Dave Portnoy On Cancel Culture, Kanye, LeBron, Brady, Taylor Swift, Celtics & Call Her Daddy

Shack with Angel Reese when he's like, I. want to see her playing in her underwear. and like run up that. If I said that, I'd be in jail. Oh yeah, for sure. In. jail. All my life been grinding all my. life. Sacrifice hustle paid the price. Want a slice. Got to roll the dice. That's why. All my life I've been. grinding all my life. All my life been. grinding all my life. Sacrifice, hustle, paid the price. Want a slice. Got to. roll dice. That's why all my life I've. been grinding all my life. [Music].

Hello, welcome to another episode of. Club Shay. I am your host Shannon Sharp. I'm also the proprietor of Club Shay. Stopping by for conversation on a drink. today is one of the most influential. people in modern sports. He created a. company that's now worth more than a. half a billion dollars. A pioneering. force in the new age of digital media. A. business mogul and a trailblazer. A. media magnet and an icon. A social media. media star and an influencer. A bold no. filter media star. Outspoken. personality. A powerhouse spokesman,

host, producer, writer, director, philanthropist, a pizza afficionado, a. University of Michigan alum, a wealthy. entrepreneur who built a multiplatform. empire, finder, founder, and operator, owner, sports and pop culture company, Bartool Sports, El Presidente, Dave Poy. Quite the intro. Thank you. Appreciate. you, man. Yeah. No, I appreciate that. intro. Oh, I like that, bro. I got I got we got to. talk, bro. I got to toast you, man. For. you to be able to do what you've done. I.

mean, for you to have the vision and to. see it through. Congrats. Cheers to you. Cheers. I said I wasn't going to drink. this, you know, by the way. I don't like. any, but I'm doing it. No, no, that's. better. But I let you tell me for. yourself. I probably won't have it for a little. time after this. Let's say. that. I'm more on like the high noon. speed. But. when in Rome, do as Roman. Yeah, bro. Thank. you. You built Bar Stool into a half a.

billion dollar empire. Started off doing. four page newspapers which of the dying. dynasty. How did you have the vision and. the forethought to do what you did? So I. I didn't have the vision. Like that's. the easy answer. It it I just didn't. want to hate my job when I woke up. Like. I knew I wanted to try my own thing. But. if Bar stool if I was making 60 grand a. year working for myself, I would have. been happy. But anyone who said they had. vision back then is probably lying. because, you know, we started as a.

newspaper before before MySpace existed, Facebook, Tik Tok. So for anybody to. know what the internet was going to be, they're lying. We were just always. really quick, right, and kind of moving. and following trends, but I had no idea. it would turn into this. You handed out. newspapers on the subway platform, street uh street corners of Boston, yelling at people. How many papers did. you think you handed out a day? probably 5 to 10,000. We had a. circulation of 30,000 probably at the. height. So I'd wake up, you see it any.

city corner and and just hawking papers. outside the garden. I grew up in Boston, cell station, subways, just working cuz. a lot of time people get they take it. and throw it on the ground. Oh, that. happened. I mean I count that if you. took it that counts. Yeah. You didn't. ask how many ended up reading it. But if. you're going on the subway, right, you're just looking for anything to. read. So you get as many hands on it as. you can. Todd McShet started out as one. of your early writers and you custom.

built websites and the newspaper went. digital. How did you know like that? Todd, how did you decide who you were. going to pick to write and and who are. you going to start staffing? So I went. to high school with McShay. So Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. That that hard ass. choice. Yeah. I was in his wedding, so I. we we weren't paying anybody when we. started. He got involved in sports. before I did. So he already he was. already maybe just starting on ESPN a. little bit. So he just helped on the. side. Right. Wow. So is it true that you.

started putting women on the c bikinis. on the cover and that's when the. newspaper kind of took off. That is. true. So uh there was a photographer in. Boston. He's like, "Have you ever. thought about putting a girl?" Maxim was. huge at the time. Yes. Yes. They used to. have big parties at the Super Bowl. I. don't know if they still do that now. They still do it. I think it's but not. to the level. Yeah. When I back in the. day, Maxim was like the it parties. Yeah. So, he he reached out to me, the. photographer. He's like, "Have you ever. thought of putting local women?" Maxim. you put they were at sleds. Yes. So, we. started putting I'm like, "No, I.

