Admittedly, I’m not the biggest Barstool Sports fan. I don’t mean that in the politically charged way a lot of people say it; I actually find Dave Portnoy pretty entertaining and will check out the occasional episode of Pardon My Take depending on the guest. I don’t dislike Barstool, it’s just never been a big part of my sports media diet.
In many ways, that should make me the target audience for Wake Up Barstool, the type of person who isn’t already a diehard Stoolie, but is also willing to give them a chance. But following the first episode of FS1’s Barstool-branded morning show is any indication, I don’t think I’ll be decorating my basement with a Saturdays Are For The Boys flag just yet. But I am intrigued.
By Portnoy’s own admission, the show is understandably a work in progress and it very much showed throughout a largely disjointed opening hour. For reasons that remain unclear, Tuesday’s debut episode opened with a heated debate about whether Arch Manning’s final pass attempt against Ohio State should be considered a drop or an incompletion, before finally getting to the biggest story of the day — Bill Belichick’s disastrous North Carolina debut — nearly 10 minutes in.
The first hour of the show largely focused on college football, jumping from topic to topic with Portnoy and Brandon Walker dominating the bulk of the conversation. Former NBA point guard Jason Williams and a Barstool Sports personality named Rico Bosco were also there too, although the show did little to explain the latter’s area of expertise outside of stating that he’d be a better fit for basketball season.
That will likely be one of the biggest challenges that Wake Up Barstool faces as it attempts to bring personalities and chemistry built on inside jokes to a national audience. If you’re already a Barstool diehard, you likely got all the Barstool Universe references and gags, including Portnoy rival Kirk Minihane being (intentionally?) left out of a promo for The Unnamed Show. If you’re not a Stoolie and were hoping this would be a “normal” morning show discussing the biggest stories of the day, then this probably isn’t the show for you.
Considering the past performance of FS1’s 8-10 a.m. ET timeslot, perhaps a show that exclusively appeals to Stoolies will garner enough of an audience to be considered a success. But if that’s the case, then why not just go full Barstool as opposed to a show that’s clearly leaning into traditional morning sports show segments?
To the show’s credit, it did seem to find its footing as the episode progressed, largely abandoning the typical morning TV tropes throughout the second hour. Rather than forced segments such as “what was your biggest takeaway from the sports weekend?” the show was at its best when it was just four guys shooting the shit, including a particularly memorable exchange in which the Barstool Sports founder proclaimed he’d be better at calling plays than 99 percent of the people doing it.
By the end of the episode, Portnoy had totally abandoned the guardrails of studio television, openly texting on-air, questioning the purpose of certain behind-the-scenes monitors and even verbally counting down the end of the show. To many traditionalists, this will likely be considered blasphemous. But it’s also exactly what Fox signed up for and it’s a credit to the network that it’s giving Barstool the space it needs to be itself.
As the episode came to a close, Portnoy himself reiterated that the show was very much a work in progress and would inevitability evolve based on feedback it receives. It’s also worth noting that the show’s cast will rotate on a daily basis and that Portnoy will only be on Mondays, so one would assume that each episode will take on a personality of its own based on the talent involved.
I’m always hesitant to judge any sort of live show based on its first episode, when it’s likely the worst version of it we’ll see. But while it wasn’t without its faults, the debut episode of Wake Up Barstool provided a promising baseline, especially if the improvement from the first to second hour is any indication.
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.