Former NFL punter and popular sports media personality Pat McAfee scored a small victory against ex-NFL quarterback Brett Favre…for now.
Favre is suing McAfee and Fox Sports’ Shannon Sharpe, another Pro Football Hall of Famer, for defamation regarding the comments they made on the former’s alleged involvement in a $77 million Mississippi welfare scandal.
Per betting and sports lawyer Daniel Wallach, McAfee was able to have the lawsuit against him moved from Lamar County, Mississippi to federal court.
Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio detailed why this was the only option for McAfee:
“It was the only play by McAfee, given that Favre is a Mississippi native, who lives in Lamar County. Home cooking exists in state courts, when it comes to defendants who don’t live in that state. For that reason, federal law allows cases filed in state court against out-of-state defendants to be removed to federal court (if the plaintiff is seeking more than $75,000), where the judges are appointed for life and not part of the local political scene.”
McAfee ripped Favre for his alleged involvement in the aforementioned welfare scandal, calling the three-time league MVP “a thief” and claiming that he stole from poor people in the state of Mississippi.
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Back in October, the Super Bowl 31 champion and longtime Green Bay Packers’ starting quarterback stated that he was being “smeared by the media.”
The 35-year-old McAfee spent his entire NFL career as a punter for the Indianapolis Colts (2009 to 2016). McAfee was named a 2014 First-team All-Pro and earned Pro Bowl nods that same year as well as 2016.
After retiring from football, McAfee’s sports media career began with Barstool Sports. He also works for WWE as a SmackDown commentator on FOX Sports alongside play-by-play man Michael Cole.
McAfee also wrestles the odd match for WWE, defeating Austin Theory at day two of WrestleMania 38. Moments later, then-WWE chairman Vince McMahon showed up and wound up defeating McAfee in a short match.
