Mina Kimes did not review Pat McAfee’s new album. She did not mention it at all, and that silence was enough for some NFL fans to decide she had already won the day.
As McAfee’s “The Diary of a Polarizing Figure” arrived Friday and ESPN personalities publicly praised it, Kimes used her own feed to promote a different release. Fans quickly interpreted the timing as a subtle bit of musical counterprogramming.
Fans Love Mina Kimes’ Very Different Album Recommendation
“My friend @channel_tres new album came out today and it rips. Check it out,” Kimes wrote on X, linking to Channel Tres’ new record, “Enigma POV.”
Kimes never mentioned McAfee, much less criticized his album. The internet, naturally, supplied the subtext for her.
“The GOAT Mina blessing my feed with some counter programming to the McAfee shill fest,” one fan wrote on X.
The GOAT Mina blessing my feed with some counter programming to the mcafee shill-fest https://t.co/EFyknH0LRZ
— Machinima Gun Kelly (@AutoAmes) August 14, 2026
Another user called it “such a funny post,” while a user named ‘Marc Malabanan’ responded by writing, “Not surprised, Mina knows ball.”
not surprised, Mina knows ball https://t.co/7CRvV58cn5
— Marc Malabanan (@marcisdaname) August 14, 2026
Brett Rasdall took the comparison one step further and wrote, “Best album that was released today for sure.”
That joke landed because McAfee’s debut album was receiving plenty of attention inside ESPN. Dan Orlovsky praised the project as “legit good good,” a review that immediately generated its own wave of mockery online. Fans accused ESPN personalities of laying the compliments on a little thick.
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Kimes, meanwhile, was talking about Channel Tres.
The connection is not entirely random. Channel Tres released “Enigma POV” on Friday, the same day as McAfee’s record. The 16-track project is his second studio album and includes production from Pharrell and Take A Daytrip. Kimes’ husband, producer Nick Sylvester, also worked extensively on the record.
McAfee released the 14-track “The Diary of a Polarizing Figure” after teasing the project for weeks. The former Indianapolis Colts punter has described the album as a personal response to years of criticism and public narratives surrounding him.
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Fans Have Been Considerably Less Sentimental About McAfee’s Album
The project drew immediate fan backlash on social media, with listeners mocking everything from the music itself to the enthusiastic praise coming from McAfee’s ESPN colleagues. Orlovsky’s album praise quickly became another target.
That backdrop made Kimes’ Channel Tres recommendation irresistible to people already joking about ESPN rallying around McAfee’s release.
One user on X predicted that McAfee would be “in the head offices crying” over Kimes promoting competition to his album.
There is no evidence Kimes intended her post as a jab. She promoted a friend’s album and never referenced McAfee.
But social media rarely lets innocent timing stay innocent for long.
