'I hate this place': Pat McAfee said he felt unsafe on 'College GameDay' after a Utah video mocked his antics

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Set us as preferred Pat McAfee, a co-host of ESPN’s “College GameDay,” doubled down on his criticism of the University of Utah on his sports talk show Monday, referring to the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk and suggesting he would call in sick if “GameDay” returned to Utah.“I’ll hopefully never go to that place,” McAfee said.“I think I’ll have COVID whenever ‘GameDay’ goes back, if I’m still a part of ‘GameDay.’ I did not enjoy the morning there.”Utah issued an apology even as an avalanche of social media reaction was mainly critical of McAfee.

The dominant meme theme focused on his perceived softness in reacting so strongly to a short video the university released Saturday ahead of the “GameDay” show from Utah’s Salt Lake City campus that preceded the Utes’ game against Houston.The video posted on the university’s official social media accounts asked students to do an impression of McAfee.

A microphone was handed to a handful of male students who roared while saying that although they were fans of the irreverent, theatrical analyst, he should stop his weekly “GameDay” routine of taking his shirt off while college students cheer and jeer behind him.Another student called his antics “corny.” McAfee, apparently already reeling from a column in the Athletic that opined that “College GameDay” has become overwhelmed by McAfee’s “frat-rock prankster” personality, appeared deeply offended.

Ross Newhan, who earned Hall of Fame honors after decades covering pro baseball for the L.A.Times, was honored by the Dodgers and MLB after his death.“The University puts that out as I’m about to go out and do an infomercial for the place?,” McAfee said.

“And I’m walking in front of thousands of these people? This is how the university feels about it? It�...