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By Michael Gallagher
Sports Content Coordinator
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ESPN’s Pat McAfee went on a mini rant on his “Pat McAfee Show” on Monday about the uncomfortable experience he had at the University of Utah over the weekend while on assignment with “College GameDay.”
“You know why I didn’t like it mostly?” McAfee said. “Right before I go out there, I see the University of Utah’s Instagram page — the university’s — they put out (a request), ‘Hey can you do an impression of Pat McAfee?’ One kid goes, ‘Ah, he’s corny,” another kid calls me creepy.
“If these kids would’ve done this on their own blogs — all good. … The university puts that out as I’m about to go out and do an infomercial for the place? And then I’m walking in front of thousands of people, and this is how the university feels about it? It’s an uncomfortable feeling.”
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He then cited the Charlie Kirk assassination at Utah Valley University in September of last year as to why the school’s Instagram video made him feel uneasy.
ESPN released a statement, and the network had McAfee’s back, stating security concerns aren’t something to be taken lightly.
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“The safety and security of our on-air team, crew and fans is paramount at ‘College GameDay,’” the statement read. “We are committed to ensuring a safe environment, and given the very real threats that members of our team face, we take issues involving their safety seriously. We support Pat and recognize the very real and valid concerns he has around safety and security.”
Well, as it turns out, McAfee had good reason to be worried about his safety — not just at Utah but at any “College GameDay” location — after a report from Michael McCarthy of Front Office Sports revealed that McAfee’s well being actually caught the eye of the FBI.
“McAfee receives threatening messages — including death threats — on a regular basis, sources say,” McCarthy wrote. “The week after Kirk was shot and killed, the FBI advised McAfee to wear a bulletproof vest, said one source.”
The University of Utah issued an apology to McAfee for “any perception that Pat was unsafe or unwelcome” while visiting with the “College GameDay” crew.
McAfee stated on his show on Monday that he doesn’t plan to ever return to Utah’s campus.
“I’ll hopefully never go to that place (again),” McAfee said. “I think I’ll have COVID or something whenever ‘GameDay’ goes back if I’m still a part of ‘GameDay,’ but I did not enjoy the morning there.”
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