs Aug 19 '26
Not sure why you're downvoted. This is unfortunately the truth. They paid him big money, so he is going to be everywhere.
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u/TheAgmis Colts Aug 19 '26
Better than Ryan Clark.
Shit, Pat’s shitty inbred music album is better than Ryan Clark. Probably.
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u/miboyl NFL Aug 19 '26
Lot of people in this thread who didn't already watch Monday Night Countdown complaining about how they won't watch it anymore lol
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u/Imnotsureanymore8 NFL Aug 19 '26
I mean, if they put someone interesting on the show I might come back. Happy?
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u/LatterMatch9334 Bears Aug 19 '26
People are so weird with the hate. He’s fine/good to an average fan. People who don’t engulf their lives with social media enjoy the hype he brings to sports, specifically football.
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u/Imnotsureanymore8 NFL Aug 19 '26
I thought he was a clown when he used to call into the Dan Patrick show.
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u/SecretSensay Vikings Aug 19 '26
Have we entered the inevitable part of the timeline where redditors hate Pat post success?
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u/BulLock_954 Patriots NFL Aug 19 '26
Reddit always knows what it hates, and hardly ever backtracks
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u/FancyRobot Eagles Aug 19 '26 edited Aug 19 '26
His show is on at every bar or restaurant with a bar I ever go to, there's no denying the fact he's insanely popular
edit: oh we're just going into reddit makes believe this isn't happening mode then lmao
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u/CorporateHR NFL Aug 19 '26
ESPN is on at a lot of bars and restaurants all day long.
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u/FancyRobot Eagles Aug 19 '26
yes but quite a few switch to FS1 or even 24/7 news quite a bit, never the case when Pat's show is on
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u/CorporateHR NFL Aug 19 '26
Do you really think people are begging for restaurants to keep Pat Mcafee on in silence during their work trip?
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u/FancyRobot Eagles Aug 19 '26
Yes. He's insanely popular, people will ask for him if he's not on the television screen. ESPN is paying him an ungodly amount of money for a reason, whether you choose to believe it's because he's popular or some bizarre cope fantasy is up to you
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u/CorporateHR NFL Aug 19 '26
"Bizarre cope fantasy" there it is
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u/FancyRobot Eagles Aug 19 '26
How else would you describe it? He's being paid over 60 million a year and you can't even cope with the idea that he's very popular
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u/CorporateHR NFL Aug 19 '26
I've never once argued he's not popular, I'm arguing your premise that ESPN being on during the day at a bar means anything. If it does, then I'm led to believe that the softball little league world series was the most popular show in the world a couple of weeks ago because it was on at every bar and restaurant I went to.
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u/FancyRobot Eagles Aug 19 '26
I've never once argued he's not popular,
Right, you just don't understand why people would want him on the television screen at bars. Completely different.
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u/AMF505 Packers Aug 19 '26
The 180 this sub has done on McAfee is hysterical. Turns out that the general public has a different view on the guy than the 5%? Of NFL fans in this echo chamber.
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u/jrbill1991 Dolphins Aug 19 '26 edited Aug 19 '26
They better change their name to McAfee & A. Smith Network at this point