ESPN show host Pat McAfee is under fire after making comments that ruined a young college student’s life. The rumor was amplified by McAfee during a broadcast of “The Pat McAfee Show” that aired on February 26. The student, Mary Kate Cornett, is looking to hold McAfee accountable for spreading a false claim.
“The Pat McAfee Show” has been one of the hottest sports shows on ESPN in the last year, known for its comedic outlook on sports and everything else that happens in the world. The show debuted on ESPN in the fall of 2023 which meant a change in the usual programming for the silly show, which started in September of 2019. McAfee and his guests have had to limit the amount of swearing that takes place as well as the number of wild claims made on a daily basis.
Since their debut they have maintained good behavior on ESPN, until this past February when McAfee made comments that were based on a rumor. During the broadcast on February 26, McAfee and others were discussing Jaxson Dart, an upcoming NFL draft prospect from Ole Miss (University of Mississippi). The show’s host added to the conversation, but not in any productive way.
“Some Ole Miss frat bro, k? Had a K-D (Kappa Delta) girlfriend,” he said. “At this exact moment, this is what is being reported by everybody on the internet. Dad had sex with son’s girlfriend.”
Cornett claimed the comments McAfee spread initially began on an app called YikYak, which is commonly used by college students to spread information and often rumors or mean comments about other students. The rumor then spread to smaller talk shows and podcasts before eventually reaching McAfee.
The day after “The Pat McAfee Show” was aired, Cornett’s parents were “swatted” and Cornett received countless disparaging voicemails after her phone number was released online. Cornett and her boyfriend have taken to social media to release statements denying the claims made by McAfee. Cornett’s father has contacted authorities to investigate the rumors and Cornett has hired an attorney to hold McAfee and others accountable for their actions.
In an interview with NBC News, Cornett talked about how this incident has taken a toll on her day-to-day life.
“Having your life ruined by people who have no idea who you are is the worst feeling in the world,” Cornett said. “It makes you feel so alone. It’s a horrible experience.”
More recently, Pat McAfee opened up about the incident and his future actions at the “Big Night Aht” event in Pittsburgh.
“We will try to figure that out and make some sort of silver lining in a very terrible situation,” he said. “So you can have that promise from me. It won’t be as impossible to be a fan of mine going forward.”
A mere attempt from McAfee here was not enough to make up for the damage already done. The rumor will be associated with Cornett for some time. She plans to complete her college career, but thanks to McAfee she will have to walk around town and even campus with this false label.
This is also not the first time McAfee has been under fire for comments he made or comments by others on the program. McAfee has had Aaron Rodgers on, who made comments toward Dr. Anthony Fauci and Jimmy Kimmel during the COVID-19 pandemic. McAfee nearly faced a lawsuit from Brett Favre after making comments degrading Favre’s character, which were arguably defensible as Favre was taking money from Mississippi’s welfare system for a volleyball stadium. There have been other times where McAfee has made comments that are on the edge of acceptable for a program on ESPN, which is owned by Disney.
The opening of “The Pat McAfee Show” displays a disclaimer that states that the show is hosted by a couple of “stooges,” that the show’s members will use foul language and that people should not be offended by anything said on the show because, once again, the show is hosted by “stooges.” There is also a side note at the bottom that says: “PS, don’t sue us.”
Although there is a disclaimer about what might happen during the program, McAfee has been dancing alongside the fire for quite some time now. It is almost as if he wants his show to be taken off ESPN with the number of comments that have gotten him in trouble.
McAfee knows that he doesn’t need ESPN, and that could be why he is careless with his and others’ comments throughout the show. The show/podcast was a hit before they were on ESPN, and being distributed by ESPN has only meant a boosted salary and a larger audience.
Moving forward, it would be best if McAfee stayed away from publicizing/sharing rumors and destructive comments. This recent incident has moved into the direction of legal action (this is a bit awkwardly stated), and another would almost guarantee a lawsuit landing on his desk.
A 19-year-old college student has had her life ruined because of McAfee’s negligence. It is time to act like he is on ESPN and represent himself and the sports world in a more professional manner. The show is praised for its comedic outlook on sports, but destroying the livelihood of others deserves zero praise.
Jacob Enscoe can be contacted at
jenscoe@kscequinox.com
