As the Florida Panthers celebrated their 2-1 victory over the Edmonton Oilers in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final, Barstool Sports’ Brian “RA” McGonagle attempted to get in on the action.
There was just one problem: members of not only the Panthers’ roster, but also their front office and even family members were well aware that the Spittin’ Chiclets co-host had been openly rooting for the Oilers throughout the series.
As a result, McGonagle didn’t find many friendly faces on the ice as Florida celebrated its first Stanley Cup title. That was evident in a video posted by Barstool Sports, which showed the hockey blogger being shunned by Panthers chief revenue officer Shawn Thorton, star forward Matthew Tkachuk and his father, former NHL star Keith Tkachuk.
“No, f*** you. Why are you even out here?” Thorton can be seen saying while rejecting McGonagle’s handshake offer. “Bandwagon-jumping motherf***er.”
“F*** you, I’m done with you,” Keith Tkachuk tells him in a different clip, after his son had also intentionally ignored him.
RA with a brilliant psychological experiment.
What happens when you dance around Edmonton celebrating Oilers goals like he worked for the team and then try to cozy up to the Panthers? @RearAdBsBlog @spittinchiclets pic.twitter.com/0AjgBBHfMQ
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) June 25, 2024
In a subsequent post, McGonagle can be seen being ejected from the locker room by championship belt-wearing Panthers player.
RA with a brilliant psychological experiment.
What happens when you dance around Edmonton celebrating Oilers goals like he worked for the team and then try to cozy up to the Panthers? @RearAdBsBlog @spittinchiclets pic.twitter.com/0AjgBBHfMQ
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) June 25, 2024
Obviously, Spittin’ Chiclets is hardly a traditional media entity and a big part of its appeal — and Barstool’s, in general — is its willingness to speak from a fan’s perspective.
As a Boston-based show, it’s hardly surprising that the podcast would be openly rooting against the Panthers, who eliminated the Bruins in the Eastern Conference Finals. And while it was the Panthers whos seemingly had the last laugh, it alsospeaks volumes that so many members of the organization — and their family members — were aware of what the podcast had been doing in the lead-up to Game 7.
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.