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ESPN personality and WWE commentator Pat McAfee has found himself this week on the receiving end of a lot of hate from sports fans who are angry that he called Canada “a terrible country.” McAfee made the comment during the broadcast of the WWE Elimination Chamber PLE in Toronto on Saturday after fans booed the U.S. national anthem. As a result, he revealed that at least one person has made a death threat against him and his one-year-old daughter.
“It kind of sucks that it’s in the terrible country of Canada that booed our national anthem to start this entire thing,” Pat McAfee said during the WWE broadcast and repeating his feelings about Canada numerous times throughout the show.
On Monday, McAfee addressed his ripping the entire country of Canada and tried to defend his comments.
“You booed my country,” Pat McAfee said on his show. “Now, I heard from a lot of Canadians. During the national anthem, obviously the Rogers Centre, overwhelming boo. I mean, very loud boo. First reaction whenever the national anthem starts up there was for some of these Canadians just to start booing and I’m, like, what? Okay. My entire life, my first reaction when somebody boos the national anthem is, f— you.”
Without apologizing, McAfee would continue his explanation and conclude, “I understand, now, from the Canadians, that they have a lot more passion for their country than I could have ever imagined. A lot of terrible things have been said about me, and I understand it. You boo my country, I called your country terrible, let’s shake hands.”
On Thursday, McAfee shared a screenshot of one death threat he received because of his comments. Over the image, he wrote, “Good morning beautiful people… Standard Wednesday over here… just some random wishing death upon me & my daughter.. Hope you all have a great day.”
As McAfee learned, Canadians “have a lot more passion for their country” than he thought, but this? This is certainly taking things too far.