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ESPN has a problem with Pat McAfee.
The sports network sparked a torrent of backlash on Tuesday when it allowed curious and injured New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers to baselessly suggest during his broadcast that Jimmy Kimmel might be named in documents identifying Jeffrey Epstein associates.
Kimmel, undeniably one of the brightest stars in the Disney universe, responded to the claim on ABC's sister network, saying the “reckless words” put his family “in danger” and that if he continued like this, the two of them would “Die Continue to discuss facts in court.”
McAfee, for his part, apologized on Wednesday. The athlete, who confessed to Andrew Marchand of the New York Post that he paid Rodgers seven figures to appear on his show, told his audience that his program was intended to be “uplifting, joyful and entertaining” and that he “doesn't like it , that we will ever be associated with anything negative.”
“Of course people are very angry about some things, especially when the allegations are so serious,” McAfee said. “So we apologize for being involved.”
The less-than-vigorous apology, delivered a full day after the offensive remark, came far too late. Rodgers' alleged “shit joke” about Kimmel, as McAfee described it, went viral and gave vent to the idea that the comedian was an associate of Epstein, the convicted pedophile.
An ESPN spokesperson declined to comment on the matter, and a Disney representative did not respond when I reached out to him on Wednesday, despite the unusual situation involving one of the entertainment giant's most prominent figures outside the walls of the Magic Kingdom was spurned.
It's unlikely that Bob Iger is thrilled that the reputation of one of his top talents on Disney's own sports network has taken a hit. But perhaps the head of Mouse House should familiarize himself with the ritual, as episodes like this are bound to happen again with McAfee on his payroll.
The story goes on
In fact, the Kimmel-McAfee-Rodgers drama underscores a growing problem for ESPN, which reportedly signed a five-year, $85 million deal with McAfee last May to expand his role at the network and “The Pat McAfee Show” on the air bring to. Instead of drawing attention for sports commentary, McAfee's weekly chats with Rodgers have given way to headlines that might make InfoWars' Alex Jones jealous.
Anti-vaxxer Rodgers, who positions himself as a fighter for “medical freedom,” has repeatedly and shamelessly used his platform on ESPN to question Covid-19 vaccines, which the scientific community credits with saving countless lives and restoring normalcy in… society attributes to a year of shutdowns that brutally impacted the global economy. But Rodgers doesn't seem to care what the vast majority of medical professionals believe. Instead, he's fallen into the fever swamp occupied by the likes of Alex Berenson and Tucker Carlson.
Rodgers has Dr. Attacking Anthony Fauci, hyping anti-vaccine presidential candidate Robert Kennedy Jr. and calling Travis Kelce “Mr. Pfizer” because of advertising with the pharmaceutical company. Just the other day on the McAfee Show, Rodgers went on what the Chron called a “bizarre anti-vaccination tirade,” in which he talked about anti-vaccination advocates being supposed “puppet masters.”
Rodgers spouted this nonsense on ESPN, aided by a cheerful McAfee. Instead of fighting back, McAfee often laughs approvingly with the NFL player about it, seemingly oblivious to the harm his irresponsible rhetoric can cause.
And to be honest, ESPN and Disney haven't done much better. Instead of denouncing the dangerous cocktail of conspiratorial garbage that Rodgers is serving up to his audience, ESPN – which bills itself as the “world's leading sports provider” – has chosen to remain silent, apparently unable or unwilling to muster the courage to To take a stand for the truth.
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