Dave Portnoy, the head of Barstool Sports, abruptly cut short an interview with a Philadelphia ABC reporter while discussing incidents of anti-Semitism at his bar, expressing his disdain for the media.
Portnoy faced backlash after a video surfaced featuring anti-Semitic signs at a bar in Philadelphia. The businessman reacted strongly, criticizing those involved and even promising to terminate several employees connected to the situation.
However, after cooling down, he mentioned that he sent two young patrons, who had made a sign, on a trip to Auschwitz in Poland as an educational experience.
According to CNN, one of these individuals has been suspended from Temple University due to the incident.
As the controversy gathered steam, Portnoy participated in an interview with WPVI-TV but quickly became frustrated with the direction it was taking. He called it a “bait and switch,” accusing the reporter of asking unfair “gotcha” questions that portrayed him negatively.
“They asked me for the interview,” he explained, “then they switched reporters on me.”
Portnoy claimed the reporters were trying to hold him accountable for the alleged anti-Semitic atmosphere at his bar, citing a professor who suggested that Barstool Sports fosters hatred.
“She shifts, and then she does what the media does,” he added in his video, criticizing the professor’s view that “Barstool sports creates a culture of harassment,” making it seem like he was to blame for the issues at his establishment.
In his defense, Portnoy noted that anti-Semitism is more prevalent on university campuses nationwide compared to his bar or website.
“Who’s really generating more hatred in the world right now? Barstool sports and white men or university campuses?” he challenged.
Portnoy attempted to ask the reporter about the professor she referred to and the origins of her quotes, but she refused to engage, asserting her position as a journalist did not require her to answer him.
He then abruptly ended the interview, expressing his frustration by closing his laptop with emphasis.
“This crap. ABC, the person who set it up promised me one reporter and then switched to another,” he exclaimed at the video’s close. “Forget ABC! I’ve really had it with journalists. This nonsense!”
