Barstool Sports owner Dave Portnoy clashed with an ABC affiliate during an interview about an incident at his bar in Philadelphia.
A video from inside Barstool Sansom Street went viral and showed employees displaying a sign that read “F**k the Jews,” which was brought out for customers who had purchased bottle service. This means the sign was requested by a customer and fulfilled by members of the bar staff.
Portnoy responded to the incident in disgust, which should have been expected by employees given that he himself is Jewish. After contemplating whether or not to expose his employees and others involved publicly, Portnoy decided to fire two waitresses and send the customers on a paid trip to Auschwitz in exchange for not condemning them by name.
On Monday morning, Portnoy said he decided to speak with an ABC affiliate from Philadelphia, WPVI, after the outlet allegedly “begged” him to do an interview on the incident. Portnoy said he agreed and, among other claims, alleged that the outlet switched reporters on him and subsequently tried to blame Barstool Sports, and white men in general, for the anti-Jewish sign.
“The reporter tried to say Barstool and I and white men were responsible for the incident,” Portnoy wrote on X, alongside a video.
The entrepreneur then included a portion of the interview from his side of the camera, which seemingly picked up after the alleged accusation.
‘I’m the journalist. I’m asking you.’
“Here’s what I would say is causing that type of environment,” Portnoy told the reporter. “All these colleges would let Jewish kids get harassed on campus 24/7. I’ve been speaking out about this since it started.”
Portnoy then asked the ABC reporter where her claim came from.
“First of all, that sounds like a made-up thing. I don’t know what that quote is. The society of school. Where are the professors from?”
“I [could] go back and see, if you want to waste time,” the unnamed reported replied.
The reporter soon revealed that her claim came from a source at the University of Virginia.
“I totally disagree for what you just said,” Portnoy replied. “Who’s creating more hate right now in in the world? Would you say Barstool Sports and white men or college campuses?” he asked.
The journalist, seemingly not happy with the role reversal, refused to answer any questions.
“I’m the journalist. I’m asking you,” she said.
Portnoy retorted, “Well, I don’t play by those rules. What does that mean? You’re a journalist? I’m a journalist. I run a big media organization. I just asked you a question. Answer the question.”
“You’re not running this interview,” the ABC reporter replied.
Portnoy then declared the interview was over and closed his laptop.
The video clip then went back to Portnoy in present time, who then said, “F**k ABC. It makes me mad. I forgot how much I hate f**king journalists, this f**king piece of shit.”
It is unclear where the journalist’s claim originated, exactly.
In 2022, a University of Virginia publication called Iris published an article titled, “5 Things You Should Know About Barstool Sports if You Care About Being a Good Person.”
The article referred to Portnoy as sexist and racist and said Barstool Sports published “repugnant” articles.
The post was written by Eryn Rhodes, a student who described herself as “she/her/hers” while studying “History and Women, Gender, & Sexuality Studies.”
In the piece, Rhodes referred to a book called “Sidelined.” A Kirkus review of the book stated, “[The author] aims much of her anger at Barstool Sports, the online media company that ‘definitely engages in advanced-level trolling.’ Some may assume the author is just settling scores, but Barstool has a long reputation of harassment.”
Furthermore, an NBC News article from 2019 included quotes from a professor named Lisa Nakamura, who said that Barstool Sports related to young, white men because it casts them as “persecuted ones” who feel disadvantaged and therefore see the platform as a safe space to voice offensive opinions.
However, Nakamura was a professor at the University of Michigan, Portnoy’s alma mater, not the University of Virginia.
As well, a student from Temple University was reportedly suspended as a result of the sign incident at the bar.
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