Former Colleagues Detail Pat Mcafee’s Difficult Workplace Behavior Amid Fallout

WHO:

Awful Announcing - Jeff “Vibbs” Vibbert said he worked with Pat McAfee’s show at Barstool when it was starting.

Daily Mail Sports - Former ESPN host Michelle Beadle criticized Pat McAfee’s reaction to his University of Utah visit and said he would not survive the industry as a female sports broadcaster.

Pro Football Network - Breiden Fehoko called Pat McAfee “iconic” and criticized people “hating” on him, saying the backlash “shows how soft the world is.”

Pro Football Network - A former Barstool Sports employee said McAfee was “exhausting” to work for and needed to “learn to control his emotions and treat people better.”

Pro Football Network - Podcaster Mike Ryan said McAfee “just feels attacked by anybody” and pointed to what he called McAfee’s “sensitivities” after McAfee declined a “60 Minutes” interview.

Pro Football Network - Pat McAfee is an ESPN broadcaster and College GameDay host; he previously played in the NFL and worked at Barstool Sports.

Pro Football Network - Breiden Fehoko, a former NFL defensive tackle, publicly defended McAfee after McAfee disclosed receiving threatening messages related to the Utah controversy.

Awful Announcing - Jeff “Vibbs” Vibbert is a longtime Barstool Sports staffer from Indiana who worked with McAfee’s show when it was at Barstool.

Awful Announcing - Barstool podcast Out and About is hosted by Pat McAuliffe and Kelly Keegs; Vibbert appeared on the show.

Awful Announcing - McAfee’s current show crew includes A.J. Hawk, Ty Schmit, Connor “Boston Connor” Campbell, Anthony “Tone Digz” DiGiulio, and Darius Butler.

Awful Announcing - McAfee’s College GameDay partner Kirk Herbstreit has spoken fondly of working with him.

WHAT:

Awful Announcing - Vibbert said McAfee’s repeated feuds followed a pattern: McAfee would decide someone had slighted him, cut off contact, and then repeat the behavior with someone else; Vibbert said it happened “every other week.”

Daily Mail Sports - Beadle discussed rape and death threats received by female sports reporters.

Awful Announcing - Jeff “Vibbs” Vibbert said McAfee could turn an “innocent Instagram video” into something he perceived as threatening.

Awful Announcing - Vibbert said McAfee’s repeated conflicts could continue despite his success and described the Utah video incident as part of a recurring pattern of perceived grievances.

Awful Announcing - Vibbert said McAfee’s repeated feuds and cutoffs of people he believed had slighted him were familiar to people covering sports media, though the Utah controversy was the first time the general public had seen that side of McAfee.

Awful Announcing - The article said McAfee’s ability to attract guests and his relationships across the sports world were unusually extensive.

Awful Announcing - McAfee’s opportunities have included work with ESPN, WWE, Hollywood, and Nashville, including television, movies, singing, and professional wrestling.

Pro Football Network - McAfee said in an X post that he was “trying my best” and had “no idea this is what life would become,” addressing the hate he received after the Utah controversy.

Awful Announcing - Vibbert said McAfee was “always paranoid” and that coworkers “walk[ed] around on eggshells,” unsure how McAfee would feel, whom he would be angry with, or whom he would feud with.

Awful Announcing - Vibbert said coworkers had to “co-sign the paranoia” and tell McAfee he was “very valid” in his thinking.

Awful Announcing - Vibbert described a recurring pattern in which McAfee believed someone had slighted him, cut them off, and later repeated the behavior with someone else; Vibbert said this happened “every other week.”

Awful Announcing - Vibbert said McAfee’s comparison of himself to Charlie Kirk in a video brought back memories of having to affirm the following day that McAfee’s reaction was justified. He agreed with the podcast hosts that McAfee had a “victim mentality” and could dish out criticism but not take it.

Pro Football Network - McAfee published a lengthy post on X about the hate and threats he said he received in Utah’s aftermath.

Pro Football Network - Fehoko defended McAfee, according to the article headline, after McAfee revealed the threatening messages.

Awful Announcing - McAfee has also received opportunities across television, movies, singing, and professional wrestling, and has built relationships across sports and entertainment.

WHERE:

Awful Announcing - McAfee helped launch Barstool Heartland in Indianapolis.

Awful Announcing - The controversy involved a video from Utah.

WHEN:

Awful Announcing - McAfee retired from the NFL in February 2017, left Barstool in August 2018, signed a FanDuel deal in 2021, and reached an ESPN licensing deal in 2023.

Awful Announcing - Vibbert’s comments appeared in an Out and About episode published October 28, 2026.

Awful Announcing - McAfee posted on X on October 3, 2017, according to the embedded post.

WHY:

Daily Mail Sports - Beadle contrasted McAfee’s response to the Utah student video with the threats women in sports media face.

Awful Announcing - Vibbert said McAfee’s paranoia led coworkers to go along with his suspicions and affirm that his thinking was “very valid.”

Awful Announcing - McAfee left Barstool after saying he felt “disrespected by the business people in the building.”

Awful Announcing - Vibbert linked McAfee’s reactions to perceived slights and described him as sensitive to criticism.

HOW:

Awful Announcing - Vibbert said the Charlie Kirk video reminded him of having to affirm the next day that McAfee’s reaction was justified.

Pro Football Network - Fehoko publicly defended McAfee after McAfee disclosed receiving threatening messages related to the Utah controversy.

Awful Announcing - After leaving Barstool, McAfee went independent, with his show distributed across several platforms before the FanDuel deal.

Pro Football Network - McAfee used a post on X to address the hate and threats he said followed the Utah controversy.

A former Barstool colleague says Pat McAfee repeatedly feuded with people over perceived slights. McAfee says he received threats after a Utah controversy, prompting former NFL player Breiden Fehoko to defend him. Michelle Beadle criticized McAfee’s reaction, highlighting threats women sports broadcasters face.