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McAfee's Utah U-turn: From Spite Pick to Sleeper
1 Nov
Summary
- Pat McAfee expressed regret over past comments, choosing Utah as a sleeper pick.
- McAfee cited death threats and FBI advice to wear a bulletproof vest.
- The ESPN personality previously picked against Utah out of spite, a move he now regrets.
Pat McAfee extended an olive branch to the University of Utah, surprising many by selecting the No. 6 ranked Utes as his "championship sleeper" pick. This decision follows a week of significant emotional turbulence between McAfee and the university, stemming from his previous appearance on ESPN's College GameDay in Salt Lake City.
During his last visit, McAfee closed the show by picking against the undefeated Utes and making remarks he later stated he did not enjoy. This was reportedly due to an Instagram video showing students lightly mocking him. McAfee later claimed he received death threats, leading the FBI to advise him to wear a bulletproof vest. The University of Utah issued an apology and removed the video, while ESPN defended McAfee.
Appearing on this week's GameDay in Bloomington, Indiana, McAfee seemed to acknowledge the controversy, stating he didn't want to continue perpetuating negativity. He explicitly picked Utah, admitting, "I don't think anybody would have expected this." While he had previously picked against them out of spite, he acknowledged their strength. Observers noted McAfee appeared more subdued on air this week.
