McAfee made the comment in defense of Clark's impact on women's basketball
Pat McAfee caught flack earlier this week when he referred to Caitlin Clark as a "White b----."
The punter-turned-media mogul was defending Clark's impact on women's basketball when he made what he says was a "massive f--- up."
McAfee said it was only hours after Monday’s show that he saw the criticism he received for his monologue, which prompted many on social media to accuse him of being "racist" or "sexist."
That includes feminist group UltraViolet, which called for McAfee to be fired from ESPN.
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Pat McAfee talks at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center ahead of Super Bowl LVIII on Feb. 8, 2024, in Las Vegas. (Candice Ward/Getty Images)
"Pat McAfee’s apology for his racist and sexist comments about Caitlin Clark and other WNBA players is insufficient. The simple reality is that even if McAfee meant what he said as a compliment – he should know that referring to any professional athlete with a misogynistic or racial epithet is never a compliment and shouldn’t be done," the group said in a statement.
"But it’s about more than just the specific words he chose to describe Caitlin Clark. His entire segment, which he has said he stands behind and doesn’t apologize for, was used to downplay the contributions of other WNBA rookies including Angel Reese, and perpetuate a dangerous narrative rooted in misogynoir that the WNBA, a league dominated by Black women for years is being ‘saved’ by Clark, when both profits and viewership have been on the rise prior to the start of this season."
The group also said McAfee's allowing "conspiracy theories" to be "spread" by Aaron Rodgers on his show "demonstrate[s] that McAfee simply does not have the necessary judgment that sports fans deserve."
Pat McAfee opened his Monday show with a segment about Caitlin Clark, and how the WNBA has a "cash cow" thanks to her superstardom. (Getty Images)
"Not only does McAfee deserve to be fired, but Disney needs to ensure that ESPN commits to a culture where commentators will no longer be allowed to spew sexist and racist remarks," the group continued. "That should be the minimum standard that sports fans should expect from their commentators and that ESPN and Disney should expect from their hosts. It is hard to ask for anything less when we recall that ESPN is the same network that suspended Jemele Hill for calling President Trump a white supremacist."
Pat McAfee brought his show to ESPN last year. (Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
McAfee said he sent a personal apology to Clark through the Indiana Fever’s public relations team and heard back that "it was all good."
"I meant it as a compliment. Those were my intentions. A lot of people didn’t take it that way. Caitlin Clark did not feel disrespected, but a lot of people said I was disrespecting her – that’s the complete opposite of what I was trying to do."
Clark is averaging 15.4 points, 6.4 assists, and 5.1 rebounds on 35.7% from the floor (29.7% from deep) in 11 games this season.
Fox News' Paulina Dedaj contributed to this report.
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