Stephen A. Smith, one of ESPN’s most prominent and outspoken personalities, recently came to the defense of fellow sports talk host Pat McAfee after McAfee pushed back against what he perceived as unfair media coverage during ESPN’s media day in Bristol, Connecticut. McAfee, who has become a central figure at ESPN with “The Pat McAfee Show,” didn’t hold back in criticizing how certain reporters have covered him and his show, expressing frustration that he felt he was never given a fair shake in the sports media landscape.
Since its addition to ESPN’s daily programming lineup in September, “The Pat McAfee Show” has become one of the network’s flagship shows, drawing significant attention—both positive and negative. The show’s blend of humor, irreverence, and sports commentary has garnered a large following, but it has also sparked controversy, leading some media outlets to scrutinize McAfee and his approach.
Smith, who is no stranger to controversy himself, addressed McAfee’s remarks during a recent episode of “The Stephen A. Smith Show,” where he offered his support for McAfee’s right to defend himself against the criticism.
“Pat McAfee, obviously, expressed his opinion about the coverage he was receiving from the media out there,” Smith said on his show. “I gotta tell you, you can debate delivery, presentation, whatever; what you can’t debate is that he made some very valid points.”
Smith continued, emphasizing that McAfee has faced criticism from the moment he joined ESPN, with some blaming him for issues beyond his control and others attempting to undermine his show’s success. “People have been going at him from Day 1, they have been blaming him, and they have been trying to malign the show. And him speaking up for himself, I don’t blame him one damn bit—he was right to do so. Let me get that out of the way,” Smith asserted.
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McAfee’s rise in sports media has been marked by his candid and often provocative style, which has kept him in the headlines. His weekly interviews with Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers have been particularly notable, often generating buzz and, at times, controversy. Last year, McAfee found himself in the middle of a media storm when Rodgers had a verbal spat with ABC late-night host Jimmy Kimmel, putting McAfee in a challenging position as the host.
More recently, McAfee had a public back-and-forth with CNBC’s Alex Sherman during ESPN’s media day over the issue of “journalistic standards.” McAfee didn’t mince words, expressing his frustration with what he sees as an unfair narrative being pushed by some in the media.
“I think they’re misguided,” McAfee said during the media event. “I would appreciate if you would give me and my guys a chance. I think we’re helping out sports media as a whole in the future. I think we’re going to get some things wrong, and we apologize for that. But whenever you’re ripping our s— and trying to kill us, I think ‘journalistic standards’ certainly is problematic.”
Smith’s defense of McAfee underscores the challenges that come with being in the sports media spotlight, where public figures are often scrutinized not only for what they say but also for how they say it. In this case, both Smith and McAfee have made it clear that they believe in standing up for oneself when faced with what they see as unjust criticism.
As McAfee continues to navigate his role at ESPN, it’s clear that he has allies like Stephen A. Smith who are willing to speak out in his defense.
