‘I felt like the worst human in the world,’ says ESPN host Pat McAfee about the reaction to his controversial Caitlin Clark comments

PAT McAfee took to his ESPN show to publicly apologize for controversial comments he made about WNBA star Caitlin Clark.

Live on ESPN and YouTube on Monday, McAfee massively misjudged his choice of words when discussing Clark and the rest of the WNBA’s vaunted rookie class.

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During a game of ‘Which WNBA Rookie’ meant to highlight the impact Clark had on the league over her first 11 games, McAfee unintentionally disrespected not only the former Iowa star but the rest of the gang. 2024.

He not only called Clark a “white bitch” but also a “cash cow” during his lengthy rant.

Unsurprisingly, McAfee’s comments quickly flooded X, formerly known as Twitter, where he was the target of heavy criticism from fans.

Later on Monday, McAfee tweeted an apology for his comments, saying he had also personally reached out to Clark to apologize.

Fast forward to Tuesday morning, McAfee chose to start his show by addressing the elephant in the room.

“I used a descriptor that I certainly shouldn’t have used,” he said.

“I used the words ‘white bitch’ to describe Caitlin Clark as the superstar from Indiana,” McAfee later explained.

“Now, when I was saying that, I legitimately meant it in a complimentary way, like, ‘That’s the one.’ “

McAfee went on to say that when he saw the outraged fans’ reactions, he realized he had made a mistake.

He even stated that for much of Monday he “felt like the worst human being on the planet.”

“That wasn’t my intentions, but that’s how you interpreted it. It’s my fault, I apologize,” McAfee reiterated.

He added that Clark responded to his apology, saying, “It’s okay, no blood, we’ve moved on and she’s grateful we reached out and apologized.”

For the most part, viewers seemed to accept and appreciate McAfee’s clarifications.

“Anyone who thinks you meant what you said in a malicious or derogatory way doesn’t know you very well,” one fan tweeted.

“You took responsibility and apologized. Maybe you’d be a little more careful.”

A second said: “No one is perfect. We are all human.”

Another added: “Alright sir, I knew exactly what you meant!”

While a fourth commented: “Thanks for purchasing it. And explain.”

As for Clark, after a busy season of 11 games in 20 days, including a back-to-back weekend matchup, she and her The Fever teammates can now enjoy a brief break before returning to the court.

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