Pat McAfee calls out rumors his show was leaving ESPN amid lengthy vacation

Pat McAfee returned to his show and ESPN Wednesday following a two-week vacation and clapped back at those who speculated his time with the network could be done.

To be fair, nothing’s been speculated publicly, so it could’ve been behind closed doors or something McAfee heard. Nonetheless, McAfee took his latest swing at the four-letter network which carries the first two hours of his program.

Apparently, McAfee was in Disney World, or maybe Disneyland, as part of his vacation.

“While we were down there, during our break, with how long it was, some people were wondering – I’ve heard – in the industry, ‘Oh, Pat McAfee and the show are never coming back to ESPN.’ They thought we were gonna sail off into the sunset. Never come back,” McAfee said Wednesday. “Then I popped my ass into Disney and I think, ‘Is this not enough of a mention?’ I am literally in Mickey Mouse’s town having the time of my life.

“We are so incredibly grateful that we get to do this. I think that was a lot of the thought while we were gone, is just gratitude, perspective, appreciation, and also, it’s time to get back to work.”

McAfee has not shied away from calling out ESPN on numerous occasions. First, it was the ratings leak and shots at Norby Williamson, a former ESPN executive.

Then, it was a shot at ESPN’s social team regarding the College Football Playoff rankings in November.

But the Williamson saga stands out among McAfee’s gestures towards the company. 

“ESPN set us up pretty good here,” McAfee said in January of 2024. “There were some comments about one particular person at ESPN you know that I made only on the YouTube, ESPN-plus show. That wasn’t even on linear TV. I didn’t know anybody was gonna hear it because he was just on digital. I guess everybody did hear it. 

“Topic of discussion obviously the entire weekend and the only thing that I’m like, super bummed out about at all is that a guy that we like a lot, a man that watched the game with us in the suite, Burke Magnus, who is currently new guy in charge of ESPN right below Jimmy Pitaro. I guess he was kind of made to look bad because of what I did and how I did it.” 

McAfee made sure to let everyone know him and his crew love and respect Burke. That wasn’t staged.

“I would like everybody to know, we love Burke Magnus,” McAfee said. “And also love Jimmy Pitaro. We love Bob Iger. But there is quite a transition here, you know, between the old and the new, new, new new and the old don’t like what’s new. But we’re very thankful.”