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Pat McAfee, an ESPN host who once played for the Indianapolis Colts, blasted sportswriters for their outrage over a reporter’s remarks about Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen.
Lynn Jones-Turpin, deputy editor of the Jacksonville Free Press, made comments that sparked an online sports media debate. She told Coen: “I’ll tell you, congratulations on your success, young man. You hold your head high. You’ve had a most magnificent season. You’ve done a great job today. Just hold your head high, okay? Ladies and gentlemen, Duval. Keep it up. We’ve got another season.”
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Pat McAfee at the 2025 Rose Bowl and College Football Playoff quarterfinal game at Rose Bowl Stadium on January 1, 2026. (Kirby Lee/Imagn Images)
Jones-Turpin’s comments sparked consternation among journalists who cover the NFL, and generally sports, for a living. NFL fans ignored him because sportswriters took themselves too seriously.
McAfee took the side of fans in a lengthy rant posted on X.
“I love seeing these sports ‘journalists’ get ABSOLUTELY BURIED because they are grumpy bums…” he wrote. “OBVIOUSLY NOT ALL, but a LARGE % of them hate sports…they hate what sports is for people (happiness).
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AJ Hawk, Pat McAfee and Darius Butler alternate broadcasting the game for ESPN from the field during the 2025 Cotton Bowl and the College Football Playoff quarterfinal between the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Miami Hurricanes at AT&T Stadium on December 31, 2025. (Raymond Carlin III/Imagn Images)
“Their days are numbered…my show on ESPN 10 hours a week with ZERO creativity from journalism school puppets is living proof…that’s why they attack me as much as possible…I’m glad the world is starting to see what they really are. Now…As a society we need to stop taking these humans seriously. Their opinions and thoughts come from a desire to destroy the sport.”
McAfee suggested the negative nature of Jones-Turpin’s remarks meant journalists “will never understand” that “sport is the greatest thing on Earth.”
Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen speaks with reporters following an NFL playoff football game against the Buffalo Bills, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, in Jacksonville, Florida. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
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“Also…Thank you Lynn Jones for setting up a situation for me and all of us about how Liam Coen, a man who could be a (GOAT) when he’s done, handles compliments during one of his most miserable moments. He handled it with class and humility…feels like a bit of journalism was done there,” he added.
