Michigan’s Democratic Senate candidate, Abdul El-Sayed, took a jab at Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy on Saturday, making fun of Portnoy’s physique and athleticism. This came after Portnoy labeled El-Sayed a “terrorist” in reaction to a joke the Democrat made about the University of Michigan’s football program possibly cheating.
El-Sayed responded on X, posting a clip of Portnoy running on a turf field with the caption, “Meanwhile, here’s [Portnoy] committing an act of athletic terrorism. Less pizza, more gym, habibi.” This back-and-forth erupted after El-Sayed, who is a University of Michigan alumnus, joked, “Is Michigan going to win a game without cheating? I say this as a Wolverine.”
Portnoy reacted to El-Sayed’s comment by declaring, “This guy really is a terrorist.” Meanwhile, El-Sayed’s opponent in the upcoming Senate race, former Rep. Mike Rogers, echoed Portnoy’s sentiment, saying that Portnoy was “exactly right.”
When pressed about whether Rogers genuinely believed El-Sayed was a terrorist, Rogers’ spokeswoman, Alyssa Brouillet, quipped that “parroting Ohio State talking points is a bridge too far.”
This commentary comes amid Michigan’s ongoing sign-stealing controversy. In August 2025, the NCAA imposed significant financial penalties and recruiting restrictions on the program following revelations of an impermissible scouting scheme involving a former staffer.
In 2024, the football program acknowledged multiple recruiting violations during the COVID-19 dead period, including unauthorized training sessions and misleading information provided to investigators by former coach Jim Harbaugh.
Historically, Michigan’s football program faced previous sanctions, including probation under former coach Rich Rodriguez in 2010 due to excessive practice violations, while its basketball program also suffered penalties related to improper loans from a booster.
In another vein, El-Sayed is currently facing backlash regarding his responses to inquiries about Iran and Islamist groups. During a town hall meeting in September, an Iranian-American student pressed him to condemn the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, to which El-Sayed responded by advocating for a situation where the Iranian people determine their own government, a stance that drew criticism for lacking a direct condemnation.
In an interview on October 5, Fox News host Martha MacCallum repeatedly questioned him on his stance towards terrorist designations for various organizations, to which El-Sayed mentioned he would support designations for groups involved in political violence without naming specific ones.
During an October 8 debate, Rogers intensified his critique of El-Sayed’s positions on terrorist organizations. El-Sayed was also reticent about declaring Iran or Israel as the more significant threat to the U.S., suggesting both posed dangers in different ways.
However, El-Sayed has condemned Hamas, stating in an August appearance that, “I think they’re wrong. I think they committed war crimes,” while also accusing Israel of similar actions. Additionally, El-Sayed has expressed concerns over the culture in football, highlighting issues of toxic masculinity in an essay where he reflected on the implications of racism in sports.
Abdul El-Sayed clashes with Dave Portnoy regarding comments on Michigan cheating allegations
Michigan’s Democratic Senate candidate, Abdul El-Sayed, took a jab at Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy on Saturday, making fun of Portnoy’s physique and athleticism. This came after Portnoy labeled El-Sayed a “terrorist” in reaction to a joke the Democrat made about the University of Michigan’s football program possibly cheating.
El-Sayed responded on X, posting a clip of Portnoy running on a turf field with the caption, “Meanwhile, here’s [Portnoy] committing an act of athletic terrorism. Less pizza, more gym, habibi.” This back-and-forth erupted after El-Sayed, who is a University of Michigan alumnus, joked, “Is Michigan going to win a game without cheating? I say this as a Wolverine.”
Portnoy reacted to El-Sayed’s comment by declaring, “This guy really is a terrorist.” Meanwhile, El-Sayed’s opponent in the upcoming Senate race, former Rep. Mike Rogers, echoed Portnoy’s sentiment, saying that Portnoy was “exactly right.”
When pressed about whether Rogers genuinely believed El-Sayed was a terrorist, Rogers’ spokeswoman, Alyssa Brouillet, quipped that “parroting Ohio State talking points is a bridge too far.”
This commentary comes amid Michigan’s ongoing sign-stealing controversy. In August 2025, the NCAA imposed significant financial penalties and recruiting restrictions on the program following revelations of an impermissible scouting scheme involving a former staffer.
In 2024, the football program acknowledged multiple recruiting violations during the COVID-19 dead period, including unauthorized training sessions and misleading information provided to investigators by former coach Jim Harbaugh.
Historically, Michigan’s football program faced previous sanctions, including probation under former coach Rich Rodriguez in 2010 due to excessive practice violations, while its basketball program also suffered penalties related to improper loans from a booster.
In another vein, El-Sayed is currently facing backlash regarding his responses to inquiries about Iran and Islamist groups. During a town hall meeting in September, an Iranian-American student pressed him to condemn the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, to which El-Sayed responded by advocating for a situation where the Iranian people determine their own government, a stance that drew criticism for lacking a direct condemnation.
In an interview on October 5, Fox News host Martha MacCallum repeatedly questioned him on his stance towards terrorist designations for various organizations, to which El-Sayed mentioned he would support designations for groups involved in political violence without naming specific ones.
During an October 8 debate, Rogers intensified his critique of El-Sayed’s positions on terrorist organizations. El-Sayed was also reticent about declaring Iran or Israel as the more significant threat to the U.S., suggesting both posed dangers in different ways.
However, El-Sayed has condemned Hamas, stating in an August appearance that, “I think they’re wrong. I think they committed war crimes,” while also accusing Israel of similar actions. Additionally, El-Sayed has expressed concerns over the culture in football, highlighting issues of toxic masculinity in an essay where he reflected on the implications of racism in sports.
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