Everybody hates Pat: is a cabal of college kids really trying to bring down ESPN’s star meathead?

Pat McAfee's response to a handful of lighthearted jabs reveals how the omnipresent ESPN figure thrives on stirring a crowd into a hostile uproar yet recoils at any hint of criticism.

The year was shaping up to be a golden one for Pat McAfee. The individual who secured a five-year, $85 million deal in 2023 to bring The Pat McAfee Show to ESPN had solidified his role as the main attraction in the sports network's bold new era of stunts, silliness, and meme-driven content. His relentless, horn-like presence on the set of ESPN's College GameDay had driven ratings to new peaks. ESPN executives were so impressed with McAfee that they were reportedly in talks to grant him a new contract worth between $60 million and $65 million annually; one even went so far as to label him a "generational" media talent.

Then, over the weekend, calamity struck. A few college students targeted him online before his appearance with College GameDay at the University of Utah. Well, "targeted" might be an exaggeration: they cracked a few mild jokes at his expense. But it proved too much for ESPN's most prominent blimp. Suddenly, McAfee's world unraveled. His initial reaction, to be fair, was subdued: "The university's Instagram account posted something talking a little trash about me last night, which I certainly love," he said ahead of the Utes' clash with the Houston Cougars last week.