'Embarrassing' Prince Harry called out by Pat McAfee after ESPY Award nomination

Prince Harry is in the hot seat stateside after his nomination for a high-profile award sparked controversy among critics who claim he's not fit for the honor.

Sports commentator and ex-NFL star Pat McAfee slammed the ESPY Awards for shortlisting the Duke of Sussex for the Pat Tillman Award for Service , an accolade reserved for individuals with a strong sports connection who have dedicated themselves to service in a manner that echoes the sacrifice of Pat Tillman.

Tillman, an NFL player turned US Army Ranger, tragically lost his life in Afghanistan.

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McAfee took issue with Prince Harry's nomination, suggesting it doesn't align with the award's true spirit and raising eyebrows over the selection criteria. "A lot of conversation about Pat Tillman's name," McAfee remarked. "American hero ... Now there's an award named after him, as there should be in the sports world because that is somebody who is the definition of selfless."

He continued: "It's going to Prince Harry, who I don't even think is a prince anymore."

Boston Connor, McAfee's sidekick on the show, went as far as to call Prince Harry's nod "probably the most embarrassing thing I've seen in my entire life".

McAfee cast doubt on whether the ESPY Awards' panel did their homework when picking nominees. Per the ESPY Awards' guidelines, the winners are picked via a global online fan vote from a pool curated by the ESPY Select Nominating Committee.

McAfee slammed the decision, hinting it was a slap in the face to common sense. "When you do something like this, you know the immediate reaction from humans and sports fans and like people with common sense and brains is going to be like: 'Hey, don't be putting our f---ing guy with that guy,'" he said, clearly taking issue with Prince Harry being considered for the Pat Tillman Award.

Despite acknowledging Prince Harry's notable efforts, such as creating the Invictus Games and his military service, McAfee implied these might not resonate with the award's ethos.

"I don't know anything about him except for the South Park episode and what I've learned from The Crown," McAfee confessed. "But did his people know like 'you publicly put me up for this award. You're just asking basically every person that considers themselves American and saying 'this is bull----.'".

Ty Schmitt, part of McAfee's broadcast crew, also took a shot at the ESPYS, dismissing them as "a gimmick" and lamenting that many American military heroes were passed over.

"There are probably hundreds, if not thousands of people who they could have found who could have benefitted from this award. But instead let's give it to Prince Harry," Schmitt remarked.

McAfee humorously proposed that the ESPY Awards should introduce a new category tailored for Prince Harry. "How about it's like ESPY for Royal Family member who doesn't want to be called 'Royal Family member' who loves sports," he quipped.

The backlash highlights the ongoing debate about the criteria and appropriateness of award nominations, especially those named after respected figures like Pat Tillman.