haven't, but if you want to do the. photography for me, do it. Knock. yourself out." And he came over, did it? It was a local girl. Well, that started. getting people's attention. I'm like, "Let's do it again." And that kind of, you know what it really did for us back. in the day? like Bud Light, Miller. Light, they they they paid no attention. I started bar stool and like oh we'll. get all sports advertising. We didn't. When they saw pretty girls like if you. know where the girls are, the guys will. follow. So it actually opened doors. advertising wise. Wow. I read that you. had models handing out the newspapers. Started having models hand out the.

newspaper. Before that you had homeless. people actually handing out the. newspaper. Yeah. So the first first week. we launched homeless people. Okay. Uh. Labor Ready was the name of the company. and I was driving around and they were. just drunk not paying attention. And. they didn't do they didn't do dick. They. didn't do anything. So we fired them. after one week. And then I'm like, you. know what? If I if you're a guy walking. off the subway, would you take it from a. pretty girl or a homeless person? Pretty. girls. So we lasted that for maybe a. month. So put girls in little jerseys. and handed them out. during that process. What did that teach.

you about advertising? Well, that wasn't rocket science. It. didn't teach me anything. I knew I I. knew guys like Pretty Girls. Like you're. going to take a newspaper. So it didn't. teach teach me really anything about. that. It was just really expensive to do. it. But you know that that was no. lesson. But let me ask you a quick ask. you this. Have you listen to your fan. base over time? Because you said the. pretty girl pretty the guys follow the. pretty girls. Wherever guys are that. means advertisers are going to come. because those are the guys that drink. the beer eat the you know take the.

products or ble do whatever. Yeah. you I. I have listened to it's a fine line. because I'm sure you know there's the. the people who hate you and don't like. you are often the loudest and like you. suck at this, you're not good at that. So I don't let that bother me. But the. beauty of what we did and and newspaper. and more internet is like the internet. doesn't lie. You see the numbers, they're going up. So I'll always follow. that as much as people like the chirping. and noise somewhat. I trust my gut a. lot. Right. How did you know not being politically.

correct you could win doing that now. over the last eight decade but bar stool. is way older than a decade. How did you. know that not saying not doing always. the right thing could be a win for Dave? Yeah. So it that's how I am like I'm. this maybe a northeast like Boston like. I I'll say do whatever and I I'm fine. I'll stand on two feet and stand with. it. Right. Um, it really wasn't. intentional. Like it it's just me being. me and us being us, but we did get to a.

point where we built this loyal. following and and it's like I knew I had. them and if we're honest with the. audience, they'd follow us anywhere. So, uh, that was always an advantage. And. that means that there's a lot of people. out there that doesn't want to be. politically correct, that have to be. politically correct, but they had. someone that, you know what, he's not. polit politically correct. I like him. I. like what he's doing. I like what he's. saying. So we always had the advantage I. didn't have a boss like so you know I if. you're in a corporate world it's great. to think one way want to be this but if.

your boss is like you know what you're. going to get fired you can't do it. that's a lot of different pressure we. didn't have it and and we didn't belong. we weren't beholding advertising that. was also huge so advertisers can be like. hey you got to watch what you say we had. early bar stool our money was coming. from our audience selling t-shirts doing. events so we didn't care if an. advertiser is like we're going to drop. it's like all right see you like we're. going to just keep doing us. There were. not a whole lot of models out there that. you could follow. So, who did you look. up to says, you know what, I kind of.

like their business model. I kind of. like the way they do things. The the. early guy who I looked up to is Bill. Simmons. So, I'm a Boston guy. This is. before he went to ESPN. His writing. style was more like this is interesting. I reached out to him, try to get him. invested in Barcel part of it. Obviously, never happened. But it wasn't. so much a business like I came from a. business side. So, I was always like, if. I can sell ads, do this, I just want to. enjoy my life. But I wasn't looking. around and be like, that's the model. I.

I think we became the model, not on. purpose, but there wasn't much like us. Well, I kind of think you were going to. say Howard Stern cuz he would kind of. say do anything. Yeah. And we do get. compared to that. I never looked I was. never a big Stern fan growing up. So, what But we get that comparison and got. it throughout the years all the time. You know, I heard uh that you're kind of. like a combination between ESPN and. Playboy. Is that a is that a fair. assessment? Yeah, it's an interesting assessment. I. mean, we have we have the TNA. I mean, ESPN's moved.

more probably to our side of the street. in terms of like letting people fly and. even like I saw, you know, and when you. and like uh No, it was Stephen A. No, it. was you and Herby going at it like. that's bar stool, right? Like we let. them fight it out. Let I couldn't even. tell him like do these guys really not. like each other? Is this like a show? That's bar stool. Even even even. teammates because like like a barn stool. like I'm feeling like and we're going to. get into this later like when you had. busting with the boy and you had part of. my take and you had this one and that.

