“When I was in the NFL, I went on a USO tour to Japan… I walked inside an arena and THIS is what I saw,” Pat McAfee tweeted, dropping a video of sumo wrestlers colliding like “Godzilla vs. Kong” on a clay dohyo. Back in 2016, while still booting pigskins for the Colts, McAfee hit Camp Zama and Fleet Activities Yokosuka with the subtlety of a Hail Mary. “Their nightclubs are the most reckless places I’ve ever seen,” he confessed, comparing them to The Hangover’s Bangkok scene—minus the tiger.
“I hopped at that opportunity and I couldn’t wait to get over there…” McAfee continued, a sentiment that reflected his thirst for experiences beyond the football field.
In McAfee’s usual larger-than-life style, he tweeted, “Life has become a wild one. I get a chance to travel. When I was in the NFL, I went on a USO tour to the country of Japan. I love the military. I’ll support the shit out of the military till the day I die.” This reflects not only his love for the military but also his deep appreciation for the global experiences the NFL allowed him to have. It’s clear from McAfee’s words that this tour wasn’t just another trip—it became a formative experience that continues to influence him to this day.
When I was in the NFL I went on a USO tour to the country of Japan..
I hopped at that opportunity and I couldn’t wait to get over there..
I WALKED INSIDE AN ARENA AND THIS IS WHAT I SAW… #BigNightAHT pic.twitter.com/AzbLHQz1PE
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) April 10, 2025
He went on to describe Japan’s nightlife, something that struck him with a sense of both wonder and amusement. “They live in a completely different way than we do. Very quiet, very clean, very disciplined. But in their nightclubs, they are fucking out of control. The nightclubs are the most reckless places I’ve ever seen. And that’s counting like Jimmy D’s down there on the South Side.”
For McAfee, this was a revelation—an orderly society with a side that knew how to party harder than any American bar scene. His personal journey through the night culminated in an unexpected detour into a red-light district. “And when the night would end, I wouldn’t necessarily wanna go back to the base. I wanted to see the people. So I walked around this red light district that they told us do not go to because there are some people over there that don’t love Americans,” McAfee admitted, acknowledging that there were some risks, but also a sense of curiosity and adventure that drove him forward.
Despite the warnings, McAfee bravely ventured out, and it was there he stumbled upon a sumo arena. “I walked out hammered drunk, turned right, and there was an arena that was clearly having an event. I walked inside of that arena, and this was the video that I saw.” It’s this unexpected encounter that would go on to define McAfee’s trip.
McAfee marveled at the size and raw power of the rikishis (sumo wrestlers) and the age-old traditions that fuel the sport. “From the land of the rising sun comes a sport of power, grit, and size. One which flourishes within Japan’s borders, sumo wrestling. What began as entertainment for emperors and lords more than a thousand years ago has now become the epicenter of Japanese culture.” McAfee’s respect for sumo is clear, as he continued to describe how the sport has shaped not just Japanese entertainment but their entire cultural identity.
“Combatants or Rikishis weigh over three hundred and fifty pounds and don the traditional Mawashi. A daily diet of nearly 10,000 calories fuel these behemoths as they prepare for the next honpa show or tournament. Bigger is better inside the dohyo.” These wrestlers, with their enormous size and intense training regimens, are the embodiment of strength, discipline, and tradition.
McAfee also detailed the sumo ring itself—the dohyo—and the rituals that precede the matches. “Measuring roughly 15 feet in diameter, the clay circle serves as the battleground. Purification of the dohyo circle begins with Itrakishi dispersing salt. With a bow to each other and an emphatic foot stomp, Hoshiko, the competition commences. Victory is obtained by throwing your opponent out of the dojo.” McAfee was struck by the ritualistic nature of the sport, especially the respect shown by the fighters and the sacredness of the competition. In sumo, it’s not just physical dominance; it’s also about ritual, respect, and heritage.
As McAfee went on to describe, the sport’s legends—Yama Motoyama, Hakuho, and Aki Bono—helped shape the modern era of sumo. “Less than 100 Rikishis in history have reached the pinnacle known as top rank. Those grand champions are known as Yokozuna.” This recognition of the sport’s history and the incredible feats of its athletes resonated with McAfee, drawing parallels between his own journey in sports and the legendary status that sumo wrestlers achieved.
Behind every great McAfee rant is Tim—the truck-driving, cabinet-slanging dad who once gave Pat the silent treatment over a earring. “He’d leave at dawn, come home at 5… then shag balls for me on weekends,” Pat shared, his voice softening. That grind forged a bond tighter than Aaron Rodgers’ spirals. On Tim’s birthday, McAfee posted a throwback: “Happy Birthday to my dad. A dawg thru and thru.” Cue the waterworks.
But Japan wasn’t all father-son nostalgia. McAfee, ever the curious tourist, ignored warnings to explore red-light alleys. “I walked out hammered, found an arena… and boom,” he said, capturing sumo’s raw majesty. It’s a metaphor for his career: unscripted, relentless, occasionally messy. “Life’s a wild one,” he shrugged, echoing Tim’s lessons.
McAfee Hot Mic Hell: Ole Miss, Outrage, and the Art of Apology
Cut to February 2024. McAfee, now ESPN’s $85M golden boy, tweeted, “What’s going on at Ole Miss ” alongside a viral rumor about a sorority girl. The clip? A dumpster fire. Mary Kate Cornett, the 19-year-old falsely accused, told NBC: “My life’s ruined… McAfee never asked if it was true.” Cue the internet’s collective yikes.
Cornett’s weighing a defamation suit—ESPN’s PR team’s nightmare. “It’s absolutely ridiculous,” she fumed, her voice cracking. McAfee, who built his brand on unfiltered takes, now faces a Succession-level crisis. Legal experts whisper “steep penalties,” but Pat’s MIA. For a guy who survived WrestleMania bouts with Vince McMahon, this is his hardest hit yet.
McAfee’s silence speaks volumes. Once the class clown who turned a 2014 onside kick into a career highlight, he’s now navigating a minefield. “If you want something, work for it,” Tim’s voice echoes. But at what cost? Cornett’s trauma vs. McAfee’s “reckless” brand? It’s The Social Network meets SportsCenter.
Yet, hope lingers. Remember 2019, when McAfee nearly got axed by WWE over a backstage spat? He bounced back, just like his old man’s cabinets. Redemption’s possible—if he follows sumo’s code: bow, stomp, fight.
Final Whistle : Pat McAfee’s story? It’s a highlight reel of grit and gaffes. From Japan’s dohyo to Oxford’s drama, he’s living his dad’s lesson: “You can have anything… if you work.” But as The Office’s Michael Scott once screeched, “Sometimes you just have to take a chance.” Here’s hoping McAfee’s next chance includes a heartfelt “my bad”—and fewer Twitter fingers.
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