(Photo by Adam Bettcher/Getty Images)
John Mellencamp is a fan of basketball, but apparently not of those who don’t display ‘Hoosier Hospitality’. He was in attendance at Game 4 of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals earlier this week here in Indy at Gainbridge Fieldhouse (courtside seats mind you). Former Colts player, Pat McAfee, takes the mic and gets the crowd fired up for this incredible match up between longtime rivals, our Indiana Pacers and the New York Knicks. McFee specifically calls out a few New York celebrities who were at the game, including Spike Lee, Ben Stiller and Timothy Chalamet. The crowd booed with the mention of each of those names and then McAfee said, “Let’s send these sonsabitches back to New York….!!!”. The crowd went wild! If you missed it, here’s the video:
Well Mellencamp apparently didn’t care for such talk, posting his feelings on social media (see below). He basically said it was a violation of ‘Hoosier Hospitality’ and said, “I was not proud to be a Hoosier”. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!! This wasn’t a tea party, John! McAfee was delivering pure schtick. He knew his comments would stir things up with the crowd and his fans. And you damn well know Spike Lee and other New Yorkers and Knicks fans have poked fun at Hoosiers and Pacer fans! We’ve been called hicks, hillbillies and worse! Look at how a mob of Knicks fans bullied and even THREW TRASH at a New York firefighter who’s a lifelong Pacers fan! Here’s the video:
(source Chaz NBA via YouTube)
Here’s Mellencamp venting:
— John Mellencamp (@johnmellencamp) May 29, 2025
(source John Mellencamp via X)
