Tag: Pat McAfee

Pat McAfee joining ESPN’s College GameDay

Pat McAfee has landed another gig as he has signed a full-time deal with ESPN.

The former NFL punter will help host “College GameDay,” which is a show about college football that airs every Saturday morning during the football season.

The news was first reported by the New York Post. It has since been confirmed by McAfee.

McAfee said today on his podcast/radio show that he will be putting his SmackDown duties on hold during the college football season but he is still part of the WWE family.

McAfee said that he was thinking about doing both gigs at the same time but it’s tough for him to keep up with the travel schedule and WWE suggested for him to take the time away and he could return when the time is right.

“Now one of our guys is on College GameDay,” McAfee said in regards to a text message he got from an “OG” from WWE after praising the company on his show.

Triple H tweeted the following:

@PatMcAfeeShow approached us about his amazing opportunity with College GameDay. We’d never stand in Pat’s way, as he continues to architect his exceptional career. Pat will remain a member of the @WWE  Universe and we look forward to his return. #UpToSomethingSZN”

Source: WrestlingNews.co

Pat McAfee Is In Talks With Amazon For NFL “Thursday Night Football” Position [Report]

According to a report, SmackDown commentator Pat McAfee is in talks with Amazon for a position on their “Thursday Night Football” program.

WWE SmackDown commentator and popular sports personality Pat McAfee is reportedly talking with Amazon about a position for their NFL Thursday Night Football broadcasts.

According to a report from Ryan Glasspiegel of the New York Post, the two sides “have been in discussions about the former NFL punter contributing to” the Thursday Night Football program. Glasspiegel added that there have been talks about having The Pat McAfee Show air on Amazon’s Prime Video streaming service, though a source told him “nothing has been finalized.”

McAfee, a former NFL punter, played with the Indianapolis Colts from 2009 to 2016. The two-time Pro Bowler retired in 2017 and entered a broadcasting career soon after. In April of last year, WWE brought in McAfee to serve alongside Michael Cole on the SmackDown broadcast team.

FOX held the NFL’s Thursday Night Football program from 2017 to 2021. Last year, the league signed new television deals with ABC/ESPN, FOX, CBS, Amazon and NBC. They recently hired longtime NBC and legendary announcer Al Michaels to serve as the play-by-play man for Thursday Night Football. Well-known ESPN college football commentator Kirk Herbstreit will also be part of the Amazon commentary team.

McAfee has also added professional wrestling to his resume, competing in four matches for WWE thus far. Two of them, of course, took place at WrestleMania 38 weekend in Arlington, Texas. McAfee defeated Austin Theory at day two of the show but lost an ensuing bout to WWE chairman Vince McMahon.

McAfee is one of the most followed and beloved sports personalities, so it’s not surprising that Amazon is supposedly interested in bringing him aboard their football broadcasts. McAfee would certainly be a fun addition to a broadcast team that already features two of the most accomplished and legendary football sports commentators in history.

Source: TheSportster

WWE SmackDown Preview 3/4/22, Pat McAfee – WrestleMania 38

The Road to WrestleMania 38 continues tonight as WWE SmackDown on FOX will air live from the FTX Arena in Miami, Florida.

It’s believed that there may be some sort of follow-up to Pat McAfee’s interview with WWE Chairman & CEO Vince McMahon on tonight’s show, but nothing is official. McAfee vs. McMahon in some form is still rumored for WrestleMania 38, and while McAfee agreed to wrestle on The Grandest Stage of Them All during the interview, Vince said they would find him a worthy opponent.

WWE Reportedly Planning On “Smoke And Mirrors” For Vince McMahon Match Against Pat McAfee At WrestleMania 38

Vince McMahon vs. Pat McAfee is reportedly listed in the internal schedule for WrestleMania 38.

Dave Meltzer of The Wrestling Observer reports that although the 76-year-old WWE Chairman will be advertised for a match at the Showcase of Immortals, he is not expected to take any bumps in what will be a “complete smoke and mirrors event.”

Meltzer noted that the match “was confirmed to be on the books for the [WrestleMania] lineup” as on Sunday evening. The seeds for the match will reportedly be planted when McMahon appears on The Pat McAfee Show this Thursday.

With McMahon unlikely to take any bumps in the match with McAfee, there is speculation among fans on social media that Austin Theory will wrestle on behalf of the WWE boss. Theory has been in an on-screen storyline with McMahon for several months.

The news of McMahon starting a storyline with McAfee was first reported by John Pollock of POST Wrestling last Friday. Vince McMahon’s last match was at WrestleMania XVI, where he lost to WWE Hall of Famer Bret Hart.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

SmackDown Commentator Pat McAfee Tests Positive For Covid-19

WWE color commentator Pat McAfee has tested positive for Covid-19 and will likely miss the next two SmackDown episodes.

WWE color commentator Pat McAfee has tested positive for Covid-19 and will presumably be absent from this week’s episode of SmackDown.

