Pat McAfee is extending the olive branch to the Canadian fans.
As noted, virtually all mainstream media outlets covered Pat McAfee’s passionate reaction to Canada booing U.S. National Anthem at WWE Elimination Chamber following the show on Saturday night.
On his first episode of The Pat McAfee Show since the controversy, the WWE Raw color-commentator addressed the controversy.
“There have been some things said to me from Canadians that I guess I respect because of the passion that you have for your country,” McAfee said. “I hope you understand that I was showing the same for mine. You booed my country. During the National Anthem at the Rogers Center, overwhelming and very loud boo. First reaction whenever the National Anthem starts up there is for some of these Canadians to start booing. What? Okay. My entire life, my first reaction whenever someone starts booing the National Anthem is, ‘F**k you.'”
McAfee continued, “Anytime I’ve ever heard someone boo the National Anthem, my natural reaction is, ‘Let’s fight.’ A lot of Canadians have told me, ‘Why don’t you do a little investigating on why we are booing. Did you hear what your President said?’ Okay, I understand there are political differences at the current moment between us and Canada. I feel like, anytime I think of Canada, I don’t think about what Justin Trudeau does. I don’t think immediately of his decisions or what Canada is doing in the political sphere. I think of Gumpy, I think of poutine, of the magical times I had at Niagara Falls as a teenager.”
“I understand, now, from the Canadians that they have a lot more passion for their country than I could have ever imagined,” he said. “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. You said you didn’t boo every citizen of the United States, I didn’t say Canadians were terrible, I said your country was. You booed us, I said you’re terrible, let’s shake hands and move along. I still love Canadians,” said McAfee. “My first reaction when you boo our country is, ‘Let’s fight.’ I’m sorry. Let’s shake hands.”
I'm very proud and thankful that I'm from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in the United States of America..
Canadians have a lot of passion for their country and I understand it..
You booed our country and I said you're terrible..
Let's shake hands and move along 🤝 #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/pG4mvl9jVi
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) March 3, 2025
(H/T to Fightful.com for transcribing the above quotes.)
