Utah grovels to Pat McAfee, WNBA’s brunch game is peak stupid & why you should take your dogs on vacation
Pat McAfee criticised the University of Utah after its official social media account shared students mocking him shortly before ESPN’s College GameDay broadcast from the campus. He said the university’s involvement made him uncomfortable, particularly given safety threats faced by public figures, and ended the show by saying he hoped not to see the crowd again. Utah apologised, saying the post was intended as light-hearted but had “missed the mark”.
The article also describes an awkward kicking contest during the broadcast, in which a female contestant asked McAfee for $3 million to make a 33-yard kick, despite a $1 million offer. The column places these incidents alongside complaints about unsolicited political campaign texts and previews other topics, including a WNBA brunch game and taking dogs on holiday. It gives no further details on those topics in the supplied text.
In short
- Utah apologised after its account shared student jibes at Pat McAfee.
- McAfee said the post made him uncomfortable and signed off sharply.
- The column also mentions campaign texts and other sports and culture topics.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
A university account should avoid amplifying content that appears to target a named broadcaster, especially when public figures can face threats and students may read the post as institutional endorsement. Utah’s apology recognises that its attempt at light-hearted engagement could have crossed that line, and McAfee was entitled to explain why it made him uncomfortable.
The case against
The post was described as students mocking McAfee, and Utah said it was intended as light-hearted; a reasonable view is that this was ordinary campus banter rather than a threat or an institutional attack. McAfee could criticise the university’s judgement, while the scale of his response and his wish not to return may seem disproportionate if the post was brief, non-threatening and promptly apologised for.
Explained simply
Pat McAfee is a former American football player who now hosts a sports programme on ESPN, a major US television network. ESPN’s College GameDay travels to university campuses before prominent college football matches, drawing crowds and attention to the host school.
The University of Utah is a public university whose official social media accounts represent the institution. Posts from those accounts can be seen as speaking for the university, even when intended as jokes. The episode raises questions about how universities use social media and how public figures respond when they feel targeted.
The headline also mentions a WNBA brunch game and taking dogs on holiday, but the supplied account gives no background on those subjects.
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