Met Pat McAfee, Greg McElroy and... CJ Stroud After the Game

Submitted by bluesong on January 10th, 2024 at 12:33 PM

People have different opinions on both, but I went to a hotel after the game and the entire ESPN crew was there drinking at the bar.

I went up to McAfee and apologized for interrupting drinks with his buddies for a photo and he quickly responded by saying “don’t apologize at all. How does it feel to be National ******** Champions?!”

He’s a class act and one of the nicest, most approachable dudes in the world.

I went up to McElroy and told him I respected his collegiate career. I also told him how while it was a tough game against Alabama, “we NEEDED it” more than they did. He responded by saying "You guys 100% deserved it and had a really special team." Class act.

I also met AJ Hawk (very nice guy) and... CJ Stroud. CJ ran up to his hotel room because I think he wanted to avoid having to take celebratory photos with fans in UM gear (which I totally understand). For what its worth though, he was really nice and said Congratulations with a sincere smile on his face. 

Gooooooo Blue!

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CaliforniaNobody

January 10th, 2024 at 12:36 PM ^

Stroud was asked about Nico and his dynamic being opposite sides of the rivalry and pointed out that both he and Nico never won The Game so they dont really talk about it. I think that'll humble you when it comes to shit talk pretty well. 

Joined: 12/18/2014

MGoPoints: 14238

Blau

January 10th, 2024 at 12:59 PM ^

Unless they’re complete dicks, I have no issue rooting for OSU players in the NFL. Stroud, for the most part, was quick to own that he’s never beaten Michigan and his success with the Texans is pretty damn remarkable. Good for him. I know it’s been a while since he was drafted but Taylor Decker has helped bring me on board to this concept.

McAfee on the other hand seems like the loud, annoying frat guy you share a beer with at a party that feels compelled to make every small story way too animated through a series of hand gestures and voices. He’s got the “backwoods bro” comical schtick that ESPN thinks all millennials or Gen Z subscribers are attracted to.

Give me Stuart Scott, Rich Eisen, Dan Patrick along with my tomato soup and weak cup of tea. Now back to my rocking chair and Al Jolson on the Hi-Fi. Zzzzzzzz

Joined: 01/23/2014

MGoPoints: 35254

RobM_24

January 10th, 2024 at 1:37 PM ^

I like McAfee, while admitting that he's a lot to handle. I like the fact that he's self-aware. He knows he's doing a bit. Guys like Stephen A, Finebaum, Skip, etc rarely break character -- or they try to commit to their on-air personalities being their real personalities (despite being completely fabricated). Pat says every show that he's he's thankful for getting to act like a stooge and talk sports with his buddies. He openly admitted he knew little-to-nothing about college football before joining Gameday and everything -- but he committed to studying as much as he could to prepare. I respect his drive. The fact that he can be on a set in Boulder on Saturday morning, on a WWE event Saturday night, and back in studio in Indy on Monday morning is crazy to me. If nothing else, he's an extremely hard worker. 

Joined: 01/27/2014

MGoPoints: 63575

Carpetbagger

January 10th, 2024 at 1:59 PM ^

every small story way too animated through a series of hand gestures and voices

This is literally every single person on TV today. Male, female, bro, queen, whatever. They all act like whatever they are describing is the single most exciting thing that has ever happened up to and including the invention of fire. It's so damn annoying and fake I cannot stand it.

It must sell though, for whoever is doing the buying.

Joined: 12/31/2010

MGoPoints: 6563

Mr. Elbel

January 10th, 2024 at 12:39 PM ^

Oh man, two Pat McAfee threads on the top of the board at the same time?? What is this world coming to?!

Seriously though, that's pretty cool. These kinds of interactions are so fun when you get to meet people in a hotel like that. Doesn't happen very often.

Joined: 03/02/2014

MGoPoints: 21395

WFNY_DP

January 10th, 2024 at 1:24 PM ^

I've generally been ambivalent about McAfee and his schtick on Game Day, I did THOROUGHLY enjoy him calling out Rece Davis on the air when Davis was talking about Jalen Milroe's "Let a Naysayer Know" silliness (as the two Black members of the panel were trying not to lose their shit on live TV laughing).

Joined: 02/03/2010

MGoPoints: 2995

goblu330

January 10th, 2024 at 12:42 PM ^

During the Pistons big run I was behind Tayshawn Prince in line at Best Buy.  Some controversy was happening at the register and we both had to wait forever.  This was a guy I watched all the time and idolized, and for 15 minutes at Best Buy he was just the guy sharing my frustration and exchanging eye rolls with me at Best Buy.  It was a pretty funny situation.

