ESPN, Caitlin Clark, Pat McAfee Drama Intensifies

ESPN is widely known as a premier sports network. However, at least this week, the network became more of a reality television drama.

Sports :
On Monday, ESPN host Pat McAfee of The Pat McAfee Show set off an unexpected firestorm by referring to WNBA rookie standout Caitlin Clark as a “White b*tch.” To put his words into context, he was discussing how the 2024 WNBA draft class and 22-year-old Clark have impacted the league’s increased viewership this season.

“What the WNBA currently has is what we like to describe as a cash cow. There is a superstar,” McAfee said at the start of the segment. “And we’re not saying that the players on the court need to act any differently. That’s the athletes are going to do what the athletes are going to do in any sport. I think we’re all learning, that the WNBA … that’s old-school football, baby.”

Then, he veered into territory he never should have visited.

“I would like the media people that continue to say, ‘This rookie class, this rookie class, this rookie class’. Nah, just call it for what it is — there’s one white b*tch for the Indiana team who is a superstar,” McAfee said.

Although McAfee has since apologized for his choice of words and explained that he was merely attempting to compliment the female basketball star for her ferocity on the court, the damage was done.

Now, ESPN has delved into an intense discussion regarding the condescending way male sports journalists often discuss female athletes, how male sports journalists have all but ignored the WNBA until now, and more.

“I shouldn’t have used ‘white b*tch’ as a descriptor of Caitlin Clark,” the ESPN host said during his apology. “No matter the context.. even if we’re talking about race being a reason for some of the stuff happening. I have way too much respect for her and women to put that into the universe.”

However, not everyone was impressed with his lukewarm explanation.

“Pat McAfee wants everyone to give Clark this unprecedented respect for what she’s doing for women’s basketball and he can’t even respect her enough to not call her a b*tch on live TV,” a poster tweeted on X.

Later on Monday, the Caitlin Clark/Pat McAfee discussion spilled over into the ESPN show First Take with Stephen A. Smith.

While harping over a flagrant foul Clark made during a recent game, host Stephen A was interrupted by panelist Monica McNutt (a former college basketball player and current basketball analyst for ESPN and the MSG Network), who took issue with the way he discusses women in sports.

After a tense back and forth with McNutt, Smith claimed that no one “talks about the WNBA and Women’s sports more than First Take” and him.

However, considering the disparity in pay for women in the WNBA versus men in the NBA — and with how men in the male-dominant sport regularly refuse to take professional female basketball players seriously, McNutt furiously burst with a feeling she had been holding inside.

“Stephen A., respectfully, with your platform, you could have been doing this three years ago if you wanted,” McNutt said.

A shocked Stephen A., who always has a quick retort, was left speechless.

Monica McNutt cooking Stephen A 😂😂😂 pic.twitter.com/oeVmTA0TLU

— E Booker✊🏾 (@E_Book88) June 3, 2024

Stephen A has since been called a talk-show host who masquerades as a legitimate sports journalist, while Pat McAfee’s comments have been called a HR nightmare for the Disney-owned ESPN.

Are women treated fairly and respected equally in sports? Or, does the world have a long way to go with the way it views female athletes?

OK WASSUP! discusses Sports News:
ESPN has HR nightmare on its hands.