Pat McAfee: ‘There’s not a lot of respect for me’ in the sports journalist world

Pat McAfee has a massive sports media platform, a large audience, and a lot of money, but he don’t get no respect.

McAfee joined The Dan Patrick Show Wednesday morning to discuss the NFL’s new kickoff rules, among other things. During the interview, Patrick asked a question about the Netflix roast of Tom Brady and whether McAfee was or would have been interested in taking part.

“No way. I don’t like that. I get roasted enough,” McAfee said. “I already get roasted enough in my life and day to day. I don’t know how you’ve done this for as long as you’ve done it in the sports world. I assume everybody has respect for you, as they should. There’s not a lot of respect for me amongst other people in the sports world – sports journalist world – I get roasted a lot on a regular basis.

“So I wouldn’t sign up for something to go sit on a stage to get absolutely roasted by everybody, that would be a difficult decision. I’d rather good vibes. But I am certainly one that will watch the drama.”

For someone who regularly touts his desire to subscribe to the good vibes, McAfee seems to spend way too much time paying attention to every negative thing that’s said or written about him. And despite the perception he often portrays, not everything sent his way from the sports world is disrespect or negative.

McAfee gets criticized a lot, but criticism doesn’t assume disrespect. Even amid their reported feud, Stephen A. Smith respects McAfee by constantly praising his ability to have a platform on ESPN and still be his own boss. McAfee also gets praised by Dan Le Batard who envies the wrench the former punter threw into the sports media industry.

But the most interesting thing in McAfee’s response may have been telling Patrick “I don’t know how you’ve done it for as long as you’ve done it in the sports world.” It makes you wonder how long McAfee wants to do it for, especially when you consider his sensitivity to criticism.

[The Dan Patrick Show]