John Mellencamp Ignored as ESPN’s Pat McAfee Sends Message to Ben Stiller & Co. After ECF

The NBA can sometimes be like a restaurant with a really diverse menu. How? Well, there’s something to suit everyone’s tastes. Like high-octane, technical basketball? Watch the Golden State Warriors. Want to watch a one-man wrecking crew? Watch Giannis Antetokounmpo play for the Bucks. Want to see a man fight time itself and win? Watch LeBron James’ highlights from his 22nd NBA season. But above all else, like any good restaurant, there’s plenty of beef. And it’s not just players, even celebrities who enjoy the games get into it sometimes. And that’s exactly the type of run-in NFL legend Pat McAfee recently had.

It’s no secret that Knicks games see a lot of high-profile attendees. However, Pat McAfee kicked up a hornet’s nest after Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals. A vocal and passionate fan of the Pacers, McAfee called out the celebrities during that game, eliciting boos from the crowd. And he doubled down on it, imploring the fans in Indianapolis to “send these sons of b——s back to New York with their ears ringing.”

But after the Pacers reached the NBA Finals, Pat took the high road, showing his gratitude to the “legends” who turned up to watch the games. But there was a notable exception. “Congrats to you too brother.. You, Timmy, Spike, Schrags, Schulz, and the other legends that traveled to our city to watch your team play was fucking sweet. I certainly wanted your ears to ring a little bit on the way back to Teeterboro BUT, we were thankful for your passion. That was dope. See you next year. Cheers,” wrote McAfee on X, replying to Ben Stiller, congratulating the Pacers.

 

Congrats to you too brother..

You, Timmy, Spike, Schrags, Schulz, and the other legends that traveled to our city to watch your team play was fucking sweet. I certainly wanted your ears to ring a little bit on the way back to Teeterboro BUT, we were thankful for your passion.… https://t.co/DUbrsTNHzZ

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) June 1, 2025

Notice any omissions? Yes, you’d be right to point out that John Mellencamp was not on the list of legends that Pat was thankful for. Now, there could be other reasons. He could have forgotten about Mellencamp, for instance. But we think in this particular instance, that’s not what happened.

After all, after what Pat McAfee did in Game 4, a sort of cold war began brewing between him and Johnny Cougar. But if you missed what happened, don’t worry — that’s what we’re here for.

Here’s what happened between Pat McAfee and John Mellencamp that led to their beef

Pat’s actions in Game 4 had the potential to rub a lot of people the wrong way. However, the celebrities that he called out knew that theatrics was all it was. Well, all of them except John Mellencamp. He took offense at what the former Colts punter had to say. In fact, he went on an online tirade against Pat without explicitly naming him.

“‘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,” wrote Mellencamp on X. It was clear as day that these shots were aimed at Pat and his actions after the Indiana Pacers won Game 4 at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

NFL, American Football Herren, USA Scouting Combine Feb 27, 2025 Indianapolis, IN, USA Pat McAfee watches workouts at the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Indianapolis Lucas Oil Stadium Indiana United States, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xKirbyxLeex 20250226_cec_al2_216

And Pat didn’t waste any time, replying to the singer just a day later. “I don’t know what he thought he was doing with that particular quote tweet. … He puts out this horrendous quote tweet, a horrendous graphic. John, can’t tell you how bad everything you did was…John, shut the f— up,” said McAfee on his show.

And now, it seems this jab by omission is the latest way Pat has chosen to diss Mellencamp. But all in all, it does seem like Pat is walking away with the last laugh in this feud. Not only did his Pacers beat the New York Knicks, but he also got the last word over the singer. And we’re sure Pat’s going to sleep well tonight! But John, he’ll probably be mad for a few days to come!

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