SI

Pat McAfee Opens Up About Calling Out ESPN Executive: ‘We’re at War’

Also in Traina Thoughts: New “SI Media With Jimmy Traina’; LeBron is still leaving everyone speechless; and owners are getting greedy.

Jimmy Traina

1. Earlier this year, Pat McAfee shocked viewers, and those in the sports media world, when, on ESPN, he called the ESPN executive senior vice president of studio and event production, Norby Williamson, a “rat” while also accusing Williamson of sabotaging his show.

McAfee opened up about those accusations and the reaction to his comments during an appearance on the All the Smoke podcast hosted by Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson. 

When Barnes asked McAfee if there was any backlash to his comments about Williamson, McAfee spoke for more than five minutes and gave several details.

"I thought that was a warning shot to that guy," said McAfee without naming Williamson.

"I'm the executive producer of my show. I report directly to [ESPN president] Jimmy [Pitaro] and [Disney CEO] Bob [Iger]. I don’t got a motherf------ boss. We talking Jimmy Pitaro or Bob Iger? Like, is that who we’re talking about? Because those are people that could technically be described as my boss.”

McAfee then noted that Williamson is the former president of ESPN and said, “I guess a lot of people have a lot of fear of him. I did not. That guy left me sitting in his office for 45 minutes. No showed me when I was supposed to have a meeting with him five or six years ago.”

McAfee then claimed that it was Williamson who banned ESPN talent, many of whom were friends with McAfee, from appearing on his show two years ago when it just aired on YouTube.

"That guy was not a fan of me or our operation for a long time," McAfee continued. "So then whenever ESPN signs us, and he runs SportsCenter, and our show is now in place of SportsCenter at noon ... I'm a fan of SportsCenter, we all watch SportsCenter ... but there became a war almost from behind the scenes from SportsCenter people and people that have been at ESPN a long time about us coming in and 'taking their jobs' and all this other s---, and I didn't see it like that. We were pumped we made it to the big leagues. 'Hey, I'm pumped we're on the World Wide Leader.' That's how I viewed it."

McAfee then described how immediately upon joining ESPN, he felt unwelcome and in a battle with his own company.

“Immediately, it’s like, ‘this guy sucks, this guy’s ruining ESPN,’’’ said McAfee. “It’s not coming from people outside ESPN. It’s coming from people within ESPN and I did not expect that at all, so I was like, ‘I’m at war. That’s what we’re doing. We’re at war.’”

McAfee continued, “Once you start learning about how s— is going behind the scenes, things that are being said to people, things that are being leaked, the timing in which they’re being leaked, it’s like, ‘Oh, they’re trying to kill me.’ Like, they’re trying to make our show impossible to advertise with, they’re trying to make sure people don’t watch our show. So as I started learning that, I’m like, all right, I don’t know how this has gone in the past with other people, [but] this particular white trash kid from Pittsburgh, like, ‘Hey suits, this is NOT how this is gonna go,’ so that was just a warning shot.”

McAfee then said he heard from no less than 40 people that have worked at ESPN to thank him for saying what he said about Williamson.

“I genuinely did not expect it to get as big as it did because I didn’t think I said anything that was like that crazy,” McAfee said. “Like, if I really wanted to saw a motherf----- down, I thought I could have done it in a much bigger way. And I did not. So I was actually pretty proud of myself.

“I was like, Look at me, I’m an adult. And then it got loud.”

ESPN made it pretty obvious after the first time that McAfee spoke about Williamson that the network was going to back McAfee, and rightfully so. ESPN didn’t make McAfee do the fake apology thing. ESPN didn’t come out with any statements defending Williamson against McAfee’s accusations. And there wasn’t any disciplinary action taken against McAfee for calling out an executive.

This is all because McAfee doesn't need ESPN. That gives him all the power.

2. A brand new episode of the SI Media with Jimmy Traina podcast dropped today and it features an interview with WFAN/CBS Sports Network morning radio host, Gregg Giannotti.

Giannotti, who co-hosts the highly successful Boomer & Gio show talks about how he balances doing a radio show for a New York audience and a TV show for a national audience, explains how he formats the show and reveals why Boomer Esiason never knows the opening topic before the show begins.

Giannotti also discusses the importance of covering non-sports stories, the recent mishap when his show booked the wrong Randy Moss at the Super Bowl, how he assesses ratings and much more.

Following the interview with Giannotti, Sal Licata from WFAN and SNY joins us for the weekly "Traina Thoughts" segment. This week's topics include whether you should tell your significant other if you have a huge gambling win, the We Are The World documentary on Netflix, the court-storming controversy in college basketball and more.

You can listen to the podcast below or download it on Apple, Spotify and Google.

You can also watch SI Media With Jimmy Traina on Sports Illustrated’s YouTube channel.

3. With the Los Angeles Lakers trailing the Los Angeles Clippers, 96–77, entering the fourth quarter Wednesday, LeBron James, at 39 years old, managed to leave us in awe once again. He outscored the Clippers, 19–16 in the final quarter and led the Lakers to a 21-point comeback while putting up 34 points, 8 assists and 6 rebounds. Again, AT 39 YEARS OLD.

How big was the comeback? Take a look.

4. The Carolina Panthers went 2–15 last season. So owner David Tepper has decided to raise ticket prices by 4% for the 2024 season. This did not sit well with Chris “Mad Dog” Russo.

I’m sure it didn’t sit well with Charles Barkley, either, as Twitter user Tyriq Butler reminded me what Barkley told me when he appeared on SI Media With Jimmy Traina in August, that he'd ban owners from raising ticket prices after a losing season.

5. Speaking of greedy owners, God forbid the Philadelphia Phillies have one night out of their 81 home games when they sell hot dogs for $1. That promotion is no more.

6. Indiana State Sycamores center Robbie Avila is 6-foot-10, 240 pounds. He’s averaging 17 points and 7 rebounds per game this season. On Wednesday, he had 35 points in a 85–67 win against the Evansville Purple Aces. 

More important than all this is that he has the best nickname in college basketball.

7. RANDOM VIDEO OF THE DAY: Richard Lewis, who passed away Wednesday, was so perfect on Curb Your Enthusiasm. Anytime he appeared in a scene with Larry, you knew it would be gold.

Be sure to catch up on past editions of Traina Thoughts and check out SI Media With Jimmy Traina on Apple, Spotify or Google. You can also follow Jimmy on Twitter, Instagram and TikTok.

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Jimmy Traina
JIMMY TRAINA

Jimmy Traina is a staff writer and podcast host for Sports Illustrated. A 20-year veteran in the industry, he’s been covering the sports media landscape for seven years and writes a daily column, Traina Thoughts. Traina has hosted the Sports Illustrated Media Podcast since 2018, a show known for interviews with some of the most important and powerful people in sports media. He also was the creator and writer of SI’s Hot Clicks feature from 2007 to '13.

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