Chris Cuomo opened his The Chris Cuomo Project podcast Thursday by essentially saying he doesn’t answer to anyone, so he can “say whatever the f*** I want to say.”
Given that freedom, the veteran newscaster (formerly at CNN, now at Nexstar’s NewsNation) launched into an uncensored, full-throttle discussion about Caitlin Clark and the WNBA that covered Pat McAfee’s recent reference to Clark as a “b****,’ racism, sexuality, jealousy, truth, censorship, and questionable WNBA leadership — and all that came in the first 10 minutes or so of the podcast.
It turned into quite a ride. Cuomo opened by essentially defending McAfee for his controversial comment Monday, when he downplayed the notion that the entire WNBA rookie class deserves credit for the league’s elevated status, saying, “There’s one white b**** for the Indiana team who is a superstar.”
McAfee got roasted by other sports media and fans, and he quickly apologized.
Cuomo, however, thinks everyone ignored the real issue — that many WNBA players actually feel that way about Clark.
“You call Caitlin Clark … a ‘white b****’ and you’re going to be in apology mode right quick … Why is it wrong for [McAfee] to call her that?” Cuomo asked. “Now we all get it. I’m a girl dad, and I’m an adult man and I know how to behave, so of course you don’t want to say insulting things.
“But who is he insulting? We know he wasn’t referring to Caitlin Clark like she’s that kind of person. … Why is the reality being ignored here? Why are the people who are actually targeting Caitlin Clark getting a pass? What are we so afraid of? Why don’t we want to talk about what’s really happening?”
What’s really happening, says Cuomo, is Clark has been targeted by other WNBA players, and some people are afraid to broach that topic because it may involve her race and sexuality.
“The WNBA has one star that most people know — and it’s Caitlin Clark,” Cuomo said. “And that’s awesome, because it’s elevating the WNBA into an entire different echelon of recognition. Good for them.”
“You don’t beat up on what brings in the money. … So what the hell is the WNBA thinking, letting the one draw that they have (get roughed up)? She is the big draw. And I don’t believe it’s just because she’s white.
“That takes us into the real conversation: Why are other players coming after Caitlin Clark? Is it not about race? Is it not about sexuality?
Cuomo said McAfee was essentially acting as the messenger, describing how some other players feel about Clark.
“Pat McAfee says, ‘Now this ‘white b**** is doing this,’ and he has to apologize. … he was projecting how she is seen by other women on the court and in the league. That’s what he’s doing. So he needs to apologize. Why? Because it’s easy,” Cuomo said.
“So Pat McAfee has to apologize for calling Caitlin Clark what he called her, but he was just projecting the attitude that seems to be put on her by the other players. He was obviously celebrating her the entire segment.”
“So is that how Caitlin Clark is seen, as some white, straight b****, in a sport that is not necessarily about white, straight women? Yes, in all likelihood, it’s a factor in the analysis.”
Cuomo said that people may be reluctant to talk about those issues, but they need to be addressed.
“We have to stop punishing people for voicing what they feel,” Cuomo said. “And it’s starting to evolve and I think that this story is a great opportunity to talk about what people are really afraid of in our society — which is the truth.”
[The Chris Cuomo Project]
