Barstool Sports’ latest edition of The Dozens Trivia took an unexpected turn on Wednesday night when Dave Portnoy announced that he had cancer.
The Barstool Sports founder and owner made the announcement as his team was introduced for its matchup in the trivia tournament.
“A lot of pressure. This is all that matters. We’ve been waiting for all season,” Portnoy, who was wearing a bandage on his neck, said of the trivia matchup. “I have cancer, by the way. No big deal.”
“I’m sorry to hear that,” host Jeff D. Lowe said, seemingly stunned.
“That sounds like a big deal,” Portnoy’s teammate, Eddie Farrer, said.
“It is a big deal,” Portnoy replied.
“El Presidente” later took to X to clarify, “I did have cancer. I beat it. It wasn’t the serious kind thank god.”
In a video accompanying his social media post, Portnoy can be seen discussing his cancer battle with fellow Barstool Sports personalities Dan “Big Cat” Katz and Rico Bosco. While it’s unclear when he received his diagnosis, it was apparently recently, with the 47-year-old noting the fresh scar under the bandage on his neck and that he was unable to attend the Boston Celtics’ NBA Finals-clinching victory on Monday night as a result of his health issues.
Portnoy’s announcement comes less than one year after he purchased 100 percent of Barstool Sports back from previous owner Penn Entertainment for a reported price of $1. The time since has seen several notable changes at the irreverent sports media brand, including the departure of CEO Erika Ayers Badan (formerly Nardini) in January and a shift in strategy away from sponsoring/hosting sporting events.
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.