Former NFL player and now college football analyst Patrick Justin McAfee has sided with golfer Rory McIlroy after the latter was criticized for keeping his distance from the media.
Rory, currently 36 years old and the winner of several major tournaments throughout his career, is known for maintaining strong relationships with his fellow PGA Tour players-a trait clearly seen in the Netflix series The Perfect Swing. He also used to be that way with the press. He was always friendly and open to answering all questions or concerns posed by journalists.
But that changed this past May, when a report was leaked during the PGA Championship. The incident deeply upset the Northern Irishman.
McIlroy has said on several occasions that speaking to the media is not mandatory, which is why he prefers to keep a low profile, focusing instead on his family and using his free time to improve and refine his game.
The accusation against Rory McIlroy
The accusation McIlroy faces is that he avoided reporters after a very poor performance at the PGA Championship, something that stands out even more given the contrast with his actions following his win at the Masters back in April.
McAfee’s support for the golfer
Former player and now sports analyst Pat McAfee came to his defense on The Pat McAfee Show:
I’m going to say this to Rory: Rory, I love everything you’re doing. You walk up to the media and tell them to kiss your ass. You do whatever you need to do, buddy. It is great whenever you’re playing incredible golf. If you need to take some time, you need to take some time.,”S—, I just took some time, I am taking some time from WWE. You mentally get to a place where you’re kind of exhausted and things like that.
So if that’s what happened to Rory, or if that’s going on with Rory, or it was happening with Rory and he’s on the other side – Rory, we just want to let you know, we love when you’re golfing good. And I love that people hate you. I think that is a good thing for sport, not a bad thing for sport.
McAfee experienced media scrutiny firsthand, especially during his time with the Indianapolis Colts from 2009 to 2016, and later while working with WWE. He stepped away from wrestling, claiming mental exhaustion from the matches.
Some people believe McAfee might be exaggerating the supposed “hate” people feel toward McIlroy, perhaps in an attempt to draw a parallel between his own past as an athlete and what the golfer is currently going through.
Time will tell if McIlroy follows McAfee’s advice at the British Open taking place this weekend.
McIlroy has previously addressed this topic, saying that communication should be two-sided. He added that neither he nor any golfer is obligated to appear before the media, and that choosing not to do so should not be frowned upon.
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