Pat McAfee drew criticism from online fans following a shirtless stunt during a College GameDay broadcast in Salt Lake City, according to a October 24 report. During the appearance, McAfee mocked The New York Times for its previous criticism regarding his on-air antics.
During the broadcast, McAfee climbed onto a chair to perform the stunt, which he had previously repeated in Iowa City during Week 5. While the crowd cheered, McAfee sarcastically remarked that he was ruining college football due to his behavior. He specifically targeted The New York Times, jokingly suggesting the publication was focused on his shirtless appearance at 9:02 a.m. Eastern.
The jab followed a column by Jerry Brewer published by The Athletic, which is owned by The New York Times, regarding McAfee's growing role on the show. This follows a previous broadcast where McAfee joked that the newspaper might write about Rece Davis after Davis made a joke about Billy Napier.
Public reaction on social media included criticism of McAfee's temperament. The College Sports Only page on X described McAfee as potentially the most thin-skinned person to work at ESPN. Other users expressed fatigue regarding his repetitive routines and his tendency to acknowledge online criticism during his broadcasts.
Jared Feinberg of Cat Crave acknowledged McAfee's significant talent and influence in sports media but criticized his public reaction to criticism. Feinberg stated that while McAfee's content is entertaining, his reactions to opinions from outlets like Awful Announcing and The New York Times can be tiresome.
