At FS1, Dave Portnoy could become what Pat McAfee aspires to be

This originally appeared in Thursday’s edition of  The A Block, Awful Announcing’s daily newsletter with the latest sports media news, commentary, and analysis. Sign up here and be the first to know everything you need to know about the sports media world.

In retrospect, we feel a bit silly that we didn’t see it coming.

Fresh off the news that FS1 was cutting loose all of its Charlie Dixon-related properties, Front Office Sports’ Ryan Glasspiegel reported that Fox was targeting Barstool Sports owner Dave Portnoy for a multi-pronged role, including joining Big Noon Kickoff, coupled with licensed Barstool-related programming on the channel (H/T to X account BackAftaThis for teasing the news).

Portnoy downplayed the report as “rumors,” but where there’s smoke, there’s fire. And Andrew Marchand of The Athletic reported that Barstool is expected to produce its on-site pregame show, which will air before Big Noon Kickoff during select weeks of the season. How convenient.

Presuming all of this falls into place, not only will Barstool content finally find its way to a significant and legitimate network, but it will also position Portnoy to become FS1’s version of Pat McAfee.

This experiment was a failure eight years ago when ESPN’s Barstool Van Talk was canceled after one episode following complaints about the Worldwide Leader cozying up to the crass and oft-offensive boys-will-be-boys brand.

But we live in a very different world now. “Boys will be boys” might as well be America’s motto at the moment. Portnoy has grown his status to include being a figure of note in the worlds of politics and finance. And as ESPN gives over tons of real estate to Pat McAfee and his shenanigans (which we have often referred to as Barstool-lite), it makes too much sense that Fox, of all companies, would look to Barstool with arms wide open.

It is perhaps no coincidence that these reports dropped the morning of the 2025 ESPYS, featuring host Shane Gillis making jokes about Black WNBA players and Jeffrey Epstein live on ESPN.

Very little of this would have been allowed on ESPN or FS1 even two or three years ago. Now, we’re about to cross the Rubicon and have Dave Portnoy on live TV, where he’ll be tasked with talking about Ohio State a whole lot (not exactly his favorite subject). What could go wrong? And even if it did go wrong, would it even matter in 2025? Wouldn’t “going wrong” be what Fox would want out of this arrangement anyway?

All due respect to McAfee, but something tells us that he’s not going to be a match for Portnoy once they start going head-to-head on Saturdays (and you know they’re going to get into a war of words at some point, possibly even Week 1 in Columbus). Lest we forget the two have history, with Portnoy recently saying he doesn’t like Barstool talent appearing on McAfee’s show now that it’s affiliated with ESPN.

But even beyond that, the tale of the tape between the two personalities couldn’t be clearer.

McAfee is brash and presents a give-no-f**ks attitude, but Portnoy embodies that mantra.

McAfee makes people guess where he stands on issues, Portnoy shoves it down your throat.

McAfee rails against “suits,” but Portnoy has proven he’s no one’s company man.

McAfee threatens legal action that never seems to come, but Portnoy isn’t afraid to get in the mud (or know when the situation calls for a mea culpa).

McAfee commands a loyal audience, but Portnoy commands a bro/pizza legion.

Most significantly, McAfee lets critics and feedback get to him, while Portnoy lets it all slide off his back.

For better or worse, Dave Portnoy is what Pat McAfee aspires to be.

We offer none of this as praise or a defense, but simply a reading of the room for where this is all going. Let it sink in as you prepare for the potential mainstream Barstool experience. We’ll leave it to you to decide how that sounds.