During his radio show, Michael Kay responded to Pat McAfee’s recent remarks critiquing traditional sports journalism. McAfee, a well-known ESPN talk host, described sports journalists as “curmudgeon bums” who dislike sports, a comment Kay didn’t take lightly.

The controversy originated from a viral incident involving Jaguars head coach Liam Coen and Jacksonville Free Press reporter Lynn Jones-Turnpin, sparking discussions about the proper conduct during press conferences.

Kay’s main contention wasn’t with Jones-Turnpin’s actions but rather with McAfee’s assessment of the situation. He argued against the notion that he, or his peers, are curmudgeons or harbor a dislike for sports.

“I believe sports should be viewed as a unifying force in society. I didn’t choose a career in sports journalism because it seemed easy. I’ve pursued my profession with integrity,” Kay stated, as reported by Awful Announcing.

He further elaborated on his belief that there are appropriate times and settings for such discussions to take place.

“Pat McAfee’s show is there to celebrate sports, and I think it’s great, and I think it’s a great thing on ESPN,” Kay said. “He gets the best guests, and obviously, people feel that’s a nice landing spot to give their side of the story. He has figured it out. He’s not there to grill people. He’s there to have a conversation with somebody who’s a newsmaker, make them feel comfortable, have a good time. The formula works. It’s perfect. But you couldn’t do that in a postgame scrum, Pat. You can’t. That’s not the place for it.”

Kay added an anecdote from his own career on a beat when he had gone up to then-Yankees manager Buck Showalter following a Game 5 loss to the Mariners in the 1995 ALDS to tell him how sorry he was for what he had been going through. However, the moment had come following a press conference and he still had asked the Yankees skipper tough questions. 

The Yankees broadcaster explained that he would never have done that in a press conference and that it didn’t mean he hated sports. 

“Doesn’t mean that I’m looking to be negative. People have a job to do,” Kay said. 

The broadcaster had later pushed back at some of McAfee’s stronger takes. 

“To go after these people, I don’t know. It’s a little strong, Pat. It really is. It’s a little strong,” Kay said. “Not everybody is evil. Not everybody who tries to do their jobs is evil.”