Why Is Barstool Sports Owner Dave Portnoy Banned from NFL Games?
In 2015, Dave Portnoy, the mastermind behind Barstool Sports, found himself at odds with the NFL over its handling of the Deflategate scandal. This discontentment led Portnoy and a trio of his Barstool comrades to hatch an unexpected plan: a protest.
Picture this—Portnoy and his crew setting up camp right outside the NFL’s headquarters, making their voices heard in an unconventional way.
Portnoy wasn’t content with just a protest. Oh no, he had a more creative trick up his sleeve. He unleashed a line of towels, each featuring a caricature of NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell’s face donning a clown nose. A quirky form of protest, you might say.
And guess what? A whopping 70,000 of these towels were made, spreading Portnoy’s message in a truly memorable manner.
Dave Portnoy Was Kicked out of 2018 Super Bowl
Fast forward to the 2018 Super Bowl media day—Portnoy and his partner-in-crime, Eric Sollenberger, decided to take their antics to a bigger stage. Donning disguises straight out of a spy movie, they managed to infiltrate the event. But the fun didn’t stop there. They decided to have a little fun with the players, stirring up a whirlwind of laughter and chaos.
Sollenberger, with his wit on full display, engaged Rams running back Todd Gurley in a conversation that ended with a cheeky slip of the tongue. A casual chat about cats turned into a moment of unexpected hilarity.
Meanwhile, Portnoy and Sollenberger couldn’t resist taking jabs at Rams defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh. Accusing him of being the NFL’s dirtiest player and playfully warning him not to harm Tom Brady, they injected a dose of mischief into the proceedings.
Not to be outdone, they even poked fun at Gurley’s knee-taking move during a game against the Packers, which raked in a hefty sum of lost bets. Alas, their mirthful escapade was cut short when they were finally apprehended and escorted out of the event.
To evade the watchful eyes of security, Portnoy and Sollenberger went all out in the disguise department. Portnoy rocked a snazzy combo of a hat and a fake mustache, masquerading as “Frannie Lydon.” As for Barstool Sports’ ingenious founder, his hat bore the bold declaration “I heart Roger Goodell.” Their crafty ruse gave them the freedom to roam, at least for a little while.
Roger Goodell Bans Barstool Sports and Dave Portnoy and the FBI Encounter
The aftermath of their mischievous exploit wasn’t all fun and games. Portnoy found himself slapped with a criminal trespassing charge, a serious consequence for their lighthearted caper. Sollenberger faced the same fate, getting nabbed for criminal trespassing.
To add a twist of intrigue, Sollenberger even hinted at an encounter with the FBI during an interview with TMZ. With legal hurdles and potential run-ins with federal agents, the road back into the NFL seemed like a distant dream for Barstool Sports.
So, why did Roger Goodell issue a ban on Barstool Sports and its leader? It was a series of protests, pranks, and daring disguises that landed Portnoy and his team on the NFL’s blacklist. From protesting the Deflategate debacle to showering the league with towels sporting clown-nosed Goodell faces, their antics were undeniably unique.
Yet, it was their audacious infiltration of the Super Bowl media day, complete with playful jabs and humorous disguises, that sealed the deal. Despite their banishment from NFL events, Dave Portnoy and Barstool Sports will forever be remembered for injecting a dose of quirkiness into the league’s staid proceedings.
Credits Sportskeeda
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