McAfee took to social media to let his fans know that he had tested positive for the virus and would be “aht” (out) indefinitely despite being fully vaccinated.

“Fully Vax’d. Very Positive,” McAfee captioned an image of three at-home Covid tests that signified he had indeed tested positive.

“It’s miserable but thankful that my wife and the boys at the office all took tests and they are all negative,” he continued. “This is obviously a sign from the universe, probably telling me that I stink & to stay home for a while.”

Pat also included a photo of a digital thermometer on which his fever was recorded as 104.5 — which is high!

Sadly, McAfee will probably miss the next two episodes on SmackDown at the very least, which is a shame as he’s been a very welcome addition to the WWE broadcast crew.

Pat and his SmackDown broadcast colleague Michael Cole have covered the SmackDown sides of every WWE pay-per-view since McAfee debuted on the blue brand. At the Money In The Bank pay-per-view, the duo shared a historic call when John Cena returned to WWE following the main event after more than a year away. Cole had nothing but good things to say about his colleague while appearing as a guest on a recent edition of The Pat McAfee Show.

“First I do want to say this—and I’ve read a lot about this online as well but it’s absolutely true—you’ve completely revitalized my career,” Cole gushed.

McAfee is a former NFL player who became SmackDown’s new color commentator back in April following a brief but successful stint in NXT where he served as a broadcaster and an in-ring talent. On his SmackDown debut, McAfee was referred to as a “former NXT Superstar” by Michael Cole.

Source: TheSportster

Pat McAfee Joins The WWE SmackDown Announce Team

Pat McAfee has joined the WWE SmackDown announce team.

WWE and McAfee just announced that the former NFL star turned podcaster, who recently had a strong run in WWE NXT, will join the SmackDown commentary team beginning tonight with the post-WrestleMania 37 episode.

McAfee and Michael Cole will make up the new SmackDown announce team. This change comes after Corey Graves was sent to RAW this week, to work with Byron Saxton and newcomer Adnan Virk.

“For as long as I can remember WWE has been a company that I have admired, both for its incredible staying power of creating riveting entertainment and for its ability to connect people all over the globe,” McAfee said in a press release. “I’ve been fortunate to try a lot of cool professions but working for WWE was the one I looked forward to most. I am incredibly honored and grateful for the chance to give back to the business that has given me and many others so much and having the opportunity to sit at the same table that legends have graced is truly a dream come true. Now let’s go get it.”

https://twitter.com/PatMcAfeeShow/status/1383027420991750146

Pat McAfee joins Friday Night SmackDown announce team

WWE today announced that Pat McAfee will debut as the new analyst for Friday Night SmackDown tonight at 8 pm ET live on FOX.

McAfee dropped the news on the WWE Universe with a huge social media announcement on Friday morning.

“For as long as I can remember WWE has been a company that I have admired, both for its incredible staying power of creating riveting entertainment and for its ability to connect people all over the globe,” said McAfee. “I’ve been fortunate to try a lot of cool professions but working for WWE was the one I looked forward to most. I am incredibly honored and grateful for the chance to give back to the business that has given me and many others so much and having the opportunity to sit at the same table that legends have graced is truly a dream come true. Now let’s go get it.”

McAfee will be joined at ringside every week by Michael Cole, VP of WWE’s on air announce talent and voice of Friday Night SmackDown on FOX.

Known for his candid, relatable, and refreshing opinions, McAfee’s insight and sense of humor have built him a large, loyal and active fan base. In addition to being a philanthropist, social media influencer, stand-up comedian and former All-Pro punter for the Indianapolis Colts, McAfee is also the host of the #1 international daily streaming sports show The Pat McAfee Show, which is simulcast both on YouTube and on Sirius XM Channel 82 Mad Dog Sports Radio. Additionally, McAfee is the host of the popular podcast The Pat McAfee Show 2.0 and has performed both inside the ring and behind the microphone on WWE’s NXT.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Pat McAfee Accepts Challenge To Wrestle Adam Cole At NXT TakeOver: XXX

Triple H’s challenge for Pat McAfee to wrestle Adam Cole at NXT TakeOver: XXX has been accepted via beachside promo.

Triple H threw out the challenge to McAfee Thursday morning after the former NFL player punted Cole on Wednesday’s edition of NXT.

Pat accepted the challenge hours later in a video he took on his honeymoon.

“Triple H goes on ‘Get Up’ with Mike Greenberg and starts talking about how Adam Cole wants to challenge me to a fight at NXT TakeOver: XXX on August 22nd. That’s two weeks,” he said. “Two weeks to fight a guy whose been wrestling for twelve years. A guy who’s the longest-reigning NXT Champion. A guy whose been there, done that, with everything. What have I been doing? Oh, I dunno. Kicking-off Super Bowls. Running businesses, podcasting, radio shows, merch companies, being a standup comic, taking care of everyone one of my family members and my friends, and figuring things out as I go.”