one and you all under one umbrella. I. see us see us as teammates. You would. let them take shots at each other. Oh my. god, we eat each other a lot. The most. vicious shots are internal. Okay. And. like I mean I just got here like I just. watched a Taylor Wong clip at the Super. Bowl and he's talking to Patrick. Mahomes. He's like, "Hey, we're leaving. Bar Stool." They are leaving. And he. he's like, "So you'll come on our. podcast right now?" I mean, to me, I I'm. that to me is like he he let he. basically put uh Patrick Mahomes in his.

mouth. Like he he basically was like, "Let me roll over, pet your belly, and. I'll go at we go at each other." But. that it's and it's real. People think. it's fake. In the end, we're all one. team, but yeah, we attack each other. Is. it true that early advertisers basically. they were offshore illegal betting sites. that weren't illegal in America? So you. like reached out and got those dollars? So I I've always loved gambling. So. before I started bar stool, I actually. flew to Vegas, interviewed in casinos. like how do I get in this industry and I.

used to bet. So I talked to these. offshore casinos said you know I how do. I get involved? They said create the. newspaper we'll advertise in it. And. that was the early advertising we had. that got us like when we launched no. girls no nothing. It was just really. fantasy sports that type of thing. It. allow we presold the ads for a year two. years party poker and we morphed after. that. But yeah that that was our early. advertising. Did you ever get. frustrated? Did you ever think that this. possibly couldn't work? I went I got a. job about six years in. I took a sales.

job drove work there at lunch. I'm like, I cannot I can't do bar stool and give. it a chance and do this. So, one day. lunch, drove home, never went back. But. I mean, I wasn't we didn't make money. for a decade, right? Really? Yeah. So, how did you get by? Grinding. Like I I. moved in with my in-laws. We had no rent. like in just it was paycheck to paycheck. trying to survive. But it it was. literally like nothing at the time. Did. your wife like Dave? She made me get the. job. She she made me get the job. To her.

credit, she stood by me and it always. felt in my gut, this thing's grow like. there's something here. Yeah. But to. turn the corner and actually do it took. a long time. Did you create fake uh fake. ads to get rival coming? Like I was. early like Morton steakhouse. I put in a. rival like Flemings. Morton's Chris. Yeah. They call they and the actual. place would call me like I it was. Flemings. There's a steakhouse in. Boston. They'd be like, "We didn't. advertise in your paper. Why are you in. there?" It's like, "Oh, my sales guy.

quit. I don't know what happened." And. then we take it out. But the thought. was, "Hey, if Morton sees Flemings, then. Morton doesn't want to get in there.". So, yeah. Now, we did that all I would. do anything. I would do anything to try. to get somebody in the paper. But you. also created fake emails with extra. people like, "Hey, we got a big ass. staff." Correct. So, do you want someone. to advertise? I know that I'm the head. writer. I'm the founder. I'm the sales. guy. I'm the marketing guy. So, I had. like 10 different aliases. Yeah. Oh my. goodness, man. But it seemed like you. had a plan. Like even though it wasn't.

successful early, you had a plan and you. had a a a fortitude to stick to itness. that you know what, it's going to click. I just got to give it time. Yeah. I keep. going back and some people say I'm being. a humble I I thought it was working. Did. I ever dream it would be something like. this? Like I think I'm a smart enough. guy and and a way to monetize and if you. really hustle and work your ass off, you. can probably carve out some sort of. living for yourself. Yes. Did I know. that the internet would hit right when I. need it to hit? Did I know that like.

social media would hit and things like. right time, right place, right guy, all. those things? How much would you say. it's it cost you to start Boston? Oh, I'm always not much. Maybe 30 grand max. That's for I had to buy the racks. That. was the only expense where the racks to. put the newspapers in. Let me ask you a. question. How did you start? How did you. come up with the name Bartool? So barcel. sports was supposed to mean, and this is. early internet 1.0, I looked for. websites that were allowed. It's. supposed to mean anything that a guy. would talk about sitting at a bar.

watching sports. Okay, that was what was. supposed to mean. So I went through like. 10 names and that was the one that was. available. Did anyone invest in bar. stool besides yourself early on? Maybe. your parents, maybe siblings or anybody. like that? Parents helped with the news. racks and that was it. Uh and we had no. no outside money till 2016. We started. 2004. Wow. Yeah. Wow. That's a that's a very long time. not to make a whole lot of money. A lot. of people probably after 12 years going. to give it up there. Yeah. I mean, we. started around by 2016, we were doing.

