Welcome to Barstool Sports activities, a digital-age firm that could be a drive in American tradition. The headquarters resembles a frat home, and the boss’ workplace is a multitude. “The worst,” mentioned Barstool’s president Dave Portnoy, a reigning king of content material and controversy.
Portnoy says he does not like a battle, and will not “exit of my manner” for one, “but when you will decide a battle with me, I’ll do something I can to destroy you.”
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What was as soon as a free weekly newspaper of playing ideas based out of his mother’s basement in 2003 is now an internet empire value lots of of tens of millions of {dollars}.
Requested to elucidate what Barstool is, Portnoy mentioned, “You are sitting at a bar, watching a recreation along with your buddies. Something you’ll speak about, that is what we’re recording, how individuals work together with one another usually.”
And that is actually what it’s, podcasts and streaming reveals of precisely that – individuals speaking about just about something: soccer, trivia, motion pictures, and meals, like Portnoy’s personal “One Bite Pizza Reviews.”
Dave Portnoy’s prime pizza scores:
“We’ve a bunch of (hopefully) inventive, humorous, gifted individuals, and we let ’em simply run wild,” Portnoy mentioned. His job is “managing that ship.”
As for managing himself, properly, he does not maintain again. “I really feel like I’ve a great ethical compass,” he mentioned. “So, I do not care what individuals say. I by no means have.”
Through the years, that is led to outrage and accusations that Portnoy is simply one other on-line troll – sexist, racist, and, as alleged by a 2021 article about his intercourse life, “tough and demeaning” in mattress, allegations he flat out denies, and which have by no means led to costs.
He objects to media retailers, like The New York Instances, framing him as “Dave Portnoy, who has a historical past of racist and sexist remarks…” “I object strenuously to that,” he mentioned. “And I hate them. They’re those who’ve mentioned it, or individuals who do not like me. I really feel like nearly each single criticism (and a few of ’em are brutal) have context round them {that a} fair-minded particular person, in the event that they appeared on the proof, can be like, ‘What they’re saying about him’s simply not true.’ However as soon as it is mentioned, it would by no means go away.”
“Persons are arising with actual hate”
Raised in a liberal Jewish residence outdoors of Boston, Portnoy now represents a motion in conservative politics – a younger, mostly-male fan base who turned away from Democrats and voted for Donald Trump.
I requested Portnoy, “What occurred to the Democrats? Why did they lose so many younger males?”
“Individuals typically suppose I’ve the reply,” he replied. “My nutshell is usually they have been very anti-normal guys.”
“What do you imply, ‘regular guys’? Are you saying there’s just one method to be a man?”
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“It is okay to be like, if that woman’s scorching, ‘Hey, that woman’s scorching. I wish to drink, I wish to social gathering, I like frat events…’ That was all unhealthy,” Portnoy mentioned. “And to be sincere, the White man … was the unhealthy man, turned the unhealthy man. And there is loads of, , White dudes who’re like, ‘Effectively, I am not the unhealthy man. Like, what are you getting mad at me for? I wasn’t right here for colonialism or any of the stuff that you simply guys are complaining about 200 years in the past. Like, what did I do?’
“And even with the Trump stuff, he received the election,” he mentioned. “You had a candidate mainly calling you a deplorable or, , you are a Nazi if you happen to vote for Trump. I do not know in the event that they used that actual phrase, nevertheless it felt like that.”
Recently, although, Portnoy has been within the headlines, not for crossing a line, however for his efforts to attract one on antisemitism. He mentioned, “I’ve seen in my very own expertise, simply being at Barstool, the distinction between how a lot hate I get – I by no means, I imply, sometimes you get, ‘Hey, kike’ or ‘Jew’ or no matter. It is day-after-day now. Like, there is a definitive shift in what is going on on. So yeah, now, for me being a Jewish particular person, it’s important to step up. You are form of somebody individuals look as much as within the Jewish neighborhood. It’s important to go, ‘All proper, this isn’t regular, ha-ha with the fellows. Persons are arising with actual hate.'”
I requested, “How do you clarify that line to individuals?”
“It is a robust one,” Portnoy replied, “and generally they do not get it.”
Simply final week, a man was arrested for shouting antisemitic abuse at Portnoy whereas he was taping a video in Mississippi.
I requested, “The success of Barstool and your self is predicated on not being afraid to offend, proper? Speech is speech; a joke is a joke. Do you see a connection between what you unleashed and what you now must take care of?”
“No,” Portnoy mentioned. “As a result of I believe Barstool, and myself, has all the time had a fairly good ethical compass. So, we have by no means stood for hate or something of that ilk. I imply, do I believe that feminists ought to complain a few Food plan Coke can being skinny, and that someway is, like, resulting in an consuming dysfunction by Food plan Coke having a thin can? That I believe’s loopy. And there are issues that I believe individuals get far too labored up [about], like he/she, verbs – like, loopy to me. Making jokes that you’re making an attempt to harm individuals’s emotions and are primarily based in hate? That is by no means flown with us.”
He is voted for Trump 3 times. Nonetheless, Portnoy, who helps abortion rights, says today he is disgusted by politics. “I imply, who the heck would wish to get into politics anyhow?” he mentioned. “Individuals all the time ask me that. It is like, what are you, loopy? You may get extra carried out as a personal citizen. Everybody simply hates your guts. And I do not know why half these individuals – I really feel prefer it will get the worst candidates, interval. Ninety-nine p.c of politicians are scumbags. However, , take a look at what occurred to Charlie Kirk. Critical stuff. Like, I do not need that in my life.”
Referring to acts of political violence which were inflicted upon Kirk, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, President Trump, and Nancy Pelosi’s husband, Portnoy mentioned, “I imply, I like my life.”
One BIte Pizza Critiques 
Portnoy is legally separated and has no plans for teenagers. He does give again, boosting small companies everywhere in the nation together with his pizza critiques, and with the tens of tens of millions of {dollars} he raised for them through the pandemic. However at 48, he does not belief a lot of something, together with the media.
Which made me marvel: Why did he say sure to an interview like this?
“It was primarily as a result of I like the present,” Portnoy replied. “And even on the way in which over right here I am like, , if this turns into successful piece on me (which occurs rather a lot with reporters and it is like, ‘Oh, that stunk’), I believe it could nonetheless be value it to be on ‘CBS Sunday Morning.” It is simply a part of, I imply, if you happen to love a present, you wanna be a part of it. Now, if it turns ugly, I am going to in all probability hate the present after! However at the very least I will be on it!
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Story produced by Gabriel Falcon. Editor: Lauren Barnello.
