Treating the Coug like the joke that he is.
I wasn’t expecting a beef between Pat McAfee and John “Cougar” Mellencamp during this year’s NBA Finals, but here we are. It all started Tuesday night, when a the outspoken ESPN host was given the microphone to fire up the Indiana Pacers crowd at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
The Indiana Pacers came into that game with a 2-1 lead against the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference Finals, and a win would leave them needing just one more to advance to the Finals. Needless to say, the crowd was fired up. So at one point during the night, the Pacers in-game entertainment team handed over the microphone to McAfee, and the former Indianapolis Colts punter tuned into his wrestling persona and directed a message at some high-profile Knicks fans that were in attendance:
“Indianapolis, Indiana. We’ve got some big wigs from the big city in the building. Spike Lee is here. Ben Stiller is here. Timothée Chalamet is here. Let’s send these sons of b****es back to New York with their ears ringing. Let’s turn this sh*t up.”
Some good-natured trash talk. A time-honored tradition, right?
Well apparently John Mellencamp – yes, the washed up “Jack and Diane” singer – took it upon himself to issue an apology to Knicks fans:
“The Knicks/Pacers games have been very entertaining for anyone who likes basketball or sports. I attended Game 4 in Indianapolis. ‘Hoosier Hospitality’… I was embarrassed when somebody, under whose direction I don’t know, called out some of the people who had made the trip from New York to support their team – and in turn, support our team.
The audience booed these people. I’d say that was not Hoosier Hospitality. One could only say it’s poor, poor sportsmanship. I was not proud to be a Hoosier, and I’ve lived here my entire life. On behalf of most Hoosiers, I would like to apologize for our poor behavior. I’m sure the Pacers had nothing to do with this smackdown.”
First of all, does Mellencamp not have a graphics team or somebody who could have told him to use a dark font?
But second, get over yourself. I know you’re an Indiana native, but why do you think you get to speak for Pacers fans, and the entire state of Indiana, and apologize for McAfee? How self-righteous is this guy? I mean, he frequently tells fans to shut up, and throws a hissy fit on stage anytime the crowd isn’t quietly hanging on his every word so I suppose this is just par for the course.
Do you remember this gem from the Coug last year?
He must be really fun at parties…
Well, McAfee saw the apology, and took issue with Mellencamp referring to him as “somebody.”
And today on his show, McAfee tore into the rock star, sarcastically promising to only facilitate “positive cheers” going forward:
“When the Knicks are playing in Gainbridge, I believe there is going to be some boos. There might be some negative things said towards the other team. There might be. That is kinda how sports work, I think.
Now, going forward, we are going to be an agent of only good things at sports stuff happening. Only positive cheers going forward, because that will make John Cougar Mellencamp happy.”
McAfee says he doesn’t know what Mellencamp was thinking, but blasted him for his self-righteousness:
“I respect and appreciate the fact that he said, ‘You know what? I’ve made a pretty good living over the last few years grandstanding higher than everybody else on everything. This feels like a good time to do that right now.’
And he puts out this horrendous quote tweet. I mean, this horrendous graphic. John, can’t tell you how bad everything you did here was. The graphic, the quote, the timing. You’re two days late, John. You’re two days late.”
And he had a message for the aging, grumpy, insufferably miserable rock star:
“John, shut the f*** up, okay?… you tryna think you’re gonna bury me, I don’t think so, John. Hey Coug, suck it buddy! And hope I get a chance to see you real soon. I think we’re probably gonna be at the same place real soon. I won’t want any bull****. I don’t like you, I know your name and I don’t like you.”
Never change, Pat. Never change…
