The Pat McAfee Show originated in conjunction with Barstool Sports in 2017 and has since gone on to great success, with the show now being licensed to air on ESPN from 12-2 p.m. ET on weekdays.
While the ESPN affiliation has seemingly bolstered the show’s ability to attract top-tier guests such as the commissioners of every major pro sports league, has the ESPN partnership been a detriment to the show booking guests from the show’s former corporate partner, Barstool Sports?
That’s certainly what Dave Portnoy alluded to on Wednesday, although he chose to be a bit vague in divulging the particulars.
Portnoy’s known beef with the suits in Bristol stems from Barstool’s short-lived collaboration with the Worldwide Leader. Barstool Van Talk lasted just one episode on the Worldwide Leader before it was canceled over persistent rumblings about the culture and tone at Barstool, especially as it related to Portnoy’s alleged past demeaning comments about now-former ESPN talent Sam Ponder.
Ponder and Portnoy have since buried the hatchet, or at least seemingly so. He didn’t pop champagne when ESPN elected to part ways with her and Robert Griffin III last year. Though he did have a revenge bottle of champagne for John Skipper and popped it when the former ESPN president resigned in 2017.
Ryen Rusillo later said that Barstool Van Talk brought the worst out of ESPN.
While a Barstool TV show is still possible, it probably won’t happen at ESPN — not on Portnoy’s watch.
We could point to several reasons why, but the latest example is the Barstool founder being miffed by Ryan Whitney and Paul Bissonnette going on The Pat McAfee Show. And Portnoy’s beef apparently has nothing to do with McAfee.
“You and Biz are on McAfee more than you’re on Barstool,” Portnoy quipped on Wednesday’s The Unnamed Show.
“Dude, that was the first time I’ve ever been on the show,” Whitney shot back. “I went on Pardon My Take that Sunday night, and then Monday, I was asked to go on McAfee. I’m wearing Spittin’ Chiclets gear, and he’s pumping Spittin’ Chiclets tires. I know that drives you crazy. And when Biz went on to describe the fight, I got that, 100%. But I can’t go on in the middle of the playoffs?”
“Well, you guys are on every week,” Portnoy replied.
Whitney asked for clarity. Should he avoid McAfee’s show altogether? Portnoy paused, scratched his beard, and chose his words carefully. He admitted the issue isn’t with McAfee, but rather ESPN. Still, he wouldn’t say more on a livestream.
“If we had a conversation offline and I told you why I get mad about it, you wouldn’t go on anymore,” Portnoy said. “I can’t do it online. I can’t do it. And by the way, it’s not a McAfee [thing]. It’s an ESPN. It’s not McAfee, it’s ESPN.”
Whitney said he’d follow whatever call Portnoy made, and then Portnoy pointed to the boundaries of other networks.
“At FOX Sports, none of their guys can go on ESPN. None. You can’t,” Portnoy adds. “We let it… It’s not just you, and it’s not just one, but when it seems like it’s a literal regular feature, then I’m like, ‘Why are we helping ESPN?'”
Still, Portnoy wouldn’t lay it all out on air, even if that kind of drama is Barstool’s bread and butter.
He’s also a bit preoccupied at the moment, too.