David Portnoy

David Scott Portnoy (born March 22, 1977) is an American internet celebrity, blogger, and founder of the sports and pop culture blog Barstool Sports.

David Portnoy
Portnoy at Bristol Motor Speedway in 2019
Born (1977-03-22) March 22, 1977
Swampscott, Massachusetts, U.S.
EducationUniversity of Michigan
EmployerBarstool Sports (2003–present)
Spouse(s)
Renee Satherthwaite
​
​
(m. 2009; separated 2017)​
Websitewww.barstoolsports.com

Early life

Born to Jewish parents Michael and Linda (née Kaufman),[1][2] Portnoy grew up in Swampscott, Massachusetts, where he attended Swampscott High School. One of his classmates was ESPN's Todd McShay.[3] Portnoy began attending the University of Michigan in 1995, graduating with a degree in education.[4]

Career

Following graduation in 1999, Portnoy moved to Boston and began working at Yankee Group, an IT market research firm.[5]

Barstool Sports

After four years, Portnoy left the company to begin what would eventually become Barstool Sports.[6] On January 7, 2016, Portnoy announced The Chernin Group had purchased a majority stake of Barstool and the headquarters would be moving to New York City. In 2020, Penn National Gaming purchased a 36% stake in Barstool Sports for $163 million. Following the sale, The Chernin Group maintained a 36% stake in the company, while Portnoy continues to run the site and retains creative control over content.[7][8]

In July 2020, Portnoy interviewed President Donald Trump at the White House.[9][10] The interview sparked controversy within Barstool Sports, with podcast host Dave Katz publicly criticizing the interview.[11]

Pizza reviews

One Bite with Davey Pageviews is an internet show that Portnoy created, which consists of him reviewing pizza. Portnoy began his goal of reviewing every pizza place in Manhattan in 2017.[12] While many videos include only Portnoy, celebrities and athletes often also appear as guests.[13]

Arrests

On May 12, 2015, Portnoy was arrested by New York City police after he and three Barstool employees handcuffed one another on the floor of NFL headquarters. The protest was a reaction to Deflategate.[14]

Portnoy was detained in a Mercedes-Benz Stadium holding cell for a portion of Super Bowl LIII. Portnoy was prohibited from attending the game after he created fake passes to attend a press event the day prior.[15][16]

Labor investigation

In August 2019, the National Labor Relations Board commenced an investigation into Portnoy on charges that he illegally threatened to fire his workers if they unionize.[17] In December 2019, Portnoy settled with the National Labor Relations Board. The informal settlement required Portnoy to delete his threatening tweets and remove any potential anti-union material created by Barstool Sports.[18]

Mayoral bid

In 2013, Portnoy launched an unsuccessful campaign to become the Mayor of Boston following the retirement of Thomas Menino.[19] After raising over $17,000 in campaign contributions, he failed to submit enough nomination signatures to qualify for the election.[20] During the race, Portnoy identified as a Libertarian.[21]

Personal life

Portnoy is Jewish.[22] He married Renee Satherthwaite in 2009. In January 2017, Portnoy separated from his wife.[23]

See also

References
  1. Milton G. Kaufman - Obituary legacy.com
  2. OBITUARY - FLORA G KAUFMAN dignitymemorial.com
  3. "Former Swampscott Baseball Player Calichman Named Big Blue Head Coach". Wicked Local. March 20, 2013.
  4. "Timothy Burroughs: The President of Bros". The Michigan Daily. November 20, 2013.
  5. "The Man Behind the 'Bible of Bro Culture'". msnbc.com. December 13, 2013. Retrieved February 9, 2018.
  6. "Barstool Biographies: Becoming El Pres Pt. 2". Retrieved August 1, 2018.
  7. "The Story of How Barstool Sports Got Sold". Fortune. January 8, 2016.
  8. "Barstool Sports to Sell 36% Stake to Penn National Gaming". www.bloomberg.com. January 29, 2020. Retrieved January 29, 2020.
  9. McCreesh, Shawn (July 31, 2020). "Trump White House Meets Its Match With Barstool Sports". The New York Times.
  10. "Trump grants one-on-one interview to Barstool Sports - The Boston Globe". BostonGlobe.com.
  11. Martin, Jeffery (July 24, 2020). "Barstool Sports host Big Cat slams Dave Portnoy for Trump interview, says Barstool declined Joe Biden sit-down". Newsweek.
  12. "Barstool Sports' Dave Portnoy Has Eaten Pizza Daily for Two Years". Men's Journal. February 9, 2018. Retrieved July 31, 2018.
  13. "The cast of Tag Movie goes hilariously unnoticed by fan during YouTube pizza review". Hidden Remote. June 13, 2018. Retrieved August 1, 2018.
  14. "Barstool Sports employees arrested during sit-in at NFL offices". Boston.com. May 12, 2015.
  15. "Barstool Sports Stars Banned from Super Bowl Over Fake Press Passes". TMZ. Retrieved February 4, 2019.
  16. "Video: Barstool Sports honcho David Portnoy hauled out of Super Bowl". Boston Herald. February 4, 2019. Retrieved February 4, 2019.
  17. "David Portnoy from Barstool Sports is investigated after he threatens to fire workers over unions". whatsnew2day. Retrieved August 18, 2019.
  18. McNamara, Audrey. "Barstool Sports co-founder David Portnoy settles over anti-union tweets". CBS News. Retrieved January 22, 2020.
  19. "Barstool Sports Founder in Mayors Race". NECN. February 27, 2014.
  20. "Boston to face crowded ballot". The Boston Globe. June 14, 2013. Retrieved June 24, 2013.
  21. "Barstool Sports Founder in Mayors Race". NECN. Retrieved August 17, 2020.
  22. "Say Hello to the Internet's Biggest Jewish Stars". Forward. July 6, 2015.
  23. "El Pres State of the Union". Barstool Sports. January 24, 2017.
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