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Pat McAfee embarrasses Dan Orlovsky live on ESPN

With the 2026 NFL Draft quickly approaching, teams are finalizing their boards for draft night. Meanwhile, media members, fans, and mock draft enthusiasts continue to deliver a steady stream of hot takes.

ESPN NFL analyst Dan Orlovsky recently delivered one that set the sports media world on fire. He declared Ty Simpson the QB1 of the NFL Draft.

That statement effectively places Fernando Mendoza, the presumed number one overall pick, as QB2. Many analysts, fans, and teams have pushed back on that notion.

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Orlovsky joined The Pat McAfee Show, and when the topic came up, McAfee and his crew immediately challenged him. The segment quickly turned into a live on-air roast on ESPN.

McAfee opened by saying that he and his crew had seen Mendoza in person in the biggest games. Orlovsky immediately pushed back, asking, “What biggest games?”

A noticeable pause followed before multiple crew members pointed to Mendoza’s College Football Playoff championship. “Dan O” quickly grew defensive, which sparked an extended rant from McAfee.

“So the College Football Playoff is big mockery and scam. Doesn’t mean anything. These games just don’t matter?” McAfee sarcastically began. “They have a full [explicative] committee! They have billions of dollars in TV rights for what the biggest games are.”

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Orlovsky acknowledged McAfee’s point but quickly pivoted to the Big Ten Championship Game, noting that Indiana scored just six points through three quarters.

Dec 11, 2023; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; ESPN football analyst Dan Orlovsky stands on the sideline prior to the game between the Miami Dolphins and the Tennessee Titans at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images

“And then what?” a member of McAfee’s crew asked. Indiana, of course, pulled away with the victory. The crew also reminded Orlovsky that Ohio State’s defense posted historic numbers—including against Indiana.

As McAfee continued to question his reasoning, Orlovsky became increasingly defensive. McAfee then highlighted Mendoza’s ability to battle through injury in that game and throughout the rest of the playoffs.

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The situation escalated further when McAfee pointed out that Orlovsky and Mendoza share the same agent—raising questions about potential bias in his analysis. The moment has since gone viral and cast the ESPN analyst in a tough light.

Feb 5, 2026; San Franciso, CA, USA; Pat McAfee on the Pat McAfee show set at the Super Bowl LX media center at the Moscone Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Everyone will have an opinion when it comes to the NFL Draft. However, Orlovsky’s take contains several holes that he has yet to adequately defend.

Will ESPN possibly address the heated moment?

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Pat McAfee makes $100k charity wager with Brewers star for MLB Opening Day

Jacob Misiorowski became one of the best young pitchers in 2025, and Pat McAfee has a challenge for the Milwaukee Brewers star before MLB Opening Day.

The second-year MLB starting pitcher has his sights set on a huge season for the Brewers. However, McAfee is upping the ante for Game 1 of the season with a huge wager.

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On Tuesday’s The Pat McAfee Show, the sports media giant offered to donate $100,000 to charity if Misiorowski can reach an insane pitching milestone. The Brewers star has been known to throw serious heat on the mound, and McAfee wants to see it unleashed.

We will donate $100,000 if you hit 104 mph on Thursday, @Jmisiorowski9#PMSLivepic.twitter.com/qoRgxEwYf4

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) March 24, 2026

McAfee wants to see Misiorowski throw over 104 miles per hour on Thursday, a mark that the Milwaukee star hit during the 2025 MLB postseason.

The NL Central team has a date with the Chicago White Sox to kickstart their season on MLB Opening Day. Meanwhile, Misiorowski is aiming to carry over his first-year success with Milwaukee and expand upon it.

Last season, many headlines immediately went to Pittsburgh Pirates sensation Paul Skenes. However, Misiorowski’s 4.36 ERA was certainly higher than many baseball fans would’ve expected after how big an impact he made for the Brewers.

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In his 15 appearances, Misiorowski posted a 5-3 record while throwing over 100 miles per hour on many occasions.

Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Jacob Misiorowski tosses a football during MLB spring training workouts.

No matter the outcome for Milwaukee on Opening Day, if Misiorowski clocks a pitch in the low 100s it will certainly get baseball fans talking about the promising flamethrower.

Enjoy free coverage of the top news & trending stories on The Big Lead

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