‘The most rigged game I’ve ever seen’: Dave Portnoy explodes over NFL game finish
The Las Vegas Raiders played the Denver Broncos this past weekend, and no one was angrier about the results than Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy, who took to social media to rant about the end of the game.
“We need this entire segment investigated by the NFL. Third and three, 24 seconds. The spread is Denver minus eight and a half. They were up 24-7 by the way, with like two minutes to go. He spikes the ball. Why are you spiking the ball with 16 seconds in a 10-point game is beyond me,” Portnoy complained.
“The game is over. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a spike in that situation. But we’re just starting, boys and girls,” he continued, before angrily breaking down another absurd play.
“Game’s over. And then Pete Carroll runs out the field goal unit and kicks a field goal to end the game with no time. This guy, prison. This ref, prison. Pete Carroll, prison. NFL, prison. This is the most rigged game I’ve ever seen in my entire life. Disgusting. Prison,” he added.
“I agree with Dave,” BlazeTV host Jason Whitlock tells BlazeTV contributor Steve Kim on “Fearless.” “I mean, that is absolutely disgusting, and it makes no sense. Can you defend any of this?”
Portnoy, whose anger was due to how the potential rigging of the game would affect those gambling on it, is not the one who Whitlock and Kim feel bad for.
“Portnoy is doing pretty well. I get the sense whatever money he lost, he’s going to be good. We don’t have to send him a GoFundMe campaign,” Kim comments. “But there’s a reason why I don’t gamble.”
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Dave Portnoy offers the most sensible take on Jimmy Kimmel's suspension — but it will anger liberals
Barstool Sports owner Dave Portnoy has experienced what it's like to be canceled.
It has been almost four years since Business Insider trampled on Portnoy's image by seemingly reaching out to any, or all, women in his past in an attempt to paint him as "violent" toward them during sex; the word "sex" appeared 27 times in the the outlet's story.
'Jimmy Kimmel isn't being successful enough ... to keep him on the air.'
At the time, Portnoy slammed the outlet as his new mortal enemy and rejected every assertion up and down.
Now, Portnoy's experience with cancellation have shined through in his take on Jimmy Kimmel's suspension from ABC, following Kimmel's disprovable claims about Charlie Kirk's alleged murderer.
Portnoy took to his social media on Thursday to say he did not think Kimmel was being "canceled."
"To me Cancel culture is when people go out of their way to dig up old tweets, videos etc looking for dirt on somebody they don’t like in an effort to get them fired," Portnoy wrote on X.
"Like if Kimmel got canceled for s**t he did on the Man Show that would be cancel culture," he added. "But when a person says something that a ton of people find offensive, rude, dumb in real time and then that person is punished for it that's not cancel culture."
Portnoy was likely referring to Kimmel doing blackface on his 19990-2003 show to impersonate former NBA player Karl Malone, which Kimmel apologized for in 2020.
"That is consequences for your actions," Portnoy added.
Portnoy explained in a follow-up video that when sponsors, networks, and even bosses are involved, there will always be caveats on what one can say.
RELATED: Jimmy Kimmel claims Charlie Kirk shooter is 'MAGA' during wildly unfunny monologue
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Portnoy revealed that when Penn Entertainment bought Barstool Sports in 2023, part of the agreement was that he would not "make fun of politics and government employees."
The entrepreneur explained that Penn, which runs gaming sites and casinos, did not want Portnoy or his staff poking fun at those who control gambling licenses.
"Whenever you work for a company, or work for somebody else, and you are ... creating headaches for the people up top, you're forced with a decision," Portnoy continued. He stated that he did not think conservatives were engaging in cancel culture and being hypocritical in relation to Kimmel.
"What happened to Kimmel, I would say, is consequences for your actions in real time."
Portnoy went on to claim that Kimmel's situation was simply the broadcaster's way of stating that viewers in its markets do not want to see that type of content. He stressed, "This is not a free-speech issue to me."
"This is a capitalist market," the 48 year old added.
Finally, Portnoy argued that if Kimmel is "creating more headaches than he is bringing in benefit," he, like anyone else, could get the boot.
