Pat McAfee wasn’t about to let Dan Orlovsky off the hook without getting an answer to a burning question. Orlovsky appeared on The Pat McAfee Show—broadcasted on ESPN and YouTube—on Tuesday, and after chatting about the latest NFL headlines, McAfee shifted gears to address a more controversial topic.
The pair had just wrapped up discussions on the Falcons-Eagles game, Bryce Young’s benching by the Carolina Panthers, and Derek Carr’s strong start to the season when McAfee dropped the bombshell.
“Did ESPN tell you to delete that tweet or no? I just need to know,” McAfee asked, putting Orlovsky on the spot.
The tweet in question was posted by Orlovsky during the Paris Olympics when Algerian boxer Imane Khelif dominated her Italian opponent, Angela Carini. The match stirred controversy because Khelif had previously been barred from a tournament after a test reportedly revealed she had XY chromosomes, according to the Russian-led IBA. In response, Orlovsky tweeted, “Protect our daughters,” a comment that ignited backlash online before the tweet was eventually deleted.
After McAfee’s direct question, Orlovsky laughed, took a deep breath, and carefully considered his response. “ESPN did not, nor did anyone associated with ESPN tell me to delete that tweet,” Orlovsky clarified.
McAfee acknowledged Orlovsky’s response and expressed empathy for his position. “I get it,” McAfee said, “I understand why you deleted the tweet, because there’s that thought of, ‘I could lose my job.’ Just want to let you know—we think you’re a good dude, Dan. Obviously, it was a little whoopsie in that particular situation, and we move on.”
The situation had sparked widespread speculation after Orlovsky addressed the deleted tweet in an earlier interview with Barrett Media. In that interview, Orlovsky had seemingly implied that being part of a major network like ESPN required him to be more cautious with his social media presence.
“When you’re an employee of a big company, your social media page doesn’t just get to be your social media page,” Orlovsky told Barrett Media last month. “That’s a fantasy, so you have to represent yourself and the company that you work for in the proper way.”
These comments led many to believe that ESPN had pressured Orlovsky into removing the tweet. However, following McAfee’s question and further scrutiny, Orlovsky clarified that his comments in the Barrett Media interview were not specifically about the controversial tweet.
“Wanted to provide some clarity—been a long last 24 hours. My quote from this week’s @Barrett_Media interview was in response to a question about, from a big picture, how I generally approach social media,” Orlovsky tweeted in response to the confusion.
“Neither the question nor the answer were centered on the specific deleted tweet from a couple weeks ago. I can see why people would connect those dots, but it’s simply not true. Plain and simple.”
Despite the controversy, Khelif went on to win gold in her weight class at the Paris Olympics, but the debate surrounding Orlovsky’s tweet and the broader conversation about gender and sports persisted.
Orlovsky, known for his NFL analysis and outspoken social media presence, remains a prominent figure in sports media. However, this incident serves as a reminder of the delicate balance public figures must maintain in the age of social media, where every post can be scrutinized and interpreted in unexpected ways.
With McAfee’s question now answered, it appears Orlovsky is ready to move on, but the broader conversation surrounding the tweet and its implications continues to linger in the sports world.
