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ESPN personalities have once again found themselves at the center of an online debate over professionalism and workplace conduct. While fans and media critics frequently spar over what they deem acceptable on live television, a recent moment involving Monica McNutt has taken over the internet. That’s where ex-ESPN host Jemele Hill came in and dragged Pat McAfee into the picture.

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“So let me get this straight: Pat McAfee can hit a vape during a broadcast and openly admit he smokes a lot of weed, but y’all on here losing your minds about Monica McNutt’s pedicure,” Hill wrote on X. “Yeah, ok. And also: I do not care that McAfee did either. It’s the hypocrisy for me.” 

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Hill later shared a screenshot of a New York Post story from April 25 last year. The post showed McAfee using a vape pen on the set of Draft Spectacular during the 2025 NFL Draft, which he’d borrowed from a fan. He’d even offered it to Mike McCarthy, who was a guest on the show. Here’s what the host later had to say after being called out for the act:

“To my understanding.. This was CBD/Vitamins from a wonderful dude at the draft last night.. obviously Right before we went live.. a little altitude/attitude lift.. thought Coach might’ve gave it a go 😂😂.”

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Meanwhile, Monica McNutt came under fire for multitasking from a nail salon in downtown Los Angeles. Her SportsCenter colleagues didn’t seem to have a problem either, who only wanted to know more about where she was. McNutt carried on like every other day.

Both figures are under contract with ESPN. The network didn’t say anything about the McAfee incident, and isn’t saying much about McNutt’s case either.

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However, it is pretty common for hosts to appear on these shows from very weird places. Awful Announcing pointed out that Adam Schefter has broken news while being in a car, more often than not.

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Hill’s comments weren’t about defending or criticizing either personality. Instead, she argued that similar behavior should be judged by similar standards, regardless of who is involved. Her remarks have added another layer to an already lively discussion about professionalism and consistency in modern sports media. 

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Krushna Prasad Pattnaik

3,383 Articles

Krushna Pattnaik is an NFL Writer at EssentiallySports, covering the league across news, roster moves, and team developments. With a medical background, he brings particular depth to stories around player injuries, medical suspensions, and health-related developments. As a Senior Writer, he honed his editorial skills through the EssentiallySports Journalistic Excellence Program. Before moving to the NFL beat, Krushna spent three years at EssentiallySports covering MMA and Olympic sports, working across prediction pieces, live event assignments, and beat reports. With five years of personal training in Jiu-Jitsu, kickboxing, and taekwondo, he brought a practitioner's perspective to his fight coverage. He also briefly contributed to the ES YouTube team. His work earned external recognition, including a nod from Conor McGregor, and one of his pieces was featured on Brendan Schaub's podcast.

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