“Two weeks is not a lot of time to learn how to keep up with somebody whose been doing something for over a decade. But two weeks is enough time to find enough anger inside of me. To find enough motivation to beat the sh*t out of Adam Cole. I’ll figure it out. August 22nd is gonna be a problem for the guy who once called himself ‘The King of NXT.’ And Triple H, you said you’re gonna be able to make me famous? Well your biggest guy is about to get made famous and it’s going to be for eating another right foot to the mouth! I accept.”

Watch the video below.

Source: Pro Wrestling Sheet

 

Watch what happened Wednesday night on NXT, that lead to the match being made for TakeOver: XXX

Source Pro Wrestling Sheet

XFL Picks Announce Team For ESPN And FOX

With an entertaining league like the XFL set to come back, it was only fitting the most entertaining commentators would be involved. According to the New York Post, the Fox and ESPN broadcast teams for each main XFL game will have a lot of experience.

On the ESPN side, Steve Levy, Dan Orlovsky and Pat McAfee will be on the call. Meanwhile, on Fox, Curt Menefee and Joel Klatt will be talking all things XFL. According to the report, Fox had an interest in Gus Johnson, but due to his commitment to college basketball, the schedules didn’t work out. No word yet who will host the FS1 and ABC games.

Levy has worked with ESPN for a number of years, especially as a longtime anchor of SportsCenter. Known for his role on ABC/ESPN’s College Gameday program, Levy has worked doubleheader games of “Monday Night Football” with Brian Griese. He has also broadcasted a number of hockey games.

A fifth-round pick in the 2005 NFL Draft, Orlovsky has played for the Lions, Texans, Colts and Buccaneers. The former quarterback from UConn retired from football in 2017, becoming an analyst for ESPN.

One of the most entertaining voices in social media today, Pat McAfee has made his voice known allover. From Barstool Sports to WWE to his own radio show, the former NFL kicker has become more popular than ever before. Starting another talk show on DAZN (syndicated by Westwood One), McAfee has also been a part of ESPN’s Thursday Night Football crew. Both he and Orlovsky have clicked before when it comes to commentary, joining together for “Get Up!” on ESPN.

This opportunity is a step up for Curt Menefee, who is currently providing commentary for Fox’s Sunday NFL Pregame Show. Menefee has provided preseason analysis for both the Jaguars and the Seahawks, while also working commentary for NFL Europe games. He has also used his voice for boxing, MMA and has signed on and off of Super Bowl’s whenever he is available.

Menefee will be working with Joel Klatt, a former college quarterback for Colorado. Starting his post-playing days as a football analyst, Klatt helped usher in FS1. He is FOX Sports’ lead college football game analyst, teaming with Gus Johnson. Moving up in the ranks every year, Klatt also provides coverage on golf.

The relaunched XFL season is expected to start in February of 2020, the weekend after the Super Bowl.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Pat McAfee Takes Kendo Stick Shot During WWE Extreme Rules Watch Along

WWE’s Extreme Rules Watch Along got, well, extreme on Sunday after host Pat McAfee took a kendo shot to the back from Matt Hardy.

It all began after Baron Corbin walked into the room with a kendo stick and it led to McAfee eventually agreeing to let Hardy hit him in the back.

The full livestream can be FOUND HERE.

You can watch the clip HERE.

Pat McAfee Details Backstage Blowup At WrestleMania 35 Over His Shorts

Moments before the WrestleMania 35 pre-show was set to begin, Pat McAfee says he was on the verge of walking out due to Michael Cole yelling at him for wearing shorts.

McAfee detailed the tense backstage moment on his show this week and said it began with him being told not to wear jorts to WrestleMania. Pat obliged by making tuxedo pants into tuxedo shorts.

However, when Michael Cole saw him wearing them backstage before the kickoff show, he got angry in front of everyone who was around … saying Pat looked unprofessional and sloppy.

“He was like yelling. Real. This wasn’t like a rib, or like a gimmick, you could tell there was actual panic,” McAfee explained. He then walked to the room where the WrestleMania watch-a-long was going to film and began packing his things. When the digital person in charge of the stream asked what was going on, Pat said, “You can tell Michael Cole to go f*ck himself, I am leaving. I am not getting punked and yelled at like a child in front of everybody like that.”

The WWE employee then said he’d go talk to Vince McMahon and asked Pat to hold tight.

He returned moments later with Michael Cole and the two explained how they showed Vince a picture of Lebron James wearing suit shorts. Vince apparently told them “yeah, I’m hip. I’ve seen it” and said he loved the idea of Pat wearing them.

Cole then apologized for yelling at him and said he was worried the shorts would ruin his chances in WWE, because this was the first time he was being seen on TV by Vince McMahon.

Watch Pat explain how it all went down HERE.

Source: Pro Wrestling Sheet