Due to the ongoing Writers Guild of America strike, the 2023 ESPY Awards was without an official host for the first time in its history.
So instead, ESPN turned to recent hire Pat McAfee to open the show.
And the popular sports talk show host didn’t waste any time landing zingers, notably taking aim at an incredibly tasteless tweet from Skip Bayless while Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin was suffering cardiac arrest on the field during an early January game:
Pat McAfee @PatMcAfeeShow
Damar Hamlin is an ABSOLUTE DAWG..
That tweet is still up Skip 😂😂😂 pic.twitter.com/l0DWmlC5j4
And yes, the tweet is still shockingly online.
He also dropped in a joke about Zion Williamson’s recent… well, let’s call it some off-court drama.
Pat McAfee @PatMcAfeeShow
WELCOME TO THE 2023 ESPYS..
It’s an ABSOLUTE HONOR to be here pic.twitter.com/yItRmSRzv8
McAfee’s opening monologue was generally well-received from sports fans, though he also had his detractors:
Lexi @lexiosborne
Pat McAfee out of pocket with that Skip Bayless comment 😭😭
Farzin Vousoughian @Farzin21
Pat McAfee’s mention of Chiefsaholic and tying it with Mahomes and Kelce 🤣🤣🤣🤣 pic.twitter.com/J8JHB13NjI
Jeffrey Kahn @JeffEKahn
Pat McAfee had some zingers in there.
Koal Glore @koalglore
Pat McAfee is on a roll 😂 #ESPYS
The Insufferable @NYKInsufferable
Pat McAfee killing this
Mike Levin @mikelevin2
Why is Pat McAfee trying tk do standup? Trying and failing. Miserably. #ESPYS
It’s been a big year for McAfee, who signed a contract with ESPN in May expected to pay him at least $10 million per year.
That was a somewhat controversial decision by Disney and ESPN, however, as Disney not only laid off about 7,000 people at the time, but ESPN later dropped around 20 visible on-air staff in June, including Max Kellerman, Keyshawn Johnson, Jeff Van Gundy, Jalen Rose and Suzy Kolber, among others.
As for this year’s ESPY Awards, ESPN moved to having its own on-air talent and athletes present the various awards in lieu of a traditional host, including the aforementioned Hamlin, Dwyane Wade, Angel Reese, Sue Bird, Chris Paul, Mike Tyson, Travis Kelce, Kyrie Irving, Skylar Diggins-Smith, Becky Lynch, Seth Rollins and Chris Berman, among others.
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