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Pat McAfee said Tuesday that he reached out personally to apologize to Caitlin Clark after he faced major backlash for referring to the Indiana Fever rookie as a “white b—-” while defending her impact on women’s basketball.
The former NFL kicker opened “The Pat McAfee Show” with another apology for what he called a “massive
f— up.”
Only hours after Monday’s performance, according to McAfee, did he become aware of the backlash against his monologue, which led many on social media to label him as “racist” or “sexist.”
“In the fifteen minutes before that, I was essentially speaking about how I wish Caitlin Clark had a little more respect from the WNBA, the sports media, and former players for everything that she has contributed to the league. And in the end, it was interpreted as though I was the world’s most impolite person toward Caitlin Clark “on Tuesday, he stated.
“That’s obviously a huge mistake on my part. I’m sorry for that.
McAfee made an effort to defend Clark’s celebrity during Monday’s show in response to criticism that her race has contributed to her appeal.
“I want the media folks who keep saying, ‘This rookie class, this rookie class, this rookie class,’ to stop. He stated on Monday, “Nah, just call it what it is; there’s one white b—- on the Indiana squad that is a superstar.
ABOUT CAITLIN CLARK, PAT MCAFEE WALKS BACK ‘WHITE B—-‘ COMMENT: I regard her with far too much respect.
The next day, however, McAfee said he personally apologized to Clark via the Indiana Fever’s PR department and received a response stating, “It was all good.”
I intended that as a praise. That was my goal. Many others did not interpret it that way. Although many people said that I was disrespecting Caitlin Clark, which is entirely untrue, she did not feel that way.
Following his apology, McAfee reiterated his original statement regarding Clark’s influence on the WNBA.
In April, Clark was chosen as the first overall pick in the WNBA draft. Being the third player in Fever history to receive the title, she was named Rookie of the Month on Monday.
In addition, she is only the third player in WNBA history to finish her first six professional games with at least 100 points, 30 rebounds, and 30 assists.
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