Kirk Herbstreit: Pat McAfee ‘overhypes’ his critics

Pat McAfee has endured his share of criticism since joining ESPN, but even Kirk Herbstreit believes he might exaggerate his detractors too much.

Herbstreit joined this week’s episode of SI Media with Jimmy Traina where he discussed Lee Corso’s departure from College GameDay, the value of having McAfee on the show and how the perception of the former punter has changed over the years.

And while Herbstreit has consistently backed McAfee and his place on GameDay, even saying how his presence has rejuvenated his own career, he does think the former Colts punter might place too much outsized importance on criticism he faces.

“I think early when he was on with us, he got really misunderstood,” Herbstreit said of McAfee. “People just saw a guy – you go from traditional to an internet sensation coming onto the show and doing things unconventionally, doing things the way he does. I think he overhypes the fraction of the audience that was like, ‘what’s this guy’s deal?’ I think he blows that out of proportion…There were some people that were like, ‘why’s this guy on the show?’ To me it’s a very small group.”

Whenever there is change there will be criticism. And when McAfee joined College GameDay the first time, it was a different personality being added to a heritage show. Naturally, it was going to take time for McAfee to be embraced.

“After a couple years now, I think they’ve come to realize Pat celebrates the sport. In this era of some of the stuff that’s out there, a lot of people are looking to pull the rug out from you and they want to see you fail, Pat’s not that guy. Pat lifts up,” Herbstreit told Traina. “Listen to him talk, he talks football. He breaks the game down…He’s been fun and his energy is obvious. It’s contagious. We’re on a roll, we got a great show.”

But for someone who often touts his own desire to celebrate sports and subscribe to positive vibes, Pat McAfee does spend a lot of time paying attention to every negative thing that’s said or written about him. McAfee appears to have a huge chip on his shoulder and portrays the perception that it’s him against the rest of the media world. And Kirk Herbstreit is right, McAfee blows that perception out of proportion. Yes, he has critics and adversaries, but so does every prominent media personality.

Like him, love him or hate him, Pat McAfee is a superstar for ESPN, with his daily midday show and prominent role helping to fill Lee Corso’s void on College GameDay alongside Kirk Herbstreit, Desmond Howard, Nick Saban and Rece Davis. And against many odds, McAfee’s marriage with ESPN looks like a successful one. One ESPN doesn’t want to end anytime soon.