ESPN New York host Michael Kay pushed back Monday against Pat McAfee’s recent criticism of sports journalists, offering a measured but pointed defense of traditional reporting while acknowledging McAfee’s growing influence within ESPN’s media ecosystem.
Speaking on The Michael Kay Show, Kay addressed McAfee’s viral comments that followed a widely shared postgame interaction between a Jacksonville Free Press reporter and Jaguars head coach Liam Coen. McAfee had criticized reporters who questioned the exchange, labeling some sports journalists “curmudgeon bums” and suggesting they detract from the joy and unity sports provide.
Kay, a longtime broadcaster and former beat writer, said McAfee represents a powerful force in modern sports media. He said it is a force fundamentally different from traditional journalism.
“Pat McAfee is the new media,” Kay said. “And if you’re going to go up against him in our company, well, you’re committing professional suicide… He kind of went up and in on those that think that that was the wrong time in the wrong place.”
Kay avoided a direct personal dispute with McAfee, but he drew a clear line between their approaches. He contrasted McAfee’s conversational, personality-driven program with reporters’ roles in postgame settings. While praising McAfee’s success and ability to attract high-profile guests, Kay said the format does not translate to every media environment.
“McAfee’s show is there to celebrate sports,” Kay said. “The formula works. It’s perfect. But you couldn’t do that in a postgame scrum. That’s not the place for it.”
Kay also took issue with McAfee’s suggestion that many sports journalists approach their work through a political lens or harbor resentment toward the games they cover. He said the motivation for most reporters is far simpler.
“I never wanted to be a political reporter,” Kay says. “I love sports and I want to be a sports writer. That doesn’t mean you’re against the sport. You’re just trying to get stories.”
Defending the profession more broadly, Kay rejected the idea that questioning decisions or outcomes equals negativity or hostility toward athletes and coaches. He emphasized that accountability and inquiry are essential components of coverage.
“When Pat says we as a society have to stop taking these particular humans seriously — wow, that’s pretty strong,” Kay said. “People want to do their job and ask why you went for it on fourth-and-two. That means they shouldn’t be taken seriously? So it’s all supposed to be rah, rah. Hey, great! Wear my Jaguars gear? No, I don’t agree with it.”
Kay added that sports journalism and sports entertainment serve different purposes, but neither should invalidate the other. While acknowledging McAfee’s ability to connect with audiences and amplify positivity around sports, Kay said eliminating critical questioning would fundamentally alter the role of the media.
“I don’t prey on sports because I saw it was an easier path to make it. I think I’ve done my job in an honorable way,” said Kay.
The exchange highlights an ongoing debate within sports media. As personality-driven programming continues to grow alongside traditional reporting — often blurring the lines between celebration, criticism, and access.
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Pat McAfee is to journalism as the WWE is to sports. He thinks society should stop taking journalist seriously? People need to make sure they’re not taking McAfee seriously. He’s the court jester of sports broadcasting. And the tank top makes them even less of a serious entertainer outside of the WWE.