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New York Times
12-06-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Inside Pat McAfee's world: Adam Schefter's ban, solo GameDay dreams, possibly more live events
Pat McAfee's style is born from WWE DNA. McAfee is a character with traces of Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Rock and Roman Reigns — only real. He is outlandish, impulsive and lives in his own McAfeesphere. McAfee's unpredictable nature in writing his script is intoxicating for his audience. Like the best WWE stars, he can have his hand out to shake on an agreement and then quickly pull it away. That's Pat McAfee's music. Advertisement In recent weeks, McAfee has touted '#UpToSomethingSZN' on his social media feeds, which is the term he uses when he is thinking about new deals. While he is currently under contract with ESPN and WWE, the constraints of signed agreements have never stopped him. McAfee tends to get what he wants, which was exemplified by the right to swear on ESPN during his daily talk program, 'The Pat McAfee Show.' This privilege, a first in the network's long history, was part of McAfee's five-year, $85 million-plus licensing agreement with ESPN that he signed in the spring of 2023. McAfee has two years left on his College GameDay contract. Last year, he considered not returning before re-signing. He has mused with associates about starting his own, independent version of GameDay, according to sources briefed on discussions. This does not appear to be happening, at least not now. But he is mercurial and can make big decisions seemingly on whims. McAfee cares about his image. During a GameDay stop in Norman, Oklahoma, last fall, McAfee grew upset about being shown swinging and missing during a segment in which he faced a University of Oklahoma softball pitcher. McAfee, according to sources briefed on the incident, demanded to know the name of the GameDay staff member who put it on the air, but he was denied the information. He has essentially banned ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter from his program since March. The usually omnipresent Schefter hasn't been on 'The Pat McAfee Show' since that month's free agent deadline. Sources said that the main issue stemmed from one incident. One afternoon, McAfee wanted Schefter on his program. Schefter was appearing on an ESPN2 free agency special and was unable to make it. Schefter, formerly a McAfee Show regular, has been banished ever since. (A McAfee sidekick, Ty Schmit, has remained a regular on Schefter's podcast). Advertisement Schefter's rival, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, has been on McAfee's show instead. Prior to McAfee's program airing on ESPN, Rapoport had been a regular. ESPN NFL newcomer Peter Schrager also has appeared. 'Pat and his show are thriving on ESPN,' ESPN president of content Burke Magnus said in a statement. 'We are very pleased with the partnership. That said, in the nearly three years since Pat has brought his show to our platforms, we've continuously seen those out there that are seemingly obsessed with wanting to see Pat fail on ESPN. This rumor is just the latest example of that. Pat and his show continue to break the mold and reach new audiences, and we look forward to the continued success together.' Magnus did not answer any questions. McAfee did not return messages. ESPN declined further comment. Hours after The Athletic reached out about Schefter's banishment, an ESPN spokesperson said that Schefter will return to McAfee's show on Thursday for the first time in around three months. Besides the behind-the-scenes machinations, McAfee has also been in the middle of on-air headlines. He has discussed a false internet rumor about an unknown 18-year-old college student, which made national headlines, called a now-former top ESPN executive a 'rat' and allowed Aaron Rodgers to pontificate political and medical theories on the all-sports network. McAfee likes to pretend like he is some dumb jock, but he is smart and has quickly figured out the sports media business. He can do good and charitable TV, like his must-see kicking segments during GameDay, where he has given college students the chance to make a field goal for hundreds of thousands of dollars. He and Nick Saban, a yin-and-yang combo, have breathed new life into the iconic program. All in all, McAfee freelances, not guided by some traditional media playbook. He is gutsy, willing to jump from his WWE commentator seat and into the ring, and then make a bet-on-himself career turn. Advertisement In 2017, McAfee, then just 29 with knee issues, walked away from a $2.8 million salary as the punter for the Indianapolis Colts to join Barstool Sports. After several moves, his popularity led to a reported four-year, $120 million deal with FanDuel. Two years ago, he left that contract before its completion to