ESPN’s Pat McAfee may have made the network a bit uncomfortable during Tuesday’s guest appearance on First Take as he named several anchors laid off by the World Wide Leader, while dropping a few expletives as well.

‘The whole narrative all year was that because my show came to ESPN, obviously, we fired Steve Young, we fired all the people that were here and were great people at ESPN,’ McAfee told co-hosts Stephen A. Smith, Molly Qerim, and Shannon Sharpe.

A former NFL punter-turned-YouTube host, McAfee signed with ESPN for a reported five years and $85 million back in May – months before the network laid off several high-profile anchors as part of 7,000 job cuts by Disney. 

And as McAfee reminded the First Take crew on Tuesday, it was his show that was widely blamed for the layoffs by the public.

‘It was my show’s fault,’ McAfee sarcastically continued. ‘On Gameday, [former NFL defensive end] David Pollack got let go. David Pollack, who I am a massive fan of – one of the greatest [Georgia] Bulldogs of all time, dude who was very good to me. I took his spot.’

McAfee may have made ESPN a bit uncomfortable during his guest appearance on First Take

McAfee spoke with co-hosts (from left) Stephen A. Smith, Molly Qerim, and Shannon Sharpe

The Pollack firing led to significant criticism for McAfee, who was become a target for Georgia fan, particularly after he correctly predicted the Bulldogs would lose the SEC Championship to Alabama on Saturday.

‘And the Georgia fans,’ McAfee said, ‘they did not love me.’

Naturally, McAfee enjoyed his Saturday appearance on ESPN’s College Game Day, when he was booed by Bulldogs supporters after he picked the Crimson Tide to win.

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‘So Georgia fans all year, not necessarily the biggest McAfee fans,’ he continued, speaking in third person. ‘That being said, I was very, very nice to them, I was very cordial to them, but in the biggest moment, in front of them all, it was a nice little reminder that: ”Hey, you can go to hell too.”’

Smith, who has his own fare share of critics, piggybacked onto McAfee’s statement.

‘It’s very cathartic to tell people to go to hell,’ Smith said.

It was then that Qerim tried to steer the direction in a more polite direction.

Former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Steve Young (pictured) was among ESPN’s layoffs

Georgia Bulldogs legend David Pollack (pictured) was also among ESPN’s layoffs in 2023

‘OK guys,’ she said. ‘Ok, this is a Disney morning show.’

And this came only after McAfee described himself as a ‘a**hole’ as he was being introduced.

Qerim initially noticed that the tank-topped McAfee was holding the mic as opposed to wearing one, which he explained as a consequence of his wardrobe decisions.

‘Well the thing about it is, when you wear tank tops like an a**hole, it’s hard to put the [lavalier] mics on, especially when you wear two chains,’ he said. ‘So it’s been quite a task for the people here at [ESPN’s Seaport Studio in New York]. It’s been an honor to be in the same building as you guys are in.’