There was a time when sports announcing jobs were only available through television networks and leagues. That is not the case these days. Now, television personalities can bootstrap themselves on platforms like YouTube and TikTok.
Pat McAfee, host of The Pat McAfee Show, started his show on YouTube with the help of a distribution deal. These independent beginnings built a culture unique to sports broadcasting. Where once television sports analysts wore suits and ties, McAfee is known for tank tops and casual wear. And while this used to be unheard of, the former pro athlete is also high most of the time.
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The latest discussion of his weed consumption happened on Chase Holden’s channel GarageGuyChase when Ryan McGee visited the set.
“I did the show for three hours, and man, they smoked so much weed,” McGee said in the interview. “And they’re like you, they’re like do you want any of this? I go, ‘I gotta go back to Gasoline Alley guys, just, collaterally, I’m already a little buzzed…so. No.”
All three people on the line laughed, but not all sports fans were laughing along. X user JustASportGuy posted a video of McAfee intoxicated while interviewing a coach in Ireland.
“Dude puked during his show and introduced himself to the guy he had been interviewing for 10+ minutes,” JustASportGuy posted alongside the video.
Many commenters approved of the spectacle, with one saying they would watch the show now that they had seen the clip. The original poster mentioned that they found it hilarious.
Not everyone thought McAfee’s drunken escapades were so charming. Quincy Avery, a quarterback coach, expressed disappointment in the comments, stating, “No one thinks it’s wild someone can get hammered drunk on ESPN & everyone act like it’s cool?”
Former ESPN color commentator Ryan D Leaf replied, “he’s high 80% of the time on his TV show it’s said!!”
The mood seems split on McAfee, but one thing is for certain, people keep talking about his larger-than-life personality. Frankly, being stoned is the least of his controversies. McAfee has spent his post-athletic career as a sports analyst with little to no filter.
The host welcomed NFL quarterback Aaron Rodgers on for multiple episodes that sparked heated debate. In one, he was praised for his anti-vaccination stance at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Rodgers also used the platform to wrongfully claim that Jimmy Kimmel was on the Epstein island list–that one got him threatened with a lawsuit.
While the controversial quarterback has become the target of ire for much of this, McAfee has only grown more popular. His show garnered almost 400 million views from April 2023 to 2024 on YouTube, TikTok, Twitter, Instagram, and ESPN. While not everyone agrees with his methods or beliefs, Pat McAfee high on air proves that a sports analyst can also be a pothead.
