The rumored friction between ESPN’s Pat McAfee and Stephen A. Smith is very real, according to one of the network’s former college basketball analysts.
‘McAfee’s the enemy at ESPN,’ former college basketball coach Dan Dakich said on his podcast, ‘Don’t @ Me.’
‘Not among [ESPN Chairman Jimmy] Pitaro and [ESPN President, Content] Burke Magnus and the rest of the suits,’ Dakich continued. ‘No, no, no, no. He is the enemy of the ESPNers that are African American that are siding with Stephen A. Smith. True story. I’ve been told that by him. He knows that. We all know that… He’s told me he is the enemy of most of the talent.
‘He’s making more money. He’s more popular. He’s looser. Of course, he’s the enemy.’
This is not the first report of animosity between Smith and McAfee, both of whom have publicly downplayed any friction. The New York Post reported in March that the two had an explosive confrontation where McAfee called Smith a ‘mother***er.’
Pat McAfee is ‘the enemy’ of ESPN’s on-air talent, according to podcaster Dan Dakich
Dakich claims some African-American ESPN hosts are siding with Smith against McAfee
The Post also reported that McAfee was banned from Smith’s ‘First Take,’ although the pair have refuted that claim.
McAfee has expressed frustration that his daytime talk show, which he produces and licenses to ESPN, has struggled to book the network’s many NBA analysts for guest sports.
‘Obviously.. when licensing our show thru ESPN, we thought it’d be easy to get NBA folks from the ESPN roster,’ McAfee wrote on X. ‘That has not been the case. The [ESPN NBA] crew has been rather impossible to work with due to their daily scheduling during season.’
Although Smith is an ESPN employee while McAfee licenses his show to the network, both are competing for the same resources. In 2023, the Post reported that McAfee’s deal with ESPN is worth $85 million over five year. However, much of that is believed to go towards production costs.
Meanwhile, Smith has been reportedly negotiating a new deal with the network as his current contract is expected to expire in June. Smith is rumored to be seeking a nine-figure deal.
‘[Dallas Cowboys quarterback] Dak Prescott just signed a contract for $240 million,’ Smith told the Who’s Talking To Chris Wallace show in September. ‘He’s making $60 million a year. Has won two playoff games in eight years.
‘I’ve been number one for 12 years. I’m sorry; in our respective industries I win, and I’m fully aware of what I’m worth, and I will never apologize to that for anybody.’
ESPN has declined comment on the reported feud.
McAfee has expressed frustration that his daytime talk show, which he produces and licenses to ESPN, has struggled to book the network’s many NBA analysts for guest sports
Dan Dakich calling a game between the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Indiana Hoosiers in 2017
The addition of former NFL cornerback Jason McCourty (pictured) to First Take was seen as another sign of Smith’s growing influence with ESPN
Smith has faced some criticism over his growing influence within ESPN.
As reported by the US Sun in September, the addition of former NFL cornerback Jason McCourty to the First Take crew was seen as another sign of Smith’s power.
‘I mean, that is another weird move, something that brings even more power to Stephen A. Smith’s circle of influence,’ a First Take source told the Sun of the host who has become indispensable to the network’s daytime and primetime programming.
‘I received a lot of texts with just ”WTF?” or ”Here we go, one more guy for ”King” Stephen A. Smith’s court,’ the source added.
The addition of McCourty was likened to that of Shannon Sharpe, the retired Denver Broncos tight end who left Fox Sports for ESPN’s First Take a year earlier. Like McCourty, Sharpe is perceived to be tight with Smith.
A former Bobby Knight assistant at Indiana who also coached Bowling Green, Dakich is now a podcaster for conservative Fox-owned sports website, Outkick.com.
He did previously work for ESPN as a college basketball commentator and studio analyst, but has since gained a new following as an anti-woke voice who frequently criticizes the Worldwide Leader.
In criticizing the network, Dakich explained that the coveted younger audience does not want Smith, but rather, McAfee.
‘See, look, guys sitting there yelling at each other, like Stephen A. Smith and a pack of idiots do, doesn’t really resonate,’ Dakich told his podcast audience.
