Ex-ESPN star calls Pat McAfee irresponsible then plays victim

Katie Nolan, a former ESPN personality, accused current ESPN star Pat McAfee of acting irresponsibly and then expecting others to protect his emotional well-being.

Nolan made the comments on her Casuals podcast, released Wednesday.

Her remarks came after McAfee publicly expressed discomfort about hosting ESPN's College GameDay on the University of Utah campus.

McAfee had criticized the university over a video posted by its official account that featured students making jokes about him ahead of the show.

He said he was "very, very uncomfortable" on campus.

He also referenced the assassination of Charlie Kirk, who was killed at Utah Valley University last year.

Nolan questioned how McAfee handled the situation.

"The guy is winning in every sense of the word, and yet is constantly acting like the world is attacking him baselessly," Nolan said on the podcast.

"He acts irresponsibly, but then wants everyone to be responsible for his emotional well-being, and to take care of him."

Nolan compared McAfee's reaction to the criticism she has received throughout her own career.

That includes her time in the Apple TV MLB broadcast booth.

She suggested that McAfee would have difficulty dealing with the level of criticism she has experienced.

Despite her sharp criticism, Nolan made it clear that she recognizes what McAfee brings to sports broadcasting.

She acknowledged his energy and his ability to add something different to traditional sports coverage.

"When Pat adds to a broadcast, he really can. He's got a lot of energy, and in an industry that's usually full of old-guard guys, it's good to have that youthful energy injected," Nolan said.

However, she argued that being a prominent personality means accepting that not everyone will approve of what he says or does.

Nolan believes McAfee wants to maintain his influence without having to deal with negative reactions from viewers.

The controversy around McAfee's Utah visit is just the latest chapter in a broader backlash.

On November 4, an X user named Brandon posted, "I want Pat McAfee fired by midnight @espn."

That post attracted more than one million views.

Several viewers supported the demand in the replies.

One viewer wrote, "You are speaking my language. I dont watch espn any longer. Its sky sports for me."

Another demanded, "Need him fired on live TV."

A third joked, "only time the words 'want' and 'pat mcafee' will ever be used together."

Some viewers felt the program had moved away from its traditional focus on football analysis and campus atmosphere.

Former MSNBC host Joe Scarborough raised similar concerns the day before.

Speaking on Morning Joe, Scarborough praised Rece Davis, Kirk Herbstreit, Desmond Howard and Nick Saban.

But he felt McAfee had taken too much attention away from the rest of the panel.

Co-host Willie Geist shared that view, pointing out how the Saturday morning program had changed since McAfee became a full-time member in 2022.

He felt the broadcast had become too centered on one personality.

The criticism had some backing from an earlier audience survey.

The Athletic's January poll found that 49.5% of respondents disliked McAfee's presence on the show.

Only 31.6% liked it.

Another 18.9% had no opinion.

Dan Dakich, a former ESPN personality now with OutKick, came to McAfee's defense.

Dakich corrected Scarborough, noting that students hadn't made signs — the official university account shared something of "kids coming at Pat McAfee."

He said everyone on the show talking about college sports looked like "idiots."

Dakich argued that College GameDay was "stale" and "dead in the water" until McAfee arrived.

He accused Scarborough of co-opting sports fandom to look like a "real guy."