Sport: Wrestling Country: United States Category: Scores & Results

Portnoy discusses McAfee's rise and Barstool's role in his success

Yahoo Sports • 1 min read • Latest: Aug 22, 2026, 9:48 PM

Last updated Aug 22, 2026

Portnoy discusses McAfee's rise and Barstool's role in his success

Summary

During a recent appearance on 98.5 The Sports Hub, Dave Portnoy addressed the contributions of Barstool Sports to Pat McAfee's career. Portnoy acknowledged McAfee's talent and ambition but suggested that Barstool provided crucial support in leveraging social media, helping McAfee become a prominent figure in sports media. McAfee joined Barstool in February 2017 after his NFL career but left 18 months later, citing issues with business decisions affecting him. Portnoy, while accepting responsibility for McAfee's reasons for leaving, expressed that Barstool was instrumental in McAfee's education in digital media. He highlighted that many others who received support from Barstool did not achieve the same level of success as McAfee.

Source Links

Yahoo Sports

By the Numbers

•Dave Portnoy believes Barstool helped McAfee enhance his career.
•Pat McAfee joined Barstool in February 2017 after retiring from the NFL.
•McAfee left Barstool 18 months later over business disagreements.
•Portnoy accepts some responsibility for McAfee's departure.
•McAfee has become a significant voice in sports media, particularly on ESPN.

Latest Updates

9:48 PMYahoo Sports — ‘Would McAfee be what he is now without us?’ Dave Portnoy addresses if Barstool ‘made’ Pat McAfee

What they're saying

"
Over the past several years, Pat McAfee has become perhaps the most high-profile person in sports media and the growing face of ESPN. Before all of that, however, he was at Barstool Sports, and Dave Portnoy seems to think that McAfee has Barstool to thank for some of his success. While Portnoy acknowledges that McAfee…
— Yahoo Sports

Related Teams & Leagues

Wrestling