“The Pat McAfee Show” is among the more polarizing programs in sports broadcasting. It has largely tended to stray away from controversy in the months since the end of the NFL season, in part because Aaron Rodgers hasn’t graced the screen nearly as much.
That changed on Monday, however, after longtime contributor and producer Boston Connor invoked a stereotype surrounding Japanese people in an attempt to make a joke about Nebraska guard Keisei Tominaga.
Boston Connor suggested that Tominaga committed a ritualistic suicide following the Cornhuskers’ Round of 64 defeat to Texas A&M in a segment aired on Monday afternoon. Pat McAfee proceeded to repost the clip on X, the website formerly known as Twitter.
Here’s what you need to know.
MORE: Pat McAfee-Stephen A. Smith beef explained
‘The Pat McAfee Show’-Keisei Tominaga controversy, explained
Boston Connor — whose real name is Connor Campbell — appeared on Monday’s show as a guest, featuring in a “Rumor Mill” segment in which he appeared to be reporting from an actual steel mill. In the bit, Campbell played a character known as “Donny Don Don” and discussed Nebraska’s defeat to the Aggies, which proved to be the final game of Tominaga’s collegiate career.
“Rumor has it that our favorite player, Keisei Tominaga, is no longer with us,” Campbell said. “And I’m not saying he’s no longer with us because the Nebraska Cornhuskers lost by 50. He actually performed seppuku on himself.”
Campbell then laid out in great detail how Tominaga supposedly committed the act.
“Stabbed himself through the chest in the heart because he felt as though he brought a dishonor to himself, his family, and the Nebraska Cornhuskers. Now that is just what I’m hearing at the rumor mill. I have not confirmed yet with the obituary whether or not he’s actually dead.”
McAfee asserted that Tominaga was not actually dead. Campbell disagreed, however.
“Well, how do you know?” Campbell asked. He proceeded to pull up a picture of Tominaga crying following the game, contending that Tominaga flew back to Japan to perform seppuku, a ritualistic method of suicide often used by samurais during the Edo period (1600-1857). The act was considered more honorable than capture. Tominaga is Japanese.
Campbell’s analogy wore on and on, with the longtime friend of the show reporting to McAfee that Tominaga had been gifted the sword that he would use to stab himself by his father and that the blade was made to be an image of his dad. McAfee played along, although he did continue to reiterate that Tominaga was alive and well.
Here is the clip in its full entirety, reposted by McAfee himself.
That’s not true Donny 😂😂 #PMSLive https://t.co/SszyayKA3u pic.twitter.com/JkjSEaqjdh
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) March 25, 2024
It seemed a rather tasteless interaction, admittedly. Those who “joke” about suicide are often reprimanded — just look at Terry Bradshaw and Padres radio host Kevin Klein. The fact that Campbell invoked a Japanese stereotype to do so is especially hard to reckon with; it seems rather unlikely Campbell would have made the same type of joke toward a non-Japanese player.
MORE: Why Pat McAfee felt ‘at war’ with ESPN executives
The fact that McAfee openly promoted such a clip certainly raises some additional questions, too. You can’t imagine that the powers that be in ESPN’s boardroom would be happy with a tacit endorsement like that, even if Campbell was clearly attempting to make a joke.
McAfee’s show tends to walk the wild side when it comes to engaging with less-than-savory content. It appeared to have crossed that line on Monday, employing a racial stereotype about suicide in an attempt to make a joke.
It will be interesting to see if those writing McAfee’s paychecks have anything to say regarding his show’s latest controversy in the coming few days.
