“Go to Hell”: Pat McAfee Confirms Major Snub from ESPN After Jason Kelce’s Augusta National Update Sparks Outrage
The Pat McAfee Show is one of the major sports podcasts and media brands due to its massive reach. Despite featuring high-profile interviews like ESPN’s Adam Schefter, quarterback Aaron Rodgers, Travis, and many more, they have failed in a certain sporting event for the past three years. With former NFL star Jason Kelce getting ridiculed on the internet after the Augusta National announcement, host Pat McAfee revealed he has tried to cover the sport, but ESPN has snubbed him every time.
“We have attempted to be part of the Wednesday coverage of the Masters Par 3 thing for three years now…,” said Pat McAfee on The Pat McAfee Show via David Rumsey on X. “They told us to go to hell… They’ve turned us down very loudly numerous times.”
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The Masters Par 3 contest precedes the Augusta National tournament. The contest takes place on Wednesday and is a cherished and relaxed tradition for golf fans. This year, it will be on April 8 and will feature a scenic 9-hole course, as always. McAfee has been trying to secure the rights to cover the casual, family-oriented tournament.
Moreover, the podcast is dedicated to the NFL and college football. Since officially joining ESPN’s lineup in the fall of 2023, he has also served as an analyst on College Gameday. Surprisingly, the former NFL punter’s snub came just a month after it was announced that ESPN canceled its other free agency show and would rely entirely on McAfee.
ESPN decided that The Pat McAfee Show would be the main show when free agency commenced in the second week of March. The coverage will come live from McAfee’s Thunderdome studio in Indianapolis, not from ESPN’s usual East Coast studios. However, when it came to golf, ESPN was not ready to show the same faith in him. While McAfee failed to land the job, former Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce did. But it led to an online outrage from golf fans.
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Fans are not happy with Jason Kelce covering the Masters Par 3
New Heights fans know that Jason Kelce is a massive golf fan. He regularly follows the sport, and got a chance to be part of the coverage crew last month. During the final three matches of the TGL regular season on March 1-3, Kelce served as a guest commentator. It was all part of the ESPN network. The NFL analyst on ESPN’s Monday Night Countdown did not have to wait long for his second golf gig.
November 11, 2024, Inglewood, California, USA: Jason Kelce does commentary at the regular NFL, American Football Herren, USA season game between the Los Angeles Rams and the Miami Dolphins on Monday November 11, 2024 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. JAVIER ROJAS/PI Inglewood USA – ZUMAp124 20241111_zaa_p124_014 Copyright: xJavierxRojasx
According to Front Office Sports, the 6-time All-Pro will be present during the Masters Par 3 Contest at Augusta National as a guest on-course reporter. He will conduct interviews with players and their families during the contest. Despite it being a great opportunity for the former center, the golf community was not pleased with the decision.
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“The Masters is a tradition that cannot be matched. It doesn’t need some overpaid comedian. Leave it to ESPN to ruin this as well,” one person wrote on social media.
It is not just Kelce; even ESPN had to face the fans’ wrath.
“Get Jason Kelsey the f**k away from golf. Looks like a fucking douche in that Hawaiian cutoff,” a golf fan wrote on X.
The comments just kept on coming. The Masters tournament is one of the four major golf tournaments. Thousands of people watch the coverage. But to bring an NFL player to cover the Masters Par 3 did not sit well with anyone.
“Kelce? ESPN f**ks up everything it touches,” commented another fan on X.
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Another commented, “I don’t get the appeal of him. He’s not funny or entertaining at all.”
Many believe elder Kelce got all the fame because of the New Heights podcasts, which also feature Travis Kelce, who is in a relationship with popular singer Taylor Swift. Irrespective of all the outrage, Pat McAfee has congratulated the 7-time Pro Bowler on his podcast. Maybe somewhere, he feels relieved since he is not on the receiving end of such an outburst. But who knows what he is feeling? It remains to be seen how things unfold as the golf tournament nears.