Joined: 01/07/2022

MGoPoints: 32123

FrankMurphy

January 10th, 2024 at 12:45 PM ^

Very cool. Thanks for sharing that experience.

Pat McAfee comes across as a likeable dude. His show has its share of antics and dumb comments, but so does every sports talk show. Glad to hear he's a nice guy in person.

AJ Hawk looks like the bad guy or the bully in a movie about high school nerds or something. He even has the name and haircut to match. I seriously wonder if he walks around wearing his varsity jacket. Dude just looks like he was born to be a linebacker with too much testosterone.

I have no opinion about Greg McElroy one way or another.

CJ Stroud actually looks like a nice guy, Buckeye background notwithstanding. His face just makes him seem kind of... I don't know... gentle? Perhaps that's why Ohio State fans say he lacked the "killer instinct" necessary to be successful in The Game.

Joined: 08/19/2008

MGoPoints: 31969

CLord

January 10th, 2024 at 12:55 PM ^

I met Olu at Houston’s Post Oak Galleria mall yesterday and he was so damn nice, and fully decked in M gear.  He was very happy for the program and reiterated how happy he was to have transferred into the Michigan culture.  His one unusual comment was that he loves Seattle weather and prefers cloudy and slightly rainy days.  

Joined: 09/11/2011

MGoPoints: -6341

falco_albo

January 10th, 2024 at 1:24 PM ^

I like seeing the success of college players in the NFL, regardless of school rivalries. Being a fan doesn’t mean we have to wish bad things on rival players. It’s great to see the former players show some love though - that’s shows maturity and class. Go Blue! 

Joined: 12/31/2022

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Wendyk5

January 10th, 2024 at 1:33 PM ^

OT (but since we're sharing celebrity stories that happened in the past few days): We were in LA yesterday at the airport and the escalators apparently weren't working. There were two elevators that everyone had to use, and they had doors on both sides, so people were coming in and out from both the street and inside the airport. It was pure chaos. My husband and I got on on the first floor and the door opened on the second floor and an older guy with long gray hair was trying to get on. There was a younger blond guy with him. My husband tried to squeeze next to the button panel to let everyone on but the long gray hair guy started giving him grief, saying, "Hey, we all want to make our flights." He was laughing but kind of being a dick about it. My husband had nowhere to go except off the elevator so my husband started giving him a little grief back. At that point, I'm standing shoulder to shoulder with long gray hair guy. I look at him and realize it's KURT RUSSELL. Kurt Russell and my husband are giving each other shit. It's only one floor so it didn't last that long. The young guy with him was his son, Wyatt, also an actor who I recognized. Wyatt said to my husband, "Where are you flying to?" My husband says, "Chicago," to which Wyatt replies, "Why are you wearing a Boston Red Sox hat?" like it's a crime. My husband gets defensive and says, "Because I'm a fan, that's why." Then we all got off and went our separate ways. Had I had the presence of mind, I would've turned to Kurt and said, "Hey, aren't you the guy from "Shark boy and Lava Girl"?" What a weird, brief, surreal experience. 

Joined: 11/20/2008

MGoPoints: 67736

Perkis-Size Me

January 10th, 2024 at 2:26 PM ^

I've got no ill will towards CJ Stroud. Great QB, seems like a good person, and did not get swept up in (at least publicly) all the Stallions-gate nonsense.

When I'm sure every OSU fan and media mouthpiece out there would've applauded him for coming out and saying "Well s**t man, that's the only reason I lost, they're just a bunch of cheaters," he just acknowledged "Hey man, we didn't get it done, but I'm a Texan now and I've moved on with my career and my life." He handled the situation like an adult. Not a Texans fan, but if I were, I'd have no issue cheering for him at this point. 

As for McAfee, I don't know what he's really like in his heart of hearts, but he strikes me as a guy who just says and goes whichever way the winds take him. He can condemn Michigan one week, say he's not sure they belong in the postseason, and then praise them the next like he'd never said anything before that. At the end of the day, he strikes me as someone who just doesn't feel he has to be accountable to things he's said previously. He's a personification of hot takes and that's about it. 

And that's fine. At the end of the day, we're talking about sports. This isn't life and death. He's not in charge of or talking about or advocating for / against real issues that truly affect people's lives. This is just his persona, and apparently the TV numbers say people respond to that. Otherwise he wouldn't have a job. I don't care for him, but if people want to watch him, then go for gusto. 

Joined: 11/30/2011

MGoPoints: 105739

The Mayor

January 10th, 2024 at 2:38 PM ^

Great story!! I usually root for most OSU players. These guys are just players who got their school paid for. In the end I think the fans that don’t play in the games harbor more hard feelings than the guys laying it out on the field.

Joined: 10/05/2015

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