After the Jacksonville Jaguars lost a wild-card playoff game, a local reporter, Lynn Jones-Turpin, offered supportive and encouraging remarks to Liam Coen instead of asking a traditional question.

The incident raised questions. Some journalists criticized the exchange, saying it was unprofessional for someone credentialed to ask questions at a press conference to instead give praise. Pat McAfee had his say as well.

The former footballer lashed out at the reporters, criticizing the move. In an X post, he expressed satisfaction at seeing sports journalists harshly rebuked for what he viewed as outdated and negative attitudes.

"OBVIOUSLY NOT ALL OF THEM, but a LARGE % of these things hate sports.. they hate what sports are for people (happiness).. They hate what sports are for society (unifier). They’re political journalists by nature who’ve preyed on sports because they saw it as an easier path to “make it."

He said traditional sports journalists are losing influence, citing his ESPN show as proof. McAfee claimed their criticism comes from a desire to undermine sports, which he believes they fundamentally fail to understand.

He also thanked Jones for what she did. "Thank you Lynn Jones for setting up a situation for me and all of us on how Liam Coen, a man who might be a 🐐 when he’s done, handles compliments during one of his most miserable moments. He handled it with class and humility.. feels like some journalism was actually done there."

Pat McAfee wasn't the only one coming out in support. “This reporter sounds incredibly sweet and thoughtful. I can tell she comes from a place of love," wrote ESPN’s Jenna Laine.

Lynn Jones replied to the critics after Pat McAfee defended her

A day after the internet had its opinions on her actions, Jones-Turpin shared her side of the story in an interview on a local Jacksonville news station.

“I don’t take no offense to [the criticism],” she said. “Listen, I’ve been in this business more than 25 years. I’ve interviewed Barack Obama, Terry Bradshaw, [and] Tiger Woods. So he could say whatever he want about fake news.

Jones-Turpin noted her long-standing role in the Black Press as associate editor of the Jacksonville Free Press and emphasized her decades of experience despite any criticism.

She also explained why she chose to support Coen in that moment. “Coach came out, and he was his emotions, he was totally immersed, his feelings. He had tears. He bit his lip. And the issue is the question, not necessarily a question in the fourth quarter, on the fourth down, and the punt came through, but my question was, ‘Keep your head up, young man,’" she said.

Written by

Reyansh Dubey

Edited by

Oajaswini Prabhu