Thursday’s controversy over Algeria’s Imane Khelif boxing Italy’s Angela Carini continues to spark debate amongst athletes and commentators alike.
On Thursday afternoon’s episode of “The Pat McAfee Show,” host Pat McAfee took to addressing the situation.
In just shy of six minutes, McAfee gave a very mild take on the situation saying, “I know this conversation has been happening for a few years. I just don’t understand how we got to this point.”
He did however try to set the tone for his comments, saying he was “coming from a very empathetic point of view, as well.”
While McAfee stated he had, “a lot empathy” for those struggling with gender dysphoria, he said there “should be some sort of conversation” concerning how one feels about themself and what their biological makeup is when playing in sports.
McAfee called Thursday’s bout, “a very sad situation,” but concluded by saying, “I haven’t done enough research.”
While McAfee was clearly trying to be reserved around a very complicated situation and attempting not fall too hard on one particular side, he still drew the anger of San Fransico 49er’s long snapper, Taybor Pepper.
Pepper reposted McAfee’s clip via X, asserting that McAfee should, “Stop talking before you broadcast 5 minutes of nonsense to a worldwide audience.”
“I haven’t done enough research”
Then stop talking before you broadcast 5 minutes of nonsense to a worldwide audience. https://t.co/uQlj0e3IBv
— Taybor Pepper (@TayborSnapping) August 1, 2024
To be clear, this is not a transgender issue. Khelif reportedly has a condition known as Differences in Sexual Development.
Do you agree with McAfee?
The Cleveland Clinic defined DSD: “Disorders of sexual development are conditions where a person’s reproductive organs and genitals are ‘mismatched’ at birth. Examples include male chromosomes (XY) and genitalia that appears female (vulva) or female chromosomes (XX) and genitalia that appears male (penis). Some people with DSDs have characteristics of both sexes.”
The situation is certainly more complex than many initially believed, but Khelif is not entirely shielded from criticism as this condition can still pose problems when competing in women’s sports.
Regarding Pepper, his chastising McAfee does stand on any firm ground.
McAfee has a show in which he gives his take on the latest news in sports.
That includes the Paris Olympics.
It seemed very obvious that he would address what many would consider to be the biggest development out of Paris after the stir over the opening ceremony.
As previously stated, McAfee did not adopt a hardline position on the matter, so the attack is unwarranted.
Pepper mostly comes off as wanting to bully McAfee to stay ahead of the narrative, believing that the clip will soon be a rallying point for X’s outrage mob who may misconstrue McAfee’s statements as “transphobic.”
