Pat McAfee is not easing into Super Bowl week quietly. Instead, the outspoken host of The Pat McAfee Show made it clear Wednesday that he is embracing everything Super Bowl LX radio row has to offer — including face-to-face encounters with critics who have spent the past year taking shots from afar.
Speaking during his ESPN program, McAfee described radio row as a uniquely confrontational and entertaining environment where sports media personalities, celebrities and longtime skeptics are forced into the same physical space. For McAfee, that dynamic is part of the appeal.
“Throughout the week, there’ll be massive pop-ins, huge celebrity conversations, and people that we’ve certainly made fun of or talked s**t about seeing us in our face for the first time,” McAfee said. “Those are fun times. Also the other way. Those people that have talked s**t about us for the first time? Oh, you fat nerd. Good to see you.”
McAfee did not shy away from addressing the adversarial relationships that often exist within sports media. He suggested radio row removes the distance that allows criticism to flourish unchecked during the season, replacing it with direct interaction that can be awkward, humorous or revealing.
“A lot of these sports media people run their mouth all season, and then we see them at radio row,” McAfee said. “They’re all like, ‘Oh, it’s good to see you.’ Meanwhile, I remember exactly what you said.”
While acknowledging that radio row attracts its share of negativity, McAfee emphasized that it remains an essential part of the Super Bowl experience. He described it as a crossroads where media coverage, access and personality collide in ways that cannot be replicated elsewhere during the week.
“There are a lot of great people at radio row, too,” McAfee said. “But yeah, people who commit their lives to eating terribly and writing very mean things about sports all day do end up there as well.”
McAfee also took note of ESPN’s broader Super Bowl footprint. While he mentioned his confusion on why the network doesn’t broadcast from radio row, he pointed out that radio row represents more than just interviews and programming.
In his view, it is the daytime heartbeat of the event, separate from the game itself and the nightly parties surrounding it.
“Radio row is the Super Bowl,” McAfee said. “During the day in the city, that’s where everything happens.”
This year’s setup holds added significance for McAfee, whose show will broadcast from radio row Wednesday through Friday in San Francisco. He expressed gratitude for the opportunity and excitement about the unpredictable mix of guests that inevitably pass through.
“Radio row is the place to be if you’re going to the Super Bowl,” McAfee said. “The fact that we have a spot there, we’re very grateful for. All the guests that will swing by trying to sell some bulls**t. We can’t wait”
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. Sign up for our newsletters to stay updated and get the latest information right in your inbox.
