Revisiting troubling Dave Portnoy allegations that got him an NFL ban

Dave Portnoy is arguably one of the most well-known sports personalities out there. The Massachusetts native became known in the sports world when he founded Barstool Sports back in 2003.

Despite their success, Portnoy and Barstool found themselves in the crosshairs of NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. In May 2015, employees at Barstool invaded the NFL's main office.

These employees handcuffed themselves together in protest against the suspension of the then New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady amidst Deflategate.

Goodell suspended Brady for four games while the Patriots were fined $1 million and stripped of two draft picks.

In 2019, during halftime of Super Bowl LIII between the New England Patriots and Los Angeles Rams, Dave Portnoy was removed from the Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

A video on the website appeared to show Portnoy handcuffed. He was also escorted out of the Super Bowl media night after security was alerted to his presence.

It seems that Portnoy faked his credentials in order to gain access to the event. He was charged with criminal trespassing and was told not to return to the arena for a year. The staff of the Barstool website claimed they were prohibited from attending all Super Bowl events. However, Goodell claimed to not know of any bans for the events.

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Roger Goodell was asked about Dave Portnoy and Barstool Sports during a Congressional hearing

Roger Goodell appeared on video for a Congressional hearing last year about the Washington Commanders organization. During the hearing, Congressman Jim Jordan of Ohio asked why Portnoy was banned from covering NFL games and events.

Jordan then followed up, noting that Portnoy is a member of the media. This led the commissioner to deflect the question from Jordan regarding Portnoy's ban.

“Congressman, I’m not familiar with that issue. I’m happy to check with my staff, but I’m not aware of that.”

A light blue shirt with Goodell's likeness wearing a clown nose is a monument to was made by those at Barstool Sports. They made them available to the public in 2015. Needless to say, the feud between Dave Portnoy and Goodell doesn't see an end in sight.

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