Bill Simmons took the opportunity to delve further into his budding feud with Pat McAfee following McAfee’s controversial comment about Caitlin Clark and his subsequent apology.
On Wednesday, before Game 1 of the NBA Finals, during a conversation on his podcast with Sal Iacono, Simmons quipped about the incident involving McAfee. He speculated on the impact such comments might have on sports betting, playfully asking, “If Pat McAfee calls Luka Doncic a ‘white bitch’ before game time, would his MVP odds for the series go up or down, Sal?”
Later in the episode, as reported by Awful Announcing, Simmons posed another question to Iacono regarding McAfee’s future with ESPN, asking if he believed McAfee would still be part of the network by February 2025.
“Oh, I’m going to go under,” Iacono replied, hinting at the unpredictable nature of the industry. “February 2025? That’s what, 17 months? Solid under.”
The controversy began when McAfee referred to Clark as a “white bitch” during a segment about the WNBA’s rookie class. He issued an apology later that day on X, and again addressed the mistake on his own show, “The Pat McAfee Show.”
“I did reach out to Caitlin Clark through the Fever, sent an apology and then got a message back that she said it was all good,” McAfee explained on Tuesday. “No blood. We move forward. And she appreciates us reaching out and apologizing. So that obviously makes me feel a little bit better. But to the people that got pissed off yesterday and offended, I understand. I learned a lot.”
Despite the apology, Simmons and Iacono didn’t shy away from discussing the topic on the podcast. After Iacono noted McAfee’s proactive apology for hypothetically insulting Luka in the same manner, Simmons shared that he had watched the apology that morning.
“Yeah? Teared up a little bit?” Iacono asked.
“It was emotional stuff,” Simmons responded. “Mullet guy No. 2 was tearing up. It was really great.”
This exchange underscores the sometimes-blurred lines between sports commentary and the personal drama that can ensue among personalities in the media.
