Tag: Pat McAfee

Steelers QB Russell Wilson shuts down OC Arthur Smith conflict rumors

Russell Wilson dismissed the Arthur Smith-conflict rumors, making it clear where he stands on their working relationship with the Steelers.

Pittsburgh Steelers fans were in for a treat on Wednesday, as Pat McAfee brought Russell Wilson onto his show to answer questions about his career so far, the 2024 season, and his aspirations for 2025 and beyond.

However, the hard-hitting questions came after McAfee asked Wilson to shed light on a rumored ‘beef’ with OC Arthur Smith that has been making waves online.

Longtime Pittsburgh Steelers writer Mark Kaboly had reported on the strained working relationship between Wilson and Smith, and McAfee made his inquiries known early:

“You like Arthur? Hey, there are reports that you hate him.”

Wilson cleared the air, chuckling:

“Anytime you lose a game or two, or whatever goes on, people try to tear things down. I think Arthur is a great coach. Obviously, he’s been a head coach. We love trying to find ways to compete every day and just get better.”

 

The “game or two” in question is a complete undersell from Wilson, as the Steelers lost five straight to end the 2024 season, but it is promising that the rumors surrounding Smith and Wilson’s relationship were nothing more than that.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Chiefs OG Trey Smith earns a unique honor from ‘The Pat McAfee Show’

Kansas City #Chiefs offensive guard Trey Smith earns a unique honor from ‘The Pat McAfee Show’ | @EdEastonJr

The awards and accolades keep rolling in for the Kansas City Chiefs, awaiting an opponent in the postseason after their bye week. Trey Smith has taken his game to another level this season, earning his first Pro Bowl selection and being a key member of the highly respected interior offensive line.

In a special segment on the latest episode of ‘The Pat McAfee Show,’ Smith was honored with ‘The Trenchy Award’ for the best guard of the season. McAfee announced the award alongside retired veteran NFL center A.Q. Shipley, who praised the former Tennessee Volunteers standout. He’s the best that you’re going to see, and he plays the game the right way,” said Shipley, highlighting a specific highlight from Smith’s 2024 season.

Shipley mentioned Joe Thuney as another candidate, but due to his recent move to left tackle, he couldn’t qualify for the interior offensive lineman honor. The segment briefly showcased Smith’s performance earlier in the season against Fred Warner of the San Francisco 49ers.

The two-time Super Bowl champion was drafted in the sixth round of the 2021 NFL Draft and has quickly become an impact player on the Chiefs’ offensive line.

Nick Saban weighs in on College Football Playoff entering quarterfinal matchups

Saban isn’t sure the right teams were chosen for the playoff.

Former Alabama football coach Nick Saban joined fellow College GameDay analyst Pat McAfee on “The Pat McAfee Show” Friday during a discussion that centered heavily on the 12-team playoff.

Without naming any names, Saban said he wasn’t sure the committee had chosen the right 12 teams for the playoff. That came after Penn State demolished SMU, 38-10, last Saturday and after Notre Dame led Indiana by three scores until garbage time a night earlier.

“I thought there were some good games, but I also thought there was some evidence that there might have been three or four better teams that they could have put in the playoffs,” Saban said.

‘Get out of the conference room’: Saban offers advice on how to improve CFP

The seven-time national championship winning coach said:

“You know, in the old days when the Sugar Bowl wanted to see if they were going to pick you, or the Orange Bowl or the Fiesta Bowl or whatever, they would come watch you play so at least they could eyeball the team and see what you looked like, especially at the line positions because those are critical matchups. And then they would decide how good the teams were based on that. You’ve got to get out of the conference room to be able to do that, but I think that would be helpful in the future. You know, less emphasis on how many wins and more emphasis on who you beat. That’s my first (takeaway).”

Saban stated that, based on seeding, he wasn’t sure the best four teams in the playoff would reach the semifinals in the Orange Bowl (Jan. 9) and Cotton Bowl (Jan. 10):

“I think we have less of a chance, based on the way they seeded the teams, of getting the best four teams in the final four than we did when we just picked four teams. Oregon and Ohio State are probably (two) of the best four teams in the country, and they’re going to play each other in the round of eight rather than in the semifinals. And that was all because we awarded conference champs byes. They should be rewarded by putting them in the tournament, but they should get ranked relative to the quality of team they have relative to everybody else. Then you would have more good games I think and a fair tournament when you get down the road to the semifinals and the finals.”

Georgia, Oregon on upset alert? Saban says bye weeks in CFP can lead to big downside

When the Oregon Ducks face the Ohio State Buckeyes on New Year’s Day in the Rose Bowl, and the Georgia Bulldogs play Notre Dame later that night in the Sugar Bowl, they’ll have gone almost a month between playing in the Big Ten and SEC Championship Games.

According to Saban, that’s a big disadvantage for the Bulldogs and Ducks, especially in regards to one key area of the game.

“When you don’t play football for a long time, the one thing that it effects is your ability to tackle, which really effects your ability to play defense. We saw no defense (Thursday) — none. I mean, whoever got the ball last (won), so it’s exciting for the fans. But if you’re a coach, it drives you crazy because how do you manage a game when you know you can’t stop the other team?

