{
  "id": 5796316,
  "title": "Lane Kiffin reveals advice Pat McAfee gave him during controversial week",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/05/lane-kiffin-reveals-advice-pat-mcafee-gave-him-during-controversial",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-05T16:15:40.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/lane-kiffin-reveals-advice-pat-161540652.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "During LSU's season opener against Clemson, Lane Kiffin recounted how Pat McAfee in ESPN provided him with guidance during a particularly controversial week. McAfee, who hosts a daily sports show, expressed appreciation for Kiffin's efforts following the SEC lawsuit threat. Kiffin then disclosed McAfee's advice: \"Just focus on it. Don't worry about the noise. A lot of times to do great things, you're going to have to be hated.\" This sentiment echoed the sentiment expressed by other highly polarizing figures, including Nick Saban, Kirk Herbstreit, and Desmond Howard, during a segment on GameDay that called for Congress to pass the Protect College Sports Act. Kiffin explained that his decision to not play Dae'Quan Wright and Zxavian Harris was not an easy one, but he made it with the long-term interests of LSU in mind. The two players remain available for future games should a favorable ruling be handed down by the courts, and they will take part in tonight's matchup against Clemson on ABC. The story will be revisited on ESPN next week to gauge reactions to Kiffin and McAfee's relationship.",
  "summary": "Lane Kiffin says he and Pat McAfee are the two most hated people there are.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Yahoo Sports",
        "title": "Meet the two ex-NFL players joining LSU, Lane Kiffin to play in college football games",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/05/meet-the-two-ex-nfl-players-joining-lsu-lane-kiffin-to-play-in",
        "published": "2026-09-05T09:00:01.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Newsweek",
        "title": "Lane Kiffin Breaks Silence on LSU's Ex-NFL Players Bombshell",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/05/lane-kiffin-breaks-silence-on-lsus-ex-nfl-players-bombshell",
        "published": "2026-09-05T17:50:04.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}