Pat McAfee will make his “Monday Night Countdown” debut during the Week 1 clash between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Denver Broncos. McAfee’s ascension to ESPN’s premier show has divided opinion among fans and analysts.
Linda Cohn Weighs In on Pat McAfee Fatigue
McAfee will not only appear on “Monday Night Countdown,” but his crew is also reportedly negotiating with ESPN on a new show that would serve as an alternate cast for Monday Night Football whenever the ManningCast is not airing.
During Thursday’s segment of the “Linda Cohn Show,” former ESPN analyst Linda Cohn took issue with McAfee’s new role on ESPN.
“I admire it all, but admiring what Pat McAfee has accomplished doesn’t mean I believe he needs to be everywhere at every time,” Cohn said. “Because, yeah, ESPN wants Pat McAfee to be everywhere at every time. How much Pat McAfee is enough Pat McAfee? The answer apparently was more.”
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McAfee is already a permanent fixture on the “College GameDay” cast, and he continues to straddle college football and the NFL. He also hosts the popular “The Pat McAfee Show” and is reportedly in talks with ESPN over a $60–65 million annual contract.
Cohn, who was inducted into the National Sports Media Association’s Hall of Fame in 2017, retired in June after anchoring SportsCenter since 1992.
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“So, let’s review your potential Monday during the NFL season, which is just a couple of weeks away,” Cohn said. “Three hours of Pat’s daily show, “The Pat McAfee Show,” from the game site. Then, Pat joins “Monday Night Countdown” before the game. And then, on certain nights, potentially, his own alternative broadcast of Monday Night Football.
“At this point, let’s just call it ‘Monday Night McAfee, has a nice ring to it. But wait a minute, ESPN already has Peyton and Eli Manning and the ManningCast. I love Peyton and Eli. I love the ManningCast… Apparently, if Peyton and Eli take the night off, we cannot be left alone with the actual football game broadcast. What’s wrong with (Joe) Buck and (Troy) Aikman alone? Can’t we just watch them, the actual football game?”
McAfee has incurred the wrath of the sports world several times this month. The former Indianapolis Colts punter was widely criticized for hosting Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers during his explosive rant against Dr. Fauci.
The “College GameDay” mainstay also received widespread backlash for entertaining President Donald Trump during the Patriot Games at SPIRE Academy in Ohio last week.
McAfee’s debut album “The Diary of a Polarizing Figure,” released last week, which received negative reactions on social media as the ESPN personality continued to dominate the news cycle.
