{"id":1469,"section":"sports","section_label":"Sports","url":"https://www.brokenews.co/sports/1469","headline":"Pat McAfee shares death threats, fans still unmoved","dek":"The ESPN personality says he was \"a bit rattled\" by online threats following his comments about feeling uncomfortable at the University of Utah.","body":"Pat McAfee posted a near 800-word message on X detailing the backlash he has faced, including threatening DMs, after College GameDay's visit to the University of Utah. He said he was \"a bit rattled\" by the death threats he received.\n\nThe controversy started when McAfee expressed anger and discomfort over Utah students mocking him in a video produced by the university ahead of the GameDay broadcast. He suggested he had feared for his life and said he hoped to never return to the school because of how uncomfortable the experience made him.\n\nHis comparison of the situation to the assassination of political activist Charlie Kirk drew widespread criticism, with many viewing his reaction as out of touch. The backlash reportedly prompted a defense from ESPN and an apology from the university, though McAfee's attempt to share evidence of the threats he has received has done little to shift public opinion.\n\nFans largely responded to his latest post with the same skepticism that defined the week, with many telling him on social media to stop playing the victim. The episode has marked a rare moment where the public turned against McAfee in a significant way, a departure from the usual polarized reception he tends to draw.","published_at":"2026-10-29T21:48:43.305445+00:00","source_count":4,"written_from":[{"outlet":"Yahoo Sports","publisher":"Yahoo Sports","title":"‘Stop being a victim’ – Fans have no sympathy for Pat McAfee even after he shares threatening DMs","url":"https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/stop-being-victim-fans-no-083000383.html"},{"outlet":"The Athletic","publisher":"The Athletic","title":"ESPN's Pat McAfee shares online death threats against him: 'I was a bit rattled'","url":"https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7734419/2026/10/29/pat-mcafee-online-death-threats-espn/"},{"outlet":"Awful Announcing","publisher":"Awful Announcing","title":"Pat McAfee offers first comments on Utah controversy, criticism","url":"https://awfulannouncing.com/espn/pat-mcafee-addresses-utah-controversy-criticism.html"}],"more_coverage":[{"outlet":"Yahoo Sports","publisher":"Yahoo Sports","title":"Pat McAfee alluded to Charlie Kirk assassination after Utah College GameDay drama. FBI allegedly told him to wear bulletproof vest after shooting due to death threats","url":"https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/pat-mcafee-alluded-charlie-kirk-140930442.html"},{"outlet":"Yahoo Sports","publisher":"Yahoo Sports","title":"Pat McAfee Advised to Wear Bulletproof Vest After Charlie Kirk’s Death: ‘People Hate My Guts’","url":"https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/pat-mcafee-advised-wear-bulletproof-160948676.html"},{"outlet":"Yahoo Sports","publisher":"Yahoo Sports","title":"‘You are a proverbial sitting duck’: Clay Travis understands Pat McAfee’s fear after Charlie Kirk’s assassination","url":"https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/proverbial-sitting-duck-clay-travis-225812574.html"},{"outlet":"Yahoo Sports","publisher":"Yahoo Sports","title":"Pat McAfee shares screenshots of hate tweets as part of long, winding social post about security concerns, relationship with fans","url":"https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/pat-mcafee-shares-screenshots-hate-014255646.html"},{"outlet":"Front Office Sports","publisher":"Front Office Sports","title":"McAfee Details FBI ‘GameDay’ Guidance in Tennessee After Kirk Shooting","url":"https://frontofficesports.com/article/mcafee-details-fbi-gameday-guidance-tennessee-after-kirk-shooting/"},{"outlet":"Yahoo Sports","publisher":"Yahoo Sports","title":"McAfee Details FBI ‘GameDay’ Guidance in Tennessee After Kirk Shooting","url":"https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/mcafee-details-fbi-gameday-guidance-021720606.html"},{"outlet":"Yahoo Sports","publisher":"Yahoo Sports","title":"‘I am very sorry to those that despise me’: Pat McAfee breaks silence on Utah controversy","url":"https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/am-very-sorry-those-despise-030057209.html"},{"outlet":"Yahoo Sports","publisher":"Yahoo Sports","title":"‘You’re Iconic,’ ‘Shows How Soft the World Is’ — Ex-NFL DT Calls Out Anyone ‘Hating’ on ESPN Star Pat McAfee After Utah Controversy","url":"https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/iconic-shows-soft-world-ex-153202509.html"},{"outlet":"Yahoo Sports","publisher":"Yahoo Sports","title":"Pat McAfee clarifies College GameDay bulletproof vest revelation while exposing unhinged death threats","url":"https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/pat-mcafee-clarifies-college-gameday-163550307.html"},{"outlet":"Yahoo Sports","publisher":"Yahoo Sports","title":"Pat McAfee Speaks Out on Death Threats He’s Received amid University of Utah Controversy","url":"https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/pat-mcafee-speaks-death-threats-191217835.html"},{"outlet":"Yahoo Sports","publisher":"Yahoo Sports","title":"Pat McAfee reveals appalling threats amid ‘College GameDay’ controversy","url":"https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/pat-mcafee-reveals-appalling-threats-114959012.html"},{"outlet":"Yahoo Sports","publisher":"Yahoo Sports","title":"Pat McAfee reveals appalling threats amid ‘College GameDay’ controversy","url":"https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/pat-mcafee-reveals-appalling-threats-114959718.html"},{"outlet":"Yahoo Sports","publisher":"Yahoo Sports","title":"‘Nick Saban Would Say the Same Thing’ — Analyst Pushes Back on Criticism of Pat McAfee’s Response to Utah Security Concerns","url":"https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/nick-saban-same-thing-analyst-203151267.html"}],"image":null,"embed":null,"license":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/","attribution":"Analysis data is licensed CC BY 4.0. Credit brokenews and link to the story page you took it from. Source headlines, story titles taken from a source headline, and quoted passages remain the property of their publishers and are quoted for comparison, not licensed onward.","terms":"https://www.brokenews.co/about#reuse"}