This week, Shannon Sharpe released a wide-ranging interview with Dave Portnoy for his Club Shay Shay Podcast. And over the course of the two-hour interview, the Barstool Sports founder made a curious claim regarding his role in the Caitlin Clark vs. Angel Reese rivalry.
Portnoy’s comments came in response to Sharpe asking him why he believes he’s been able to avoid getting “canceled.” And while illustrating his willingness to stand by what he says even if it’s unpopular, the 48-year-old also claimed responsibility for the racial component of Clark and Reese’s rivalry.
“I know I haven’t done anything maliciously. And again, perfect example… I live for Caitlin Clark,” Portnoy told the Hall of Fame tight end. “I ignited to a degree, I wanna say the race aspect of Angel Reese versus Caitlin.”
According to “El Presidente,” he did so by weighing in on Reese’s on-court behavior during LSU’s victory over Iowa in the 2023 national title game. Having bet on Clark and the Hawkeyes, Portnoy called Reese a “classless piece of s*it” after the Tigers forward celebrated her team’s victory by pointing to her ring finger and performing the “you can’t see me” taunt while walking past Clark.
Classless piece of shit https://t.co/e2qo7g5iXi
— Dave Portnoy (@stoolpresidente) April 2, 2023
“I will go to my grave, there was no race component,” Portnoy said. “I bet on Iowa. I’m a Caitlin Clark fan. I thought what Angel Reese did at the game was classless, nothing to do with the color of her skin. I tweeted that and it became a race — ‘he’s only saying this [because she’s Black]’ — it had nothing to do with that. I will stand forever. And I think the way they acted for a long time where Caitlin didn’t say a f*cking word and she’s taking bullets, like they are coming at her, that’s not a race issue to me.
“I will go to my grave, I’m never going to apologize for that, because it wasn’t malicious and I stand by it.”
Dave Portnoy proceeded to point out that “the biggest enemies I’ve got are white” before listing off the likes of Roger Goodell and Peyton Manning.
While Portnoy’s post regarding Angel Reese did elicit plenty of reaction — including then-Barstool personalities Gillie & Wallo denouncing his comments — the Boston native might be giving himself too much credit here.
Ultimately, the 2023 national title game served as most of the public’s introduction to the Clark-Reese rivalry. And as the following two years have proven, there was likely always going to be a racial component to all of this, with or without Portnoy’s post.
Dave Portnoy was undoubtedly a part of the early conversation surrounding Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, but to say that he “ignited” the racial aspect of it, even partially, seems like a stretch. But regardless of what role he did or didn’t play in all of this, just know that he isn’t going to apologize either way.