Dave Portnoy fears firing host Ben Mintz could be a ‘death knell’ for Barstool Sports – as parent company Penn’s share price plummets after an ax
- Mintz was fired after making racial slurs while reading rap lyrics on a live stream
- Portnoy vouched for the ex-Barstool Sports presenter to stay, but it didn’t matter
- DailyMail.com provides all the latest international sports news
Dave Portnoy has revealed he fears the firing of former host Ben Mintz has been a ‘death knell’ for Barstool Sports as parent company Penn Entertainment’s share price continues to fall after a flurry of backlash.
The 46-year-old shared an explanatory video on Twitter on Wednesday regarding Mintz’s axing of the “Wake Up Mintzy show.” Mintz was fired on May 3 for making racial slurs while reading the lyrics to a rap song on a live stream on May 1.
“By the way, for anyone saying Barstool is dead, I knew this would happen,” Portnoy first wrote Wednesday. “I said it’s so against everything we stand for it could be a death knell.
Penn understood this. They still did. They were so afraid of supervisors who operate with impunity.’
Portnoy previously claimed he was doing everything he could to keep Mintz on board, along with the support of Barstool CEO Erika Nardini and “Barstool Big Cat” Dan Katz. In the end, Penn decided to go in a different direction.
Dave Portnoy, 46, admitted to being a ‘sell out’ on Twitter after backlash over Ben Mintz’s firing
Penn Entertainment, owner of Barstool Sports, has seen its share price in freefall this week
Ben Mintz was fired on May 1 after making racial slurs in a rap lyric on a live stream for Barstool
One of the many reasons for Mintz’s departure from the brand is related to concerns about the company revoking gambling licenses across the US.
On Wednesday, Portnoy hit back at critics who called him a “sellout” after he continued to follow Mintz’s decision to be fired by Penn.
“So I’ve had every Tom, Dick, and Harry since that Mintzy thing say, ‘Pres,’ you sold out.” Hey pres’, you’re sold out,'” the Barstools founder said, admitting to the labels given to him online.
‘Are you just figuring that out? I started a business and I fucking sold it. Made hundreds of millions, made millions for everyone who grinded. Yes, we completely sold out, because that’s what you do as an entrepreneur.
“You start this small business that you dream of one day and you sell it all the way. Still means this decision sucks. I hate it, it makes me puke.
“But guess what, when I sold out, a few words, a few things is very clear: You say these things, those decisions are no longer mine. I can’t protect you, you know why, because I sold out.
Penn Entertainment CEO Jay Snowden made the final call about Mintz’s firing
Penn Entertainment purchased 36 percent of Barstool Sports from The Chernin Group during the pandemic in early 2020. The acquisition cost $163 million before selling the remainder of the company in February 2023 for an additional $388 million.
Mintz has apologized since being fired on May 1 before sharing an update on Twitter two days later.
“I’m in a good mood,” he wrote. “I’m an idiot for sure, but I’m resilient. Will have a long video tomorrow to thank everyone. Way too grateful to be down.’
Portnoy added that while he disagrees with Penn CEO Jay Snowden over his decision to fire Mintz, he had no control over the latest call to fire his colleague.
Barstool was founded in 2003 by Portnoy as a free sports and gambling newspaper. It is now a digital platform for sports, lifestyle and entertainment with more than 200 million followers.