On 'Wake Up Barstool,' Dave Portnoy clarified that he doesn't actually want Pete Carroll to be murdered. Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images
By Ben Axelrod on

Dave Portnoy went viral on Sunday after he took to social media to rant about the end of the Denver Broncos’ victory over the Las Vegas Raiders.

But to be certain, the Barstool Sports founder doesn’t actually want Pete Carroll to be murdered.

Portnoy made that much clear during Monday’s episode of Wake Up Barstool, as he addressed the backlash to his rant. After reading a request for comment from a writer at Newsweek, the Boston native offered a public statement, clarifying that he was merely speaking in frustration and that what he said shouldn’t be taken literally.

“I would like to say this, loudly, clearly, emphatically: we never want physical harm to anybody based on a decision, a play, anything,” Portnoy said. “However, in the moment you may be upset by one of the wildest sequences that cost you a quarter-milly. So it is a metaphorical murders. It’s like, I would like to just scream. But we don’t want harm. We don’t want physical violence. We don’t want threats. I disavow real violence.

“Anybody who thought I was actually calling for him to be murdered and killed so he couldn’t breathe, you misread this situation and I apologize. No murder. No violence. Just yelling… we’ve always been anti-murder here at Barstool. We will continue to be anti-murder.”

Portnoy’s rant came in reaction to the final moments of the Broncos-Raiders game, in which a controversial delay of game penalty allowed Las Vegas to run one final play. Despite trailing 24-14, the Raiders opted to kick a field goal as time expired, with Dan Carlson’s 46-yard make allowing Las Vegas to cover the 8.5-point spread and the over on the 40.5 game total.

In a video posted to social media, Portnoy — who apparently bet on the Broncos — decried what he claimed was the worst bad beat of all time. He also called for Carroll to be imprisoned and murdered, a comment we can now confirm was intended to be metaphorical.

About Ben Axelrod

Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.

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