PHOENIX, ARIZONA – FEBRUARY 09: Former NFL gamer and host Pat McAfee speaks on radio row ahead of Super Bowl LVII at the Phoenix Convention Center on February 9, 2023 in Phoenix, Arizona.
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ESPN’s Pat McAfee issue is getting more complex.
On Friday, the host and previous NFL punter openly assaulted long time ESPN executive Norby Williamson, implicating him of “actively trying to sabotage” him by dripping info to press reporters.
The New York Post reported on McAfee’s reasonably low rankings Thursday, keeping in mind “since the inception of McAfee’s show on ESPN in the fall, Stephen A. Smith and ‘First Take’ are handing McAfee a 583,000 viewer lead-in, and McAfee is maintaining just 302,000, which is a 48% drop.”
McAfee suggested Williamson might have dripped the concept for the story to New York Post press reporter AndrewMarchand Marchand decreased to comment.
“I believe Norby WIlliamson is the guy who is attempting to sabotage our program,” McAfee stated. “I’m not 100% sure. That is just seemingly the only human that has information and then somehow that information gets leaked, and it’s wrong.”
McAfee didn’t particularly state what info was incorrect. Over the years, other ESPN skill have actually hypothesized that Williamson has actually dripped personal information, consisting of agreement info, according to individuals acquainted with the matter. On Friday, previous ESPN reporter Jemele Hill published on social networks platform X “I can relate” with regard to McAfee’s remarks about Williamson.
There’s no proof Williamson has actually dripped info. Williamson, who has actually worked for ESPN for almost 40 years, decreased to comment through an ESPN representative.
There’s likewise a contingent of ESPN workers who have actually whined about McAfee’s program and his big agreement. McAfee signed a five-year, $85 million agreement with ESPN in May.
ESPN management values the significance of both McAfee and Williamson and is checking out the information of why McAfee denigrated an executive, according to an individual acquainted with the matter. There is no organized suspension for McAfee, and ESPN intends to discover a course forward for both Williamson and McAfee, according to an individual acquainted with the matter.
An ESPN representative decreased to comment.
Earlier today, McAfee discovered himself in hot water for offering a platform for New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers to disparage a fellow Disney staff member. Rodgers, a regular visitor on McAfee’s program, improperly recommended ABC late-night talk program host Jimmy Kimmel would be consisted of in court files associated with late sex criminal JeffreyEpstein Kimmel fired back Tuesday, tweeting Rodgers’ “careless words put [his] household in threat.”
McAfee later on said sorry over the Kimmel remarks.
“I could see exactly why Jimmy Kimmel felt the way he felt, especially with his position,” McAfee stated Wednesday, keeping in mind that Rodgers “did go too far.”
ESPN on Friday likewise dealt with Rodgers’ remarks about Kimmel.
“Aaron made a dumb and factually inaccurate joke about Jimmy Kimmel. It should never have happened. We all realized that in the moment,” ESPN executive Mike Foss told Front Office Sports.
The New York Post formerly reported that McAfee has actually paid Rodgers “millions” to appear on his program. The previous MVP and Super Bowl champ, who has actually made numerous countless dollars in the NFL, signed up with the Jets in 2015 after betting over a years with the Green BayPackers He missed out on the season with an Achilles tendon injury.
An agent for Rodgers didn’t right away react to an ask for remark.
