Major twist ahead of Dave Portnoy’s Fox TV debut after claims Ohio State banned him from
Dave Portnoy has issued a blistering response to Ohio State’s claims it did not ban the Barstool Sports boss from its stadium this weekend, branding the Buckeyes ‘weak’ and christening himself their ‘boogie man’.
Portnoy is slated to make his highly-anticipated TV debut this weekend as part of Fox Sports’ ‘Big Noon Kickoff’ ahead of the college football curtain-raiser between Texas and Ohio State.
On Monday night, reports emerged that Portnoy – an outspoken supporter of Michigan, the Buckeyes’ bitter rivals – had been barred from entering Ohio State’s stadium, the Horseshoe, while Barstool Sports had been ordered to stay off campus altogether.
On Tuesday, Ohio State denied it had blocked Portnoy and insisted it was Fox who decided not to have him inside the stadium.
But a few hours later, Portnoy called an ’emergency press conference’, when he accused the Buckeyes of lying in a brutal five-minute tirade.
‘We were supposed to be in Columbus… and then we got word that Ohio State was not going to allow us to be on campus with “Big Noon Kickoff,”‘ he began.
Dave Portnoy is set to make his debut on Fox’s ‘Big Noon Kickoff’ this weekend
Ohio State denied reports that it has banned the Barstool boss from entering its stadium
Buckeyes athletics director Ross Bjork
‘Just say it: “Yeah we banned him.” Don’t point the finger… just look in the mirror and say: “We’re weak, we’re soft and until we get better, we’re never going to beat this team (Michigan).”‘
Portnoy continued: ‘This is a unique spot for me because I always just sling it and say what’s happening and Barstool is an independent pirate ship – we work for ourselves and that’s why people love us. We don’t filter anything, we don’t hide anything.
‘Now we form this big relationship with Fox and I’m always cognizant of our partners and trying to do right by them and they definitely got put in a weird spot because they didn’t see this (coming) – how could anybody see that crying (Buckeyes coach) Ryan Day and Ohio State would be this soft?’
Portnoy claims to have known about the ‘ban’ for more than a week and that Barstool Sports had to pay a ‘late fee’ for canceling the production of its show at short notice.
He insisted, however, that he was going to stay silent – ‘I’m trying to be the good soldier, the good partner, we’re just starting this thing with Fox.’ But then Ohio State AD Ross Bjork denied to Yahoo that the Buckeyes had banned Portnoy.
‘And Ohio State people are eating it up because obviously when the story broke everyone was like: “Ohio State is so f***ing soft. Michigan broke them… if you can’t beat them, ban them.” They’re broken! It’s a broken team, a broken school.
‘Oh National Championship this, National Championship that. One man, this face and they start crying… so obviously Ross Bjork reverses it.’
The Barstool Sports chief claims he has been banned from Ohio State’s stadium
The 48-year-old Portnoy is a renowned fan of Michigan – Ohio State’s bitter rivals
Violence erupted after Michigan’s shock win over rivals Ohio State last season
He continued: ‘And what is Fox going to say? This is a big partner of Ohio State and I’m not trying to f*** up the relationship. This is sports, this is rivalry, this is petty when one team beats your face in for an entire decade, when your arch rival is stomping on your neck and you can’t breathe, you do crazy things. They banned me from coming to the stadium, they ban our show from being on campus.’
Michigan last year beat Ohio State for the fourth consecutive game.
‘And I feel bad that Fox is in the middle of it. I don’t want to create any issue but then I look in the mirror and think: Dave, 20 years you’ve been doing Barstool, you just tell it how it is,’ Portnoy said.
‘We already had all our travel and production booked for this trip and suddenly it’s cancelled. Suddenly (despite) this big relationship, I can’t go on the field. I have no problem with Ross Bjork and Ohio State but this is my advice, and this is why we kick your a** inside out every single Thanksgiving weekend.’
Following Michigan’s 13-10 win over the No 2 Buckeyes last November, a brawl broke out after Wolverines players planted their school flag on the field – considered a major sign of disrespect in college football.
‘Stop p***y-footing, stop making excuses, stop crying about planting flags… just own up, be like: Michigan is a bully and they beat the p*** out of us. And when they walk down the street, we cross to the other side and we have to get better. And yeah we did ban Dave because we are so hateful against Michigan.’
Portnoy claimed he was, in fact, going to support Michigan’s bitter rivals against Texas.
‘Just own what you do,’ he told the Buckeyes. ‘You banned me, you’re scared of Michigan and the only way you’re ever going to compete with us again is if you can look at yourselves in the mirror and be honest with yourselves.’