'What a s*** show': Pat McAfee torches his own network over 'terrible' ESPN top 100 athlete list

ESPN's top podcaster Pat McAfee criticized an ESPN list of top athletes as one of the worst things he has ever seen on the network.

The former NFL punter did not pull any punches when going after his own network's list of the best athletes since 2000.

The ranking of 100 athletes had only been partially released when McAfee started his show revealing his plans to trash the list:

"There is a top 100 list that is coming out from ESPN's people and I'll tell ya what, it is the epitome of everything that everybody hates about ESPN," McAfee stated. "What they chose to do about ranking the top 100 athletes of the 21st century ... what a s*** show."

"What an absolute, terrible list," the former player added, before saying he planned on blaming guest of the show and former NFL quarterback Dan Orlovsky for the ESPN project.

'Is this the dumbest thing of all time?'

McAfee's contract with ESPN is a reported $85 million over five years, making him at least one of the highest paid personalities on the network. This hasn't stopped him from causing a stir on the Disney-owned channel, however. His frequent interviews with controversial quarterback Aaron Rodgers have been coupled with criticisms of network brass, with McAfee seldom shying away from expressing his views.

To his point, some of the obvious flubs on the list include placing A'ja Wilson, a 27-year-old WNBA champion at No. 90, ahead of Super Bowl winner Aaron Rodgers (91), Hall of Fame pitcher Pedro Martinez (92), and legendary soccer player Ronaldinho (94).

Furthermore, No. 56-ranked Spanish female soccer player Alexia Putellas was placed ahead of several soccer greats, including Zlatan Ibrahimović (95).

She was also shockingly far ahead of tennis legend Venus Williams (86), WNBA pioneers Candace Parker (60) and Lisa Leslie (74), and Jon Jones (66). Jones is a multi-weight UFC champion who is considered the greatest of all time by many, with only one loss coming from an illegal strike.

The list is sure to please almost no one with strange rankings of nearly unknown female basketball players, skiers, and even cricket players. Somehow, they are put in the same realm as athletes like Barry Bonds (38), Derek Jeter (53), and Alexander Ovechkin (54).

About 20 minutes into "The Pat McAfee Show," McAfee asked Orlovsky, who is now a notable analyst, how he felt about the attempt to make a definitive list like this.

"How do you feel about this list? Is this where you kind of sit it, and is this the dumbest thing of all time to kind of take the ideas of a slew of people and try to make it as if it's one person's concept?" McAfee asked.

ESPN's methodology basically consisted of "experts in individual sports" being asked to rank the top athletes in their sport since January 1, 2000. The rankings were then reevaluated by another "panel of experts."

Orlovksy responded by saying that the whole conversation surrounding a list of who is the top athlete, or, in particular, the top quarterback, needed to be "altered."

"I've been on this for I feel like a couple years now but certainly this offseason ... the whole top five/top 10 quarterback conversation probably needs to be altered," he remarked.

He went on to say that lists of this nature inevitably result in certain players being left off because the necessary parameters are not being considered.

Orlovsky went on to declare that the way the media talks about quarterbacks is unfair and overlooks some of the fundamental talents that make a good play-caller.

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