“I always felt like, how do you practice over this long period of time from two to four weeks off? And you don’t want to tackle guys in practice and get your own team hurt, so you don’t tackle that much. And then you get in a game and miss a lot of tackles and you don’t play the way you should play on defense. I think that’s probably something to watch with all these teams that had byes.”

Oregon and Ohio State are scheduled to kick off at 4 p.m. CT in Pasadena on Jan. 1. Georgia vs. Notre Dame will kick off later that night at 7:45 at the Superdome in New Orleans.

Both games will be televised on ESPN.

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on X, and like our page on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Alabama news and notes, plus opinions. 

Are the Commanders a ‘team of destiny?’

Are the Commanders a team of destiny?

It’s been a season to remember for the Washington Commanders. Whether it was the 7-2 start, the “Hail Mary,” or Sunday’s thrilling 36-33 win over the Philadelphia Eagles, Washington fans finally have something to root for. It all begins with rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels.

The No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft has looked like a superstar from the moment he lined up under center in Week 1. The runaway favorite for NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year solidified his status for that award on Sunday, passing for five touchdowns and leading the Commanders with 81 rushed yards against Philadelphia’s top-ranked defense.

On Monday’s edition of the “Pat McAfee Show,” in a segment titled “#IDontWantToOverreactBUT,” a fan wrote about why the Commanders were a team of destiny.

Here’s the segment:

From there, McAfee and his co-hosts debated the Commanders, calling Daniels “awesome.”

The group had a realistic view of Sunday’s game. Yes, the Eagles lost quarterback Jalen Hurts, but the Eagles still scored 33 points. Also, Daniels and the Commanders scored 36 points against Philly’s top-ranked defense.

So, is Washington a team of destiny?

Who knows. Anyone who follows the Commanders knows they have flaws. Much of it is due to a rebuilt roster that lacks depth at multiple key positions. Whether the 2024 Commanders are a team of destiny doesn’t matter. What matters is that Washington has finally found a franchise quarterback and appears to have turned a corner.

New UNC football coach Bill Belichick makes bold suggestion on Pat McAfee Show

Bill Belichick wants college football’s top pregame show in Chapel Hill during 2025.

There isn’t one college football program with more excitement surrounding it than the North Carolina Tar Heels.

On Wednesday, December 11, UNC hired Bill Belichick to be its next head football coach. North Carolina’s decision to land Belichick, a 6-time Super Bowl winner with the New England Patriots and 3-time AP NFL Coach of the Year, created an immediate buzz around the football program we haven’t seen in ages.

You’re already starting to see some early effects of Belichick’s hiring, with several Tar Heels withdrawing their names from the transfer portal. Quarterback Bryce Baker, UNC’s top 2025 football recruit, re-assured his commitment after recent uncertainty.

North Carolina’s 2025 opponents are set, but recently on the Pat McAfee Show, Belichick suggested the College GameDay crew take a trip to Chapel Hill next fall.

“Why don’t you come down and talk about it in person,” Belichick said. “How about we do GameDay down here (in Chapel Hill)?”

“I would be honored to go down there,” McAfee responded. (UNC GM Michael) Lombardi tells me it’s the most beautiful place that he’s ever been. We can’t wait to get down there.”

McAfee didn’t guarantee a 2025 College GameDay appearance in Chapel Hill, but he certainly sounds more excited about that possibility. The Tar Heels should be much improved under Belichick in 2025 – and Belichick attracts national media attention – so what more could McAfee and his team want?

UNC has a 1-2 record in three previous appearances on College GameDay, with the most recent being its 2023 opener against the South Carolina Gamecocks. North Carolina won that game, 31-17, to kick off its 6-0 start.

If the Tar Heels start hot in 2025, I have a good feeling College GameDay will come to Chapel Hill. Maybe McAfee already has a date in mind?

Follow us @TarHeelsWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions

Aaron Rodgers inadvertently ripped himself being on ESPN while on ESPN

Aaron Rodgers is tired of ESPN giving washed-up athletes a platform. HEY, WAIT A MINUTE!

Aaron Rodgers is mad as hell about the state of the major sports industry, and he’s not going to take it anymore.

On Wednesday, during his weekly appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, the New York Jets quarterback — who has thrown for least 300 yards once in a game since December 2021, who last won a playoff matchup when the world was still firmly in the throes of the COVID-19 pandemic, who makes more headlines for throwing his Jets teammates and Jets coaches under the bus than any of his play on the field these days, and who gladly parades around his pseudo-intellectualism — put ESPN and its well-known “embrace debate” strategy in his crosshairs.

Note: Rodgers is definitely the first person to ever bring this subject to the spotlight. No one has ever talked about this before. What a hero.

While being interviewed on an ESPN show, Rodgers maintained that he’s sick and tired of the biggest sports network in America platforming the opinions of all these washed-up athletes who haven’t been relevant in years, as if anyone should care about what they have to say.

