Self-Righteous John Mellencamp Apologizes To Knicks Fans For Pat McAfee Call-Out

We did it, folks — we found the one Indiana Pacers fan who hated Pat McAfee's Game 4 pump-up speech. And it's none other than the Hoosier State's self-proclaimed moral arbiter, John Mellencamp.

The Midwest's answer to Bruce Springsteen issued a statement on social media Thursday afternoon sternly condemning McAfee's lack of "Hoosier Hospitality" when he called out New York Knicks fans in attendance at Indy's Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mellencamp, too, was at the game.

"I was embarrassed when somebody, under whose direction I don't know, called out some of the people who had made the trip from New York to support their team — and in turn, support our team," Mellencamp wrote over a photo of himself and his girlfriend on X. "The audience booed these people. I'd say that was not Hoosier Hospitality. One could only say it's poor, poor sportsmanship. I was not proud to be a Hoosier, and I've lived here my entire life.

"On behalf of most Hoosiers, I would like to apologize for our poor behavior. I'm sure the Pacers had nothing to do with this smackdown." 

Boo-hoo, Johnny. Boo. Hoo.

In case you missed it, McAfee was handed a microphone to hype up the home crowd in the fourth quarter of Tuesday's game.

"We got some big wigs from the big city in the building!" he yelled. "Spike Lee is here! Ben Stiller is here! Timothée Chalamet is here!"

The crowd loudly booed with each name called.

McAfee capped it with: "Let's send these sons of bitches back to New York with their ears ringing!"

The moment was not shown on the TV broadcast, but videos of McAfee's speech quickly made their way around X. Ben Stiller called the speech "weird," but it was an electric — even iconic — moment for Pacers fans, as Indiana went on to take a 3-1 lead in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Listen, I was born and raised in the great state of Indiana and on Mellencamp's music. I was singing "Pink Houses" before I knew my ABCs. My friends and I used to tie up our boats (and by "my" boat, I mean my uncle's) outside Cougar's mansion on Lake Monroe and blast his entire library. We Hoosiers can't get enough of that shit.

But somewhere between "Jack & Diane" and now, Johnny Cougar stopped being the voice of the common man and morphed into a self-righteous lecturing lefty who thinks patriotism is embarrassing and booing the opposing basketball team is a hate crime.

Shut Up, John Mellencamp.

Remember when Mellencamp made a point of refusing to stand for the National Anthem at Colts games? Maybe service members would like a word about that "Hoosier Hospitality" you're so proud of, John. And all those blue-collar fans who buy tickets to your shows? They love it when you throw temper tantrums and storm off the stage because they aren't sitting quietly in admiration for the entire concert.

The man who once celebrated small towns and working-class folks now wants to apologize on behalf of their rowdiest fans for getting fired up about potentially making the NBA Finals for the first time in 25 years. God forbid we have a little fun and engage in some trash talk. You know, like every single home crowd in every single sport has done.

Like those Knicks fans who chanted "F*ck you, Reggie Miller" at Madison Square Garden last year.

Those are the poor, victimized, upstanding hoops fans you're groveling to on Twitter right now, Mellencamp. And Reggie never felt the need to whine like a little baby about it, either.

Pat McAfee didn’t start a brawl. He didn’t light anything on fire. He just gave New Yorkers a taste of Hoosier hell. And we all loved it.

So maybe Mellencamp's not proud to be a Hoosier anymore. That’s fine. The rest of us are proud enough for him — and we’re still standing. Even during the Anthem.

(His music still slaps, though.)