You ever scroll through Twitter and feel that itch? The urge to drop a savage reply, a scissors gif with every curse word you have in your dictionary? Well, Pat McAfee feels it too, and trust us, he put everyone on notice today. The outspoken ESPN personality has never shied away from conflict, but his latest online activity feels different. Controlled rage. A near eruption. Onlookers were left trying to decipher if this was a fresh feud or if the David Pollack saga still lingers in the background. His words were sharp, his tone? Sharper. And yet, he chose to hold back.
In a tweet that had half the internet sitting up straight, he went all Beyblade and let it rip. He posted, “Good afternoon, beautiful people. Little bit of a life update.. I almost had time to absolutely decapitate a grandstanding bum today.. but I decided to let him live. This is growth. I’m pretty prahd. Thank you for listening, have a great day. ” Now, no one has any idea about the target of this tweet. Is it David Pollack because of all that controversy? Or is it one particular nasty troll, just like some Georgia fans who targeted Pat when he replaced Pollack on GameDay? Or could it be a high-profile someone? Well, there are some hints.
And just when you thought that was spicy enough, he doubled down on Instagram, laying out exactly how deep the hate had cut and how real his self-control has become. In McAfee’s viral Instagram video, he went full Maximus Decimus Meridius. “I am proud of me. I may have murdered this dude,” he said, deadpan. “And every once in a while, I can do that. You know people murder me all the time. I get murdered all the time. Everybody. New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, NBC News Complex. Basically everybody that was at the ESPN before we got there, that wears a suit on a daily basis.” Does this still sound like a troll to you guys? We think it’s somebody he knows and is well acquainted with.
He’s watched the fake-outs pile up, and he gets attacked daily. “It’s like a lot of people take shots at me, a lot. Me, my family, the boys, my show. A lot of people. I think it’s pretty naive to the fact that this was gonna be my life but here I am. I’m normally a fighter, you know, I like to talk my s–t back. But I passed on that and I am proud of myself.” He’s flexing not just strength, but restraint and making sure you know he could’ve snapped.
If you want some more hints on who the person could be, this is one of his replies to a follower on X. It read, “Brother.. I have a 10-piece combo sitting the drafts right now but.. I have opted for the long term Success Sleeper Hold for the first time in my life” A ten-piece draft? That’s basically a mega thread. Now we are not the experts, but would a person who has always been surrounded by trolls write a ten-piece draft on a particular troll? Or a co-panelist? Or a big name? Our bet is on the latter.
Brother.. I have a 10 piece combo sitting the drafts right now but.. I have opted for the long term Success Sleeper Hold for the first time in my life
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) July 19, 2025
McAfee’s not just the guy in the tank top hyping Georgia insults and yelling on college Saturdays. He’s a dad, a husband, a host, and someone who feels ambushed when the digital pitchforks come out. And yeah, he’s got a temper, but he’s choosing the wiser fight. If you wanna keep trolling, fine. But don’t be surprised when Pat shows up with a verbal KO or a sleeper hold. In his world, football is everything. And he’s not letting anyone disrespect that or his family without consequences. Stay tuned for more updates.
David Pollack and Pat McAfee
When ESPN brought Pat McAfee onto College GameDay, some fans immediately assumed he was the one behind David Pollack leaving. But in truth, no one can ‘replace’ Pollack, not because McAfee isn’t good, but because they’re fundamentally different. And more importantly, the respect between them proves that the narrative is wrong. Pollack himself cleared the air, saying, “Pat was hired to do a job, just like I would have been called in to do a job. I don’t feel like Pat was the reason, no. They hired Pat, and Pat is really good at what he does, very different, very unique.” That’s Pollack straight up separating the man from the moment.
What fans misunderstood was that ESPN didn’t want a carbon copy of Pollack; they wanted a shift in tone. McAfee is chaos and charisma. Pollack was measured, analytical, and grounded in years of coaching-style commentary. One delivers wild takes in a tank top, the other delivers breakdowns in a suit. Moreover, McAfee also cleared his stance on Instagram. He said, “Early in my stint on GameDay… There was an overload of Georgia fans talking immense amounts of shit about me as a human all season… They thought I ‘replaced’ David Pollack. Now, everybody with a brain knows that I wasn’t there to replace Pollack… I actually love Pollack…” There is nothing but mutual respect between them. So, it’s positive that the target of those fiery words in his Instagram video wasn’t Pollack, but it very well could be someone from ESPN.
And that mutual respect goes both ways. These are two guys who respect each other’s craft and contributions to the game. McAfee never set out to be Pollack, because Pollack is his own man. And Pollack, true to form, won’t let fan narratives rewrite reality.
The post Still Not Over David Pollack Controversy, Pat McAfee Sends Warning to Those Harassing His Family appeared first on EssentiallySports.