Nielsen ratings have shown a significant drop in viewership for Kimmel in recent years, down to about one-fourth of what they were in 2013. In 2025, his show has ratings around 0.16, which is considered extremely low and at risk of being taken off the air.
"This is, Jimmy Kimmel isn't being successful enough ... to keep him on the air."
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Dave Portnoy trashes ABC reporter over 'ambush' interview: 'I forgot how much I hate f**king journalists'
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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New York Yankees 'Torpedo' bats cause controversy after 15 home runs in first 3 games: 'That means you stink!'
The New York Yankees are setting a bat trend that has some critics claiming their new wood has an unfair advantage.
The new (and legal) "Torpedo" bats, as described by Major League Baseball, have an untraditional barrel that rests closer to the hitter's hands. They have more wood, are heavier, and allegedly have increased wood concentration in the area where the batter is likely to hit the ball.
A New York baseball fan has garnered over nine million views with a post on X that showcased the bats and said the Yankees hired a physicist to procure its design.
"Yes, the Yankees have a literal genius MIT Physicist, Lenny (who is the man), on payroll," the fan wrote. "He invented the 'Torpedo' barrel. It brings more wood - and mass - to where you most often make contact as a hitter. The idea is to increase the number of 'barrels' and decrease misses."
The MLB even cited the post in an article, seemingly confirming the bat's origins.
The controversy is spiraling after the Yankees hit nine home runs in one game on Saturday, including three from star slugger Aaron Judge. The team leads the majors with 15 dingers in just three games, with the Los Angeles Dodgers in second with 12 home runs, but with five games played.
However, not only has Judge declined to use one of the new bats, not everyone around the league is convinced by the new design.
San Diego Padres outfielder Brandon Lockridge, who spent time with the Yankees across several seasons, also said he had tried the "Torpedo" bat in a previous spring training but did not like it.
"I don't think using those bats is causing all the home runs," Lockridge said about the Yankees.
Other Yankees players have explained their bat choices to ESPN, as well.
Baltimore Orioles hitting coach Cody Asche also downplayed claims that the new bats were causing the uptick in home runs.
"Where you hit the ball, put some more mass in the sweet spot — I think that’s not something that’s unique to the Yankees," Asche said. "I think a lot of teams are doing that around the league," he added.
'How do we make him not suck?'
Barstool Sports owner Dave Portnoy said the bats, first used in the MLB in 2024, are a form of "cheating" and are meant for players with slow bat speeds.
"The Yankees hired a MIT physicist to basically take wood from the other part of the bats, like you know, the handle label, and put it in the sweet spot, making the sweet spot bigger. They did this because [Yankees shortstop] Anthony Volpe sucks, and he kept getting jammed and sawed off," Portnoy said in a video Sunday night.
"[The Yankees] were like, 'How do we make him not suck? Let's just make this, this bat called a 'Torpedo' bat, where basically if you swing and you make contact on the handle, it gets sawed off, it's a home run,'" Portnoy added. "They studied Anthony Volpe, and they found out he gets jammed on every single pitch. That means you stink. You shouldn't alter the bats to make it better."
The Barstool CEO's video, and comments that the bat should be banned, garnered a response from Yankees third baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr.
"This is a high school baller talking," Chisholm laughed in response to Portnoy's consistent touting of his high school baseball prowess.
— (@)
Chisholm did eventually provide an explanation hours later, admitting the "barrel is bigger" but is still within regulation.
"Nobody is trying to get jammed you just move the wood from the parts you don't use to the parts you do! You're welcome no more stress for y'all," the 27-year-old stated.
— (@)
While the recent success of the Yankees — who fans love to hate — may not be specifically attributed to the "Torpedo" bats, the Atlanta Braves have reportedly bought into the hype and ordered some of their own.
ESPN MLB insider Buster Olney said during a broadcast for the Padres and the Braves that the latter had "put in an order."
"[Braves catcher] Drake Baldwin actually told me that he used one of these in the Arizona Fall League last year. He said, 'It looks weird, but if the Yankees are gonna keep hitting like that, everyone's gonna want to do it,'" Olney added.
Olney noted a similar point about the Yankees' Volpe and stated the shortstop makes his contact closer to the bat handle, adding credence to Portnoy's claims, albeit without accusing anyone of cheating or sucking.
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