Not everyone is buying Pat McAfee’s explanation for his criticism of the Toronto crowd at the WWE Elimination Chamber event.
In fact, former ESPN star Keith Olbermann used McAfee’s response as an opportunity to call on his former employer to fire the former All-Pro punter.
“A lot of us tried to warn the new espn management that the day would come when this idiot would draw them into a permanent political controversy and they could either be subsumed by it, or fire him,” Olbermann wrote on X while reposting McAfee’s comments from Monday’s episode of The Pat McAfee Show. “That day is today. Fire him.”
A lot of us tried to warn the new espn management that the day would come when this idiot would draw them into a permanent political controversy and they could either be subsumed by it, or fire him
That day is today. Fire him. https://t.co/DK2pEE6FNE
— Keith Olbermann (@KeithOlbermann) March 3, 2025
The entire ordeal stems from the start of WWE’s premium live event on Saturday, in which the Toronto crowd booed the United States’ national anthem amid growing tensions between the country and Canada. It didn’t take long to figure out that McAfee took exception to the booing, as he not only addressed it at the start of the broadcast, but also mentioned it repeatedly throughout the show.
“Kind of sucks that it’s in the terrible country of Canada, which booed our national anthem to start this entire thing,” McAfee said of the show. “But it’s going to be a historic night for the WWE.”
Later in the show, play-by-play voice Michael Cole referenced the Emmy-winning Canadian/American TV show Schitt’s Creek, to which McAfee replied: “They booed the national anthem, they’re going to need to stop doing that, or the whole place is going to be sh*te.”
On Monday’s episode of his daily show — which is simulcast on ESPN — McAfee addressed his comments regarding Canada and the ensuing response. And while he didn’t necessarily apologize, he did offer a truce of sorts, stating: “I understand now from the Canadians that they have a lot more passion for their country than I could have ever imagined. A lot of terrible things have been said about me, and I understand it. You boo my country, I called your country terrible, let’s shake hands.”
McAfee’s comments, however, didn’t suffice for Olbermann, which is hardly surprising for a variety reasons. It’s also worth noting that the ex-SportsCenter anchor’s response was a bit hyperbolic, as there doesn’t appear to be anything “permanent” about this particular “controversy.”
But while one could argue whether the former West Virginia star’s comments regarding Canada on another platform are worthy of the Worldwide Leader stepping in, the reality is that ESPN can’t technically “fire” him. After all, McAfee isn’t actually an ESPN employee but rather someone leasing his his show to the network via a five-year, $85 million deal.
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.