sign his licensing deal with ESPN. ESPN values its connection with McAfee, who attracts a younger audience, according to ESPN's internal data. He and Stephen A. Smith are the network's most talked-about personalities. McAfee's association with ESPN is part of its strategy as it dives into the full direct-to-consumer game beginning this fall. ESPN will make its service available without a cable or any other type of bundled subscription. (Fans with cable or a similar subscription will see no change to their ESPN access.) In ESPN's first 30-second promotion for the new venture, McAfee joined Smith, Scott Van Pelt, Malika Andrews and Dick Vitale as the only current on-air personalities shown. As part of the fall launch of the direct-to-consumer service, a campaign that ESPN has marketed as 'Sports Forever,' ESPN has been trying to add more content to the enhanced ESPN app to make it a go-to for existing and future customers. It failed in luring Colin Cowherd from Fox Sports but succeeded with former ESPN personality Rich Eisen, taking his daily show from Roku. Both Cowherd's and Eisen's talk shows happen to be on at the same time as McAfee's noon-3 p.m. ET program. They would not have replaced McAfee from noon-2 p.m on ESPN's main channel, but they will be available via streaming, like McAfee's show. 'We will have responses, as well,' McAfee said on the air after the Eisen news was public. McAfee did not offer up any specifics. Adding to the time-slot counter-programming, Smith will have his own SiriusXM program from 1-3 p.m. ET that will be in direct competition with McAfee. ESPN has plenty of on-air contributors to go around, but there may be more scoreboard-keeping from McAfee, as there was with Schefter in March. Advertisement McAfee clearly values the guests he has — and part of his personality seems to crave the WWE-type conflict. He writes the script and, like the best dramas, it is always hard to know where it is going to go. We will offer a prediction of sorts: McAfee will likely look to do more live events. In April, he performed in front of a reported crowd of more than 12,500 fans in an arena in Pittsburgh, where he grew up. His guests included big names, like singer Jelly Roll, comedian Shane Gillis and wrestler Jey Uso, among others. Maybe McAfee sets his sights on New Year's Eve and tries to create his own franchise, like a modern day Dick Clark or a counter to Ryan Seacrest and Anderson Cooper as the ball drops. McAfee could use his WWE instincts to find new rivals. He likes to be the one counter-programming.
Daily Mail
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Country music star Riley Green now unrecognizable after shaving off his mustache... and fans are stunned
Country music superstar Riley Green has shocked fans after changing one of his signature physical features. The Different 'Round Here hitmaker, 36, took to Instagram this week to post a selfie without his trademark mustache. Posing with his clean-shaven mug on full display, Green captured the photo, 'Never let em know your next move. #Shegone.' His new look received a strong reaction online and from the country community, with one leading country music radio station taking 'a moment of silence' to 'honor' Green's 'facial glory.' Fans online were mixed over Green's fresh-faced look, but the general reception was supportive. 'I like him without the mustache, it looks more handsome and younger!!!' gushed one. 'Too many guys with the mustache now days we need a few without it,' added another. 'He went from Tombstone to Dawson's Creek,' joked a third, while a fourth commented, 'Wow Looks so much younger! Handsome as heck.' Born in Jacksonville, Alabama, Green started out as a football quarterback before swapping the field for the stage. Before his music career took off, he appeared on the now defunct CMT reality series Redneck Island. Green won season four of the competition series, which was hosted by former WWE superstar Stone Cold Steve Austin. His big break in country music came in 2018 with his hit song There Was This Girl. The catchy track became a favorite at country radio and helped launch his first album, Different 'Round Here. Despite only reaching No. 95 on the Billboard 200, the album was a sleeper hit and was eventually certified gold for sales of more than 500,000 copies. His biggest hit came with 2019's I Wish Grandpas Never Died, which went triple platinum. In recent years, Riley has released two more albums, Ain't My Last Rodeo and Don't Mind If I Do, and teamed up with fellow country artists like Luke Combs and Ella Langley. His duet with Langley, You Look Like You Love Me, won a Country Music Association award in 2024. In recent months, Green has been romantically linked to country music darling Megan Moroney. Green insisted that he was still single back in March, but it hasn't stopped the speculation around him and Moroney.
