Please Stop Following BARSTOOL SPORTS [OP-ED]

I have been saying this for years that Barstool Sports has no business in sports media. I don't find it funny, I don't excuse their past behaviors, and I don't care for the ruse they try by promoting women to important positions within their company.

Bartsool Sports founder, Dave Portnoy, is just one of those guys who looks like an obnoxious, offensive, and disgusting person.

Yesterday, BusinessInsider.com (subscription), released a 4,000+ word article that alleged Portnoy had "violent and humiliating" sexual encounters with multiple women-- encounters that happened as recently as 2020.

Portnoy, of course, denies the allegations and called the piece a "hit piece" that was "eight months is the making"-- you can read more from the NY Post article.

Here are some details:

One alleged victim said, "It (sex) was so rough it felt like I was being raped... He videotaped me and spit in my mouth and choked me so hard I couldn’t breathe."
Business Insider said it spoke with more than two dozen people tied to Portnoy and Barstool, including women as young as 19 who reported explicit online exchanges.
One woman recalled moving the conversation from direct messages to Portnoy sharing graphic sexual photos and videos of women he had slept with.
Three women recalled their sexual experience as "humiliating and frightening" and that he videotaped them without permission.
One victim said she had been hospitalized for depression following her sexual experiences with Portnoy.
Many of the alleged victims were fearful that Portnoy would "leak" photos or videos of them if they said anything to the public and/or media.

PRO SPORTS EXTRA broke down the article here [NSFW], so you don't have to pay for subscription:

Again, these are all allegations. And with today's buzz words being "woke mob" and "cancel culture", thank you Aaron Rodgers, I am not out to cancel anyone. I am just a little concerned of how so many readers/listeners/viewers think his comments and actions in the past and present is "funny" and "misunderstood".

We need to post Portnoy's response [NSFW]. Only seems fair. Part 1:

And here is Part 2 [NSFW]:

Here is a great Twitter thread by ESPN's Sarah Spain:

What I am trying to point out is that this type of social media presence has filtered into our commutities and local sports programs.

The same parents who complain about teachers, criticize school administrators, and carp about school boards are raising kids who think that it is OK to post things like this...

There are other accounts, like these, that are NOT affiliated with the local high schools they represent but they are directly affiliated with Barstool Sports. Some of the accounts give general information about game time, place, etc. and some have some posts that are an attempt to be funny or put a rival school/account in a demeaning way-- nothing worth sharing here.

Ending this post, just be more mindful of what you support with views and listen too-- young ears and eyes are watching what you are doing.