Getty Pat McAfee and Caitlin Clark.
ESPN analyst Pat McAfee says that he received a message from Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark, in which she told him it was “all good” after he apologized for referring to her race and calling her an expletive.
On June 4, McAfee apologized on his show and revealed that he received a message from Clark. “I utilized a descriptor that I should not have used,” McAfee said, acknowledging that he described her as a “white [expletive].” But he says he meant it as a compliment.
“Obviously that’s a massive [expletive] up on my end. I apologize for that,” McAfee said on his show. “I did reach out to Caitlin Clark through the Fever PR, sent an apology and then got a message back that she said it was all good. No blood,” he said. “We move forward. And she appreciates us reaching out and apologizing. So that obviously makes me feel a little bit better. But to the people that got [expletive] off yesterday and offended, I understand. I learned a lot.”
Pat McAfee Say He Didn’t Intend any Racism or Sexism With the Comment About Caitlin Clark
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McAfee said on the show that he “legitimately meant it in a complimentary fashion. Like this is the one.”
He said it took him 2.5 hours before he realized controversy had erupted. “I felt like the worst human on earth for a good portion of my travels,” he said.
He added that he didn’t have bad intentions, and he said, “I do apologize.” He said he “didn’t even know that was possible” when people said he’s racist. As for sexism, he said he was talking before that comment about how he wished the WNBA, sports media and ex-WNBA players would show “more respect for what Caitlin Clark has brought to the WNBA.
He said he’s called other players he respects names in a joking manner. He said the way he “compliments” is not the same as everyone else. “I think the universe has told me, hey, stay in your dumb [expletive] lane,” McAfee said.
McAfee said that Clark did not feel disrespected. He said he was massively confused to find out some people thought he was being disrespectful, but he repeated that he “learned” from it all.
Pat McAfee Made the Comment About Clark While Also Calling Her a ‘Superstar’
I shouldn’t have used “white bitch” as a descriptor of Caitlin Clark. No matter the context.. even if we’re talking about race being a reason for some of the stuff happening.. I have way too much respect for her and women to put that into the universe.
My intentions when saying…
What specifically did McAfee say about Clark originally? He said,
“I would like the media people that continue to say, ‘This rookie class, this rookie class, this rookie class.’ Nah, just call it for what it is, there’s one white [expletive] for the Indiana team who is a superstar, and is it because she stayed in Iowa and put an entire state on her back and took a program from nothing to a multiple-year success story?”
Monday’s Pat McAfee Show opened with a Caitlin Clark PowerPoint:
“I would like the media people that continue to say, ‘This rookie class, this rookie class, this rookie class’. Nah, just call it for what it is — there’s one white bitch for the Indiana team who is a superstar.”
McAfee also apologized for the comment on his X page, writing,
I shouldn’t have used “white [expletive]” as a descriptor of Caitlin Clark. No matter the context.. even if we’re talking about race being a reason for some of the stuff happening.. I have way too much respect for her and women to put that into the universe.
My intentions when saying it were complimentary just like the entire segment but, a lot of folks are saying that it certainly wasn’t at all. That’s 100% on me and for that I apologize… I have sent an apology to Caitlin as well.
Everything else I said… still alllllll facts.