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Pat McAfee Dropped Perfect Michael Phelps One-Liner After College GameDay Lost Power

Patrick Andres

Michael Phelps smiles, Saturday, June 22, 2024, during the eighth day of the U.S. Olympic Team Swimming Trials at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
Michael Phelps smiles, Saturday, June 22, 2024, during the eighth day of the U.S. Olympic Team Swimming Trials at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. / Grace Hollars/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK
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Saturday's production of College GameDay live from Ann Arbor, Mich. was smooth sailing—until the show's final moments.

As the ESPN program's usual lineup of experts made their weekly game selections—accompanied by legendary swimmer Michael Phelps, who trained at Michigan for much of his prime—the power suddenly went out.

Viewers were abruptly thrust into complete darkness as former Wolverines wide receiver Desmond Howard broke down No. 23 Georgia Tech's game against Syracuse.

When the show returned, ex-West Virginia kicker Pat McAfee offered a funny Phelps-related reason for the blackout.

"I've heard we've completely lost power, so I'm literally just talking to you guys," McAfee said. "There's 23 gold medals that shocked the system and sent us into commercial break."

Phelps won 23 Olympic gold medals in his iconic career, and 28 overall.

With power restored, Phelps eagerly picked No. 10 Michigan to beat No. 3 Texas.

"Let's f---ing go, Blue," Phelps said. "I'm with Blue, all day, in this house."

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Patrick Andres
PATRICK ANDRES

Patrick Andres is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. He joined SI in December 2022, having worked for The Blade, Athlon Sports, Fear the Sword and Diamond Digest. Andres has covered everything from zero-attendance Big Ten basketball to a seven-overtime college football game. He is a graduate of Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism with a double major in history .

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