Team Canada has pulled off their first major upset in the quest to qualify for flag football at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, leaving one notable American media personality searching for answers.
ESPN analyst Pat McAfee openly called out the United States’ men’s flag football team on his massively popular television show on Monday, questioning the team’s 25-21 loss to Canada in the International Bowl last weekend.
“We can’t be losing to Canada,” the former NFL punter exclaimed. “This can’t be happening.”
The Canadian senior men’s national team went 4-0 in their first international friendly tournament since selecting their roster, which was hosted by USA Football in Los Angeles. Led by ex-CFL quarterback Michael O’Connor, as well as former draft picks Trivel Pinto and Maxyme Lavallee, the team opened with their upset of the top-ranked Americans before notching victories over Japan, Australia, and Japan again.
That initial result rubbed McAfee the wrong way, as he vocally pushed back against one of his staffers’ suggestions that Canada had “a strong squad.”
“It is not. That’s the problem that I’m having here,” McAfee said. “Can’t happen.”
McAfee has made controversial statements about Canada in the past. In March, the wrestling commentator was forced to apologize after calling it a “terrible country” when fans booed the American national anthem at a WWE event in Toronto, later receiving death threats.
The 38-year-old has also weighed in on the CFL in the past, once describing it as “state fair football.” He came down hard in favour of the league’s potential merger with the XFL during the pandemic, painting Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson as a potential saviour figure.
Team Canada head coach Paul LaPolice took a diplomatic approach to McAfee’s comments, sharing the clip on Twitter.
“Yes, Pat we have, as your co-worker said, a strong squad and a good football team. We finished 4-0 last weekend and the US also has an amazing football team. Appreciate you talking flag football.”
McAfee hasn’t shied away from talking about flag football lately, complimenting the sport’s entertainment value and highlighting controversial comments made by current Team USA quarterback Darrell Doucette that he’d be better suited to play in the Olympics than NFL players. He appeared to reference that suggestion again in talking about the loss this week.
“Maybe Canada just has a team,” McAfee said. “But maybe we should be thinking about Lamar Jackson playing on this team, thinking about Kyler Murray playing on this team.”
NFL players from both Canada and the US, along with all other countries, have been approved to participate in the Olympics. However, there has been no waiver granted for their participation in qualification events, which have yet to begin. Canada’s first opportunity to qualify will likely be the 2026 IFAF Flag Football World Championships.
The men’s team finished seventh at the 2024 World Championships in Finland, while the women’s team came in fifth. Team USA took home gold for both sexes.
McAfee, who recently starred in a Super Bowl commercial promoting flag football for girls, can take consolation in the fact that while the American men were upset in the International Bowl, the women’s team delivered Canada a 26-22 loss — the only defeat for the Maple Leaf at the tournament.
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