One of the reasons viewers love The Pat McAfee Show is its rawness compared to other programming on ESPN networks. But that same rawness might also be making some of McAfee’s colleagues envious of his freedom to speak his mind colorfully at times.
On Wednesday’s edition of Pardon the Interruption, Michael Wilbon and Tony Kornheiser discussed a Bloomberg article that reported that some PGA Tour players want any golfers returning from LIV Golf to hand back money they made on the Saudi-backed golf league before being allowed back on the PGA Tour.
Wilbon didn’t mince words about this possibility, vehemently disagreeing that the LIV players should have to give back any money. In fact, this possibility angered him so much that he stated he would use language perhaps only allowed on The Pat McAfee Show if he were personally approached and asked to give back the money.
“I can’t use the words that I would use to the face of any one of the colleagues if they suggested that,” said Wilbon. “I guess if I wore a black tank top and I could get away with those words on this show, I would use them. I would use them to their faces. We can’t even get there. I don’t even think I could write them down and hold them up. There would be a suspension coming and I’m not ready for that.
“Not only would I not consider it, I would say get off my lawn, get away from my house, get out of this meeting. I’m not giving you blank blank blank with an apostrophe S, Not a dime back, go straight to hell.”
“I guess that if I wore a black tank top, that I could get away with those words on this show.”
Michael Wilbon with a not-so-subtle jab at Pat McAfee on “Pardon the Interruption” today. pic.twitter.com/i95sHK9UNr
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) September 19, 2024
Wilbon didn’t outright say McAfee’s name here. But obviously, there is only one personality at ESPN who regularly wears a black tank top and swears on air. So he doesn’t exactly leave much room for interpretation here.
It’s not exactly an unwarranted comment from Wilbon considering McAfee’s colorful language is largely a staple of the show. In fact, there have been numerous occasions where an F-bomb tracker has been featured in the content of the show whenever a controversial guest joins the show.
Wilbon is simply pointing out the clear differences in their respective shows. And of the two, it sure seems like The Pat McAfee Show gets the green light to stretch the limits of what is acceptable on ESPN airways far more often than anyone else. But maybe McAfee’s licensing deal allows him more leeway than his fellow weekday hosts. It does make you wonder what would happen if Wilbon finally decided to let it fly, though.
About Reice Shipley
Reice Shipley is a staff writer for Comeback Media that graduated from Ithaca College with a degree in Sports Media. He previously worked at Barrett Sports Media and is a fan of all things Syracuse sports.