Former Barstool employee describes Pat McAfee as consistently paranoid
Jeff Vibbert, a longtime Barstool Sports staffer, said Pat McAfee was “always paranoid” during their time working together, a view he shared on a Barstool podcast amid recent controversy over McAfee’s comments on a Utah video.
Jeff “Vibbs” Vibbert, who worked at Barstool Sports for several years, told the Out and About podcast that Pat McAfee displayed a persistent sense of paranoia while they were colleagues. Vibbert said employees often felt they were “walking on eggshells” around McAfee, trying to anticipate his emotional reactions and potential feuds.
“I think that paranoia is who he is. He’s always paranoid. When we were working there, you’re just kind of walking around on eggshells, wondering what he’s going to be like emotionally when he shows up, who he’s going to be mad at, who he’s going to be feuding with,” Vibbert said.
Vibbert added that McAfee frequently reacted to perceived slights with public statements of cutting ties, a pattern he described as “wash, rinse, repeat.” He linked this behavior to the recent backlash McAfee faced after a video about Utah and a comparison to political activist Charlie Kirk.
“We’ve seen that script a million times where he’s like, ‘You know what, I don’t like them, they slighted me… I’m cutting them off, I’m burning that bridge completely.’ And then wash, rinse, repeat,” he said.
While acknowledging that McAfee has supporters and successful collaborations, including with ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit, Vibbert’s comments provide a contrasting perspective on the media personality’s interpersonal style.
The discussion comes as McAfee’s recent remarks have drawn criticism, highlighting the tension between his public persona and the experiences of former coworkers.