JokersUpdates.com: Current Affairs - Pat McAfee blown away to learn San Francisco is not what conservative media makes it out to be "This place has been gorgeous. It has been incredible." (you wouldn't get out much listening to

conservatives drivel)

By Sean Keeley on 02/06/2026
The NFL world descended on the Bay Area this week as the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks prepare to battle in Super Bowl LX in Santa Clara’s Levi’s Stadium.

While the game itself will be played about 40 miles away, much of the NFL’s activities and media opportunities are being staged in San Francisco, which has been in the eye of a media storm for several years, as many conservative politicians and media outlets have seized on its problems.

Perceptions about homelessness, crime, and public drug usage have turned the city into shorthand for outlets such as Fox News when they want to make a point about what’s wrong with California and, to a larger extent, the Democratic Party.

There’s no denying that San Francisco is dealing with significant issues, many of which were exacerbated by wealth gaps, income inequality, and the pandemic, but in many ways, its issues aren’t so different from those many other cities face. A hyperfocus on specific areas and curated statistics can tell whatever story you want.

That story has resonated with many people across the country, including Pat McAfee. ESPN’s golden son has been broadcasting in San Francisco all week in preparation for the Super Bowl, and he seems to have come to the realization that the city isn’t actually the hellhole many have made it out to be.

On Wednesday, McAfee greeted 49ers great Joe Montana and shared that he was “so surprised” by how much he and everyone else on his show were enjoying San Francisco.

“We were so surprised by what we had been told and expected vs. when we walk through the streets and got here. It’s like, the buildings are beautiful… there are so many hills, there were people running, it was a very active city. It felt like, I’d not known this about San Francisco.”

Montana told McAfee that there’s still a lot of focus on how the city was impacted by the 2008 financial crisis, but “that’s all behind us now, and the city is coming back.” He also praised San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie for the work he’s been doing.

That was fortuitous as Lurie appeared on The Pat McAfee Show on Thursday to offer some real-world conversation about the state of the city and how things have changed. McAfee mentioned he’d gotten plenty of “reports” about issues they might face while in town, but the College GameDay analyst was practically falling over himself to praise his experience while there.

https://awfulannouncing.com/nfl/pat-mcafee-san-francisco-conservative-media-enjoyed-beautiful.html