ESPN urged to fire Pat McAfee over controversial | Sports News

ESPN is under pressure to dismiss famed host Pat McAfee after he was compelled to apologize for his tirade against Canada.

McAfee lashed out at Canadian wrestling enthusiasts who booed the American national anthem – ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’ – sung by Elizabeth Irving, while he provided commentary for the WWE Chambers event in Toronto on Saturday. The former NFL punter, who played for the Indianapolis Colts from 2009 to 2016 before transitioning to media, faced intense criticism for calling Canada a “terrible country.”

During the broadcast, McAfee claimed: “These are the most stacked Elimination Chambers that the WWE has ever had. It kind of sucks that it’s in the terrible country of Canada that booed our national anthem to start this entire thing!”

His comments came at a particularly delicate time following United States President Trump’s pledge to levy tariffs on the nation. Calls for an apology from the 37-year-old TV figure were rampant among viewers, and McAfee delivered a three-minute mea culpa on his show Monday.

“There’s been some things said to me from Canadians that I guess I respect, because of the passion that you have for your country, which I hope you understand that I was showing the same for mine,” he said.

“You booed my country. Now, I heard from a lot of Canadians. During the national anthem, obviously the Rogers Centre, overwhelming boo. I mean, very loud boo. The first reaction whenever the national anthem starts up there was for some of these Canadians just to start booing. My entire life, my first reaction when somebody boos the national anthem is, ‘f— you.’

“I love Canadians, but my first reaction whenever you boo our country is, ‘Well, OK, let’s fight.’ And I’m sorry, so let’s go shake their hands – Canada.”

McAfee then extended his hand towards the camera in a peace offering gesture. However, viewers took to social media demanding that McAfee be dismissed from his role with the U.S. network due to his contentious remarks. Keith Olbermann, former ESPN host and current MSNBC presenter, called on his previous employers to sever ties with the Barstool Sports head honcho, branding him an “idiot.”

“A lot of us tried to warn the new ESPN management that the day would come when this idiot would draw them into a permanent political controversy and they could either be subsumed by it, or fire him,” Olbermann wrote on X. “That day is today. Fire him.”

Social media users echoed this sentiment, with one X user stating: “McAfee SHOULD be fired.”

However, some defended him, with one supporter arguing: “Pat shouldn’t have to apologize for something he said in character on a wrestling show.”

McAfee has been a member of the ESPN family since 2019, contributing to their ‘Thursday Night College Football’ broadcasts and later serving as a full-time analyst on ‘College Gameday.’ Any potential exit might be complicated by the fact that McAfee currently licenses ‘The Pat McAfee Show’ to the broadcasting behemoth, a deal believed to be worth a sum in the eight figures.