A common theme amongst the recurring guests that come on The Pat McAfee Show is a willingness to go back on because there’s enjoyment and fulfillment in going on his show. While McAfee’s show might not be everyone’s cup of tea, there are a lot of insiders within the sports media industry that carve out time for McAfee, A.J. Hawk, and the rest of the cast and crew each and every week.
One of those is Fox Sports NFL insider Jordan Schultz, who recently talked about why he “loves” going on McAfee’s show during a recent appearance on the Awful Announcing Podcast. In his conversation with host Brandon Contes, Schultz praised McAfee’s work ethic and the show’s playful, off-the-wall nature.
“I love Patty. I mean, you gotta know what you’re going (into),” he says. “Like, when I go on that show, the first thing they say is, ‘Oh, Silver spoon, Starbucks; you’re on your Yacht.’ They just throw it at you. I mean, I’ve been hearing that sh*t my whole life. But the way they do it, it’s more funny. And I tell Pat, ‘Dude, when are you going to stop asking me these questions? Am I on my yacht? Am I on my eighth hole? Am I on an island that I purchased?’ I’m in my office — I’m working, I’m here.
“And he’s like, ‘We’re just gonna keep pushing that envelope.’ Listen, I really like Pat. I know that he is polarizing. I think he’s unbelievably talented. I think he’s a voracious worker with everything he’s doing. But, I hope the reason I’ve been on that show as much as I have and continue to be somewhat of a recurring guest is because, obviously, I hope to provide real, valuable information, but also to be able to be one of the guys.
“They always have this thing with me…The McAfee group always f*cks with me. One thing they do without fail is they put my camera view in a completely distorted perception of the show…I can see it out of the corner of my eye; I can see the show, but I’m trying to answer the question. And then they’ll ask me serious questions, and I know they’re just trying to throw me off. And it kind of works because I can see out of the corner of my eye, and sometimes they say, ‘I bet he doesn’t even notice.’ And then A.J. will be like, ‘No, he notices; he’s just trying to be professional.’
“Because A.J.’s the straight guy. I love A.J. I think A.J.’s a phenomenal guy — he’s the straight guy. And then Pat and the other guys are always the guys trying to stir sh*t up. Finally, I just said to Pat — we were in Orlando at the owner’s meetings, and I came on and did like 15 minutes — I said something, I was like, ‘This is the one time you’re not going to be able to screw up my camera’ because I’m in-person usually it’s virtual. But, I really like going on that show. Obviously, it has a massive reach — and it’s been a really positive development for me.”
McAfee’s chaotic energy might not be for everyone, but for insiders like Schultz, it’s that mix of humor and unpredictability that keeps them coming back. And for the son of the former chief executive of Starbucks, McAfee’s crew offers something different in an industry full of straight-laced sports shows.
About Sam Neumann
Since the beginning of 2023, Sam has been a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. A 2021 graduate of Temple University, Sam is a Charlotte native, who currently calls Greenville, South Carolina his home. He also has a love/hate relationship with the New York Mets and Jets.