ESPN issued an apology Friday afternoon for the false feedback New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers made on “The Pat McAfee Present” earlier this week about late-night host Jimmy Kimmel.
By ESPN vice chairman of digital manufacturing Mike Foss, the community referred to as the feedback Rodgers made about Kimmel in relation to the discharge of the Jeffrey Epstein courtroom paperwork “a dumb and factually inaccurate joke.”
“It by no means ought to have occurred,” Foss mentioned in a press release obtained by USA TODAY Sports activities. “All of us realized that within the second.”
Front Office Sports first reported the ESPN apology. McAfee mentioned Friday that Rodgers will seem on the present subsequent Tuesday.
“The present will proceed to evolve,” Foss advised FOS. “It would not shock me if Aaron’s function evolves with it.”
Kimmel took to social media Tuesday night time to blast Rodgers and say he by no means had any contact with Epstein, who died by suicide whereas imprisoned in 2019.
Earlier that day, McAfee co-host A.J. Hawk egged Rodgers on in regards to the potential launch of the courtroom paperwork, to which the 40-year-old quarterback responded: “There’s lots of people, together with Jimmy Kimmel who’re hoping that does not come out … if that checklist comes out, I’ll positively be popping some kind of bottles.”
The scenario created inner strife at ESPN’s father or mother firm Disney, which additionally owns ABC, the place “Jimmy Kimmel Dwell!” airs.
Rodgers is paid $1 million yearly for his weekly appearances on McAfee’s present, in keeping with experiences. On Wednesday, McAfee supplied a half-hearted apology, saying he hopes his present is a constructive one which uplifts folks.
Learn extra: Aaron Rodgers reaches new low with grudge-filled assault on Jimmy Kimmel
Nonetheless, the present discovered itself in additional scorching water by Friday afternoon.
Pat McAfee accuses ESPN exec of ‘trying to sabotage our program’
The dramatic begin to 2024 for the present and ESPN took one other flip Friday when the host accused an ESPN government of deliberately “trying to sabotage our program.”
“There are people actively making an attempt to sabotage us from inside ESPN,” McAfee mentioned. “Extra particularly I imagine Norby Williamson is the man trying to sabotage our program.”
ESPN had no remark when requested about McAfee’s declare. Final yr, the community signed McAfee to a contract value $85 million over 5 years to license his present and for his work on “Faculty GameDay.”
Williamson is the top of occasion and studio manufacturing at ESPN who wields immense energy inside the firm.
“(Williamson) is seemingly the one human that has data, after which one way or the other that data will get leaked and it is unsuitable after which it units a story of what our present is,” McAfee mentioned. “After which are we simply going to fight that from a rat each single time?”
On Thursday, New York Submit sports activities media columnist Andrew Marchand wrote that Disney, which owns ESPN, would settle for the turmoil in return for spectacular rankings. However Marchand’s reporting included a considerably dismal take a look at the numbers since McAfee began airing on ESPN in September. The community loses 48% of viewers from its “First Take” lead-in, though that doesn’t account for the almost 400,000 viewers who watch on the present’s YouTube channel. Nonetheless, in keeping with Marchand, the present is down 12 % from the identical window in 2022, which aired a midday ET model of “SportsCenter.”
McAfee mentioned the numbers are inaccurate with out offering extra information and that he wasn’t “100% certain” it was Williamson, who McAfee feels is “seemingly the one human that has (that) data.”
“Anyone tried to get forward of our precise rankings launch with unsuitable numbers 12 hours beforehand,” McAfee mentioned. “That is a sabotage try, and it has been taking place … from some individuals who did not essentially love the outdated addition of the Pat McAfee Present to the ESPN household.”
McAfee retold a narrative of Williamson not exhibiting up for a gathering that they had scheduled in 2018, including “this man has had zero respect for me.”
As McAfee’s feedback circulated, different ex-ESPN staff chimed in with related views towards Williamson. Former ESPN expertise Jemele Hill wrote on social media “I can relate.”
Ex-ESPN host Michelle Beadle replied to Hill, writing “Nicely nicely nicely … (laugh-crying emoji).” And a former government producer for “The Dan Le Batard Present,” Mike Ryan, posted “Pat” with three clapping emojis. Le Batard beforehand aired on ESPN.
