Dave Portnoy and an image of Barstool Sports' Philadelphia bar, Barstool Sansom Street. Dave Portnoy and an image of Barstool Sports’ Philadelphia bar, Barstool Sansom Street. (Portnoy image from @stoolepresidente on X, bar image from Barstool Sansom Street on Facebook.)
Barstool SportsBy Andrew Bucholtz on

Barstool Sports founder and owner Dave Portnoy is known for personally weighing in on controversies impacting the brand. The latest example of that came Sunday, after the @StopAntisemites X account put a video there showing a “F*** The Jews” sign at the Barstool Sansom Street bar (in Philadelphia) Saturday, and tagging Portnoy in their post:

Portnoy responded with a short “emergency press conference” video on his X account, There, he confirmed that this sign was displayed at that bar, and that he was investigating. He also went off on everyone involved, and described the follow-up steps he’d taken:

Here are some of Portnoy’s comments from the start of that video:

“So I’m getting ready to go to the Vet Gala, and all of a sudden, my phone, the last hour or two, my phone’s f***ing blowing up. Our bar in Philadelphia, Barstool Sansom Street, usually a great f***ing bar. You know, bottle service, people buy drinks, you get a sign. There was a sign yesterday that said “F*** the Jews.” I’ve been shaking. I’ve been so f—ing mad for the last two hours.

“Like, I instantly got on, and this is why the emergency press conference is late, because I was so over the top. I was like ‘I’m going to make it my life’s f—ing mission to ruin these people. I’m coming at your throat, I’m never ending. And I just sat, and the last two hours, I have been on the trail. Trust me, I’ve been on the trail. S*** at my bar? I’ve been hunting down waitresses, the table that did it, everything you can f***ing name, because I want f***ing consequences for f***ing actions.”

Portnoy then describes talking to the waitresses involved, saying they’re fired, and insulting one’s intelligence and her request to call him back. He says Mike Wade, who was tagged in the social post this started to spread from from Mo Khan with a “thank you,” said he wasn’t there, and “I had this kid basically in tears turning state’s witness to me, rolling on the people there.” Portnoy then discusses talking to one of the guys who came up with the sign and said he gave him an hour to come up with a meaningful apology.

Portnoy provided a couple of later posts on this. One provided details on firings. Another said he would send the people who ordered the sign “to Auschwitz to learn about the Holocaust”:

After that, Portnoy’s reaction received some praise from the @StopAntisemites account that brought this to wider light:

Antisemitism has become a broad discussion in wider media and even in sports media lately. But it’s remarkable to see that playing out around a specific bar, and to see a company CEO like Portnoy (which has affiliated bars as only a small part of their overall portfolio) take direct personal action in response, on a weekend no less.

We’ll see if other controversies pop up around these Barstool bars. (After years of discussion of the idea, they launched a bar in Chicago in January 2022, then opened the Philadelphia one two months later, and then followed with one in Scottsdale in late 2023.) But Portnoy’s response certainly suggests he’s keeping a close eye on any potential brand damage from these locations.

About Andrew Bucholtz

Andrew Bucholtz has been covering sports media for Awful Announcing since 2012. He is also a staff writer for The Comeback. His previous work includes time at Yahoo! Sports Canada and Black Press.

View all posts by Andrew Bucholtz