Dan Le Batard may be on the wrong side of 50, but he and his team identify a lot more with the new age of sports media than the older ones.
On a February 29 episode of “The Dan Le Batard Show,” the former ESPN host addressed comments made by Pat McAfee on the “All The Smoke” podcast. McAfee said that Le Batard has “talked some shit” about him in the past.
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Le Batard, who is now partnered with All The Smoke Productions, says he is in full support of what McAfee is doing because he’s empowered athletes to enter sports media.
“I am a full supporter of [McAfee] taking over this space,” Le Batard said. “He’s given these people permission because they’re looking at the punter making all of the money, owning all this stuff and changing the game … I don’t have anything bad to say about Pat McAfee.”
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Le Batard — who left ESPN in 2021 and started Meadowlark Media alongside former ESPN president John Skipper — has been critical of ESPN in the past due to the way it treats its talents. But because McAfee has licensed his show to ESPN, Le Batard views McAfee as someone who has power over the network.
“He’s leasing to [Jimmy] Pitaro and he’s leasing to [Bob] Iger,” Le Batard said. “He doesn’t need them because in this age, if you have your own audience, these people need you. You do not need them.”
Le Batard’s comments come as McAfee has publicly expressed that he believes there are people within ESPN who are trying to “sabotage” him. While McAfee has mentioned having a good relationship with the likes of Pitaro and Iger, he has called out Norby Williamson, ESPN executive editor & head of event and studio production, as someone he believes is trying to bring him down from within ESPN.
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