You know, he might have a point! Check out these salient and totally unrelated points to Rodgers at the 1:36:22 mark below:

Here’s Rodgers’ argument in plain text:

“I’m talking about these experts on TV who nobody remembers what they did in their career,” Rodgers said. “So, in order for them to stay relevant, they have to make comments that keep them in the conversation. That wasn’t going on in 2008, 2009. The SportsCenter of my youth, those guys made highlights so much fun. And that’s what they showed on SportsCenter. Now it’s all talk shows and people whose opinions are so important now and they believe they’re the celebrities now, they’re the stars for just being able to talk about sports or give a take about sports, many of which are unfounded or asinine, as we all know. But that’s the environment we’re in now.”

Ugh, Rodgers is so right. Someone should really do something about all these egotistical, self-important sports figures who have nothing to offer anymore as playing athletes. Oh, well, at least we have the quarterback who refuses to take any accountability as the sports world’s ombudsman.

What would we do without him?

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1371]

Timothée Chalamet put up $400K for Pat McAfee’s field goal challenge and nearly regretted it immediately

This was almost an epic backfire.

Timothée Chalamet was announced as the celebrity guest picker for ESPN’s College GameDay on Saturday but decided to join the show just a little bit early for Pat McAfee’s weekly field goal challenge.

By now everyone has a good handle on the rules: McAfee puts up a predetermined amount of money if a fan can make a 33-yard field goal. Most of the time, they can not. Sometimes the money gets doubled if McAfee is in a good mood. Sometimes the kicker gets two chances to split the uprights if McAfee is in a great mood.

On Saturday, McAfee was so confident after the kicker missed his first attempt for $200,000 that he doubled down immediately. Kirk Herbstreit got peer pressured by McAfee to do the same, bringing the total up to $800,000. But with Chalamet standing right there, McAfee leaned over and asked if he wanted to match, too.

“Yeah, I’ll get in there, too” Chalamet replied.

It was only a moment after you could see him doing the math in his head to understand what he just committed to: A $1.4 million prize.

Fortunately for McAfee, Herbstreit and Chalamet — and unfortunately for the Texas fan — the second kick missed. Yet for a split second It sure looked like they were each about to be out $400,000 before noon.

The handshake McAfee gave Chalamet right after the miss really says it all.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=693157918]

[gambcom-standard rankid=”5594″ ]

Pat McAfee ruthlessly trolls Patriots super fan following Colts win

Pat McAfee had some fun at the expense of his co-host, Boston Connor

Former Indianapolis Colts punter Pat McAfee had fun on “The Pat McAfee Show” at the expense of Boston Connor, a New England Patriots fan, after the Colts handed the Patriots a 25-24 loss.

The Patriots blew a lead late in the fourth quarter with Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson leading the team on a 19-play, 80-yard game-winning drive.

McAfee celebrated accordingly, much to the chagrin of his Boston-based co-host. The Colts won their second game in a row in their series against the Patriots. Their offense proved to be too much for the Patriots’ defense to handle, particularly on the ground.

The combination of Richardson and running back Jonathan Taylor racked up 144 rushing yards and one touchdown against the Patriots.

It’s clear to see why Colts fans were excited about the win since it kept their playoff hopes alive. Meanwhile, the Patriots dropped their 10th loss of the season and were effectively eliminated from contention.

It was another heartbreaking defeat for Patriots fans in a season that continues to trend downward.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Ryan Day chirps back at Pat McAfee’s comment about Indiana

Ryan Day joined the The Pat McAfee Show, and he delivered a mic-drop worthy exit to close out his appearance on the show.

Ryan Day hasn’t proven to be a real mic-drop head coach during his tenure with Ohio State. He is leading one of the best college football programs in the country but isn’t the most outspoken coach.

However, he recently joined The Pat McAfee Show as the Buckeyes are set to face the No. 5-ranked Indiana Hoosiers on Saturday.

With ESPN’s College Gameday in Columbus, this game is the premier college football game on the weekend slate. Let’s just say Day gave quite the headline-producing last line.

“Coach, thanks so much for making time for us. Good luck tomorrow. This Hoosiers team is the real deal,” McAfee said.

However, Day got the last life. He said, “So are we.”

Boom!

Day knows that the Hoosiers are getting quite a bit of love heading into this battle, but there’s also the conversation about who they’ve really beaten this season. Nonetheless, it should be a thrilling battle.

That said, the Buckeyes have a road win over top-ten Penn State on their resume and have proven they are the real deal. Even the one-point win on the road over the No. 1-ranked Oregon Ducks was an impressive outing.

Nonetheless, all parties know that talk is just that, and on Saturday at noon ET we’ll see what the Hoosiers (and the Buckeyes for that matter) are made of.

$800,000 kick on ‘College GameDay’ splits uprights

Pressure is one chance to make a kick for $800,000

ESPN’s “College GameDay” does a segment where a student tries to kick a 33-yard field goal for big bucks. On Saturday the money was beaucoup bucks.

Pat McAfee upped the prize to $800,000, half to Hurricane Relief. A quarter to the person who was chosen and the $200,000 to the person she chose to kick for her.

That is a lot of pressure on the kicker. However, the former soccer player drilled the kick and made one with the kind of pressure NFL kickers see in each game.