On Tuesday, numerous personalities at Barstool Sports shared some incredibly unfortunate news regarding Jonathan Stanko, a fixture at their New York office as a production technician, who lost his battle with stage four stomach cancer at the age of 32 on Monday morning.
Dave Portnoy took to social media to share the news on Tuesday, detailing how this is perhaps the company’s biggest loss in the 20 years that Barstool has been around.
“Really sad news from the world of Barstool,” wrote Portnoy in a post on X. “We lost Jonathan Stanko to cancer yesterday morning. He was 32 years old and leaves behind a wife. He worked in our NY offices for close to 4 years and was well liked by literally everybody he worked with. (Very rare at Barstool). It’s the 1st time we’ve had to deal with something this heavy in the 20 years of Barstool. A cruel reminder not to take a day for granted because tomorrow isn’t promised to anybody.”
Really sad news from the world of Barstool. We lost Jonathan Stanko to cancer yesterday morning. He was 32 years old and leaves behind a wife. He worked in our NY offices for close to 4 years and was well liked by literally everybody he worked with. (Very rare at Barstool).… https://t.co/ODik1CoPDI
— Dave Portnoy (@stoolpresidente) January 7, 2025
Meanwhile, Dan Katz, better known as Big Cat, offered some kind words on both social media and Tuesday’s edition of The Yak about his colleague.
“Truly heartbreaking and so incredibly unfair,” wrote Big Cat on X. “Stanko was the best and an important part of everything we do at Barstool. An incredible talent and great friend to everyone. We’ll miss him dearly. Rest in Peace and fuck Cancer.”
Truly heartbreaking and so incredibly unfair. Stanko was the best and an important part of everything we do at Barstool. An incredible talent and great friend to everyone. We’ll miss him dearly. Rest in Peace and fuck Cancer. #StankoStrong https://t.co/8ozKbs7Nea
— Big Cat (@BarstoolBigCat) January 7, 2025
Before Stanko’s tenure at Barstool, he worked for over a decade for Iona’s athletic department. Iona’s athletics department also put out a statement on social media remembering Stanko in light of his passing.
“It is with a heavy heart that we share the passing of Jonathan Stanko, a beloved member of the Iona University and the Iona Gaels family and class of 2014 alumnus. Jonathan dedicated more than a decade of his life to the athletic department, leaving a lasting mark on our community and the countless lives he touched. His kindness, unwavering dedication, and infectious spirit will forever remain a part of who we are.
“Cancer is a cruel and unfair opponent, but even in the face of this challenge, Jonathan’s courage and resilience inspired us all. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family, friends, and all who knew and loved him. Jonathan, you will always be in our hearts. Rest in peace.”
It is with a heavy heart that we share the passing of Jonathan Stanko, a beloved member of the @ionauniversity and @IonaGaels family and class of 2014 alumnus.
Jonathan dedicated more than a decade of his life to the athletic department, leaving a lasting mark on our community… pic.twitter.com/dYoBGZP38E
— Iona Athletics (@IonaGaels) January 7, 2025
For those familiar with Barstool Sports, the brand has done several promotional events to help raise money for Stanko’s recent wedding this past July.
On top of his work behind the scenes at Barstool’s New York office, Stanko also posted movie reviews on his own website as well as updates about his health battles.
About Reice Shipley
Reice Shipley is a staff writer for Comeback Media that graduated from Ithaca College with a degree in Sports Media. He previously worked at Barrett Sports Media and is a fan of all things Syracuse sports.