Dave Portnoy, the founder of Barstool Sports, is not one to hold back when he’s unhappy with his employees. Recently, he expressed his frustration with the New York City office after a livestream leak controversy. The incident involved Chris Klemmer, a Barstool employee who decided to take on the challenge of staying in solitary confinement for 100 hours in the basement of the NYC office with no connection to the outside world.
However, Portnoy was disappointed with the livestream, finding it boring as Klemmer spent a significant amount of time sleeping. In response, Portnoy abruptly ended the livestream without informing Klemmer. But that wasn’t the end of it. Portnoy accused multiple NYC employees of secretly leaking a working link to the livestream and threatened consequences.
In a tweet, Portnoy expressed his frustration, stating, “I may clean out the entire NYC office. It’s one thing to not produce shit. It’s another thing to f–k my shit up.” He specifically called out Kelly Keegs, Jack “Kenjac” Kennedy, and Gia Mariano as the employees responsible for leaking the stream.
The NYC offices have been the main hub for Barstool Sports until recently when most of the talent moved to the company’s new expansive compound in Chicago. In a video posted on X, Portnoy can be seen berating the employees, shouting, “What the f–k are you doing? Wake the f–k up. Who f–king turned on the TV? Why? What the f–k are you guys doing in that office? Just d–king around, playing with a bowling ball, watching? You’re there to f–king work and make content. Wake the f–k up.”
Mariano, one of the accused employees, defended herself, claiming that she did not tell Klemmer that the livestream had stopped and that leaking it was a mistake, not done purposefully. She posted on X, “idk where this narrative came that we told him, he’s literally locked in a random room in the basement or that I leaked the stream on purpose. I was a complete dumbass but I would never purposely ruin anything. I was having fun with it too.”
The controversy surrounding the livestream leak has caused quite a stir within the Barstool Sports community. As fans and followers of the media company eagerly await further updates, it remains to be seen how Portnoy will handle the situation and whether he will follow through with his threat to dismantle the NYC office.
This incident serves as a reminder of the high-pressure environment that employees at Barstool Sports face. With Portnoy’s no-nonsense attitude and expectation for constant productivity, it’s clear that he demands nothing short of excellence from his team. The livestream leak controversy showcases the consequences that can arise when employees fail to meet those expectations.
As Barstool Sports continues to evolve and expand, it will be interesting to see how Portnoy navigates these challenges and ensures that his vision for the company is upheld. The future of the NYC office hangs in the balance, and only time will tell what comes next for Barstool Sports and its employees.