pretty well. But, uh, yeah, it it I had. a normal job. Again, I I would rather. work for myself, not make as much, and. then hate waking up and hating what I. do. So, you didn't you didn't really. turn a profit. You started in 2004. So, you kind of turned a profit 2010, maybe. 11, around there. So, you started making. deep good money. Not I mean it's not no. retirement money. No good good enough. money. We did a concert tour in 2010. Okay. Uh we we had a kid who was uh Sam. Adams was his name. He was like a a kind. of local rapper basically guy and we had.

never been outside Metro Boston. We did. a 10 tour of colleges like URI UMass and. we're going to Frat Basements. I. basically wanted to see do people know. who we are? Yes. UMass the Mullen. Center. They called me and they're like. hey what is this concert you're doing? Keep in mind, I'm going to Frat basement. to do it. They're like, "We're getting. calls for this concert you're doing.". It's like, "Yeah, I don't know. We're. going to Frat." They're like, "Would you. ever think of doing it in the arena?". It's like, "I can't afford that. We. won't do it." It's like, "Well, what if. we set it up way very little risk?".

Said, "If you're willing to do it, fine." We sold out in 5 minutes. Like, sold the arena out. That was when it. kind of clicked. It's like there may be. something going on here that I'm not. totally aware. Showed up these campuses, signs on the ro. It was crazy. So, let. me ask you a question. When did you know. Bar stool could become a legit company. that you know you're like I got. something? Probably that tour around the. 2010 2011 and then I'm probably making. seven figures by 2012 2013. It was hard. to I like if you wanted to advertise.

with us, you almost had to know somebody. like you weren't selling. You had to. find like I remember we had we were in. this fantasy space and the gambling. draft I've had DraftKings I met with. like the founders of DraftKings way back. when FanDuel and you had to know. somebody to get me on the phone because. we were just happy. We're like all right. we're doing well. We're we're we're. happy with where we're at. But around. then I knew we were here to stay. How. did how did you develop this loyal. rabbit fan base? It's day after day. So, when we started the company, I used to.

blog 10 to 15 times a day, like every 45. minutes, something new up. We're on top. of sports, on top of everything. And you. just build a trust with your audience. If they're seeing you every day, they. start just becoming almost like your. friend. Like, when I see our fans, they. think they know me. So, you just build. that up over decades. You get a very. loyal core audience. So basically you. would say that. college is where you kind of like grew. It's like when you did this little. college tour and you went to UMass and.

you had that arena and you sold it out. So you would say probably college would. you say college kids early 20? It was. everything. So I started this thing when. I was like 25 26 I'm 47 now. So it it it. spans all ages and different people of. their lives like we have people have. kids we have new college kids. Just. depends where you get us. I think the. the they were college kids but they're. husbands and fathers now. Yeah, it's. everything. And even like when I started. was young professionals. It was a lot of. people who just graduated now went to. the workforce and like that. Why do you.

think college kids re why does bar stool. resonate so much with college kids? I don't really know. I mean it we we. were talking about college age when we. were doing like raves at college parties. and I mean even now we have like handles. on social media that just cover that. college but obviously they they like. unfiltered and we're unfiltered right. frat parties you had concerts were you. in a frat uh for about 10 seconds at.

Michigan so I I I wasn't big into the uh. hazing part of it right I like the. Russian part of it when they're kissing. your ass and it turns into like go get. me a beer. That's not really me. So, I. didn't I was gone quick. How did you. know? But you didn't want to be a part. of that. But how did you know the. fraternity culture so well? I didn't I. mean the the fraternity I and sometimes. people say different. I don't know. that's fraternity uh culture as like. human nature like guys like hot girls.

Guys are going out to try to get laid. Like a lot of that is part of what we. were doing talk about in parties but it. was everything. I mean, we talked just. as much about that as anything else. It. seems like at what at at I don't know if. you still feel this way that you were. the dire the antithesis of what ESPN how. did you know to like create something to. say you know whatever they do we're. going to do the exact oppos it wasn't on. purpose like that you. know I I guess people may look at I mean. ESPN and I we've been doing it for so. long ESPN's actually changed a bunch of.

times probably since we've been doing. this last 20 years it wasn't they're. just more buttoned up in in early bar. stool Anybody who came from a network to. us, we had some issues with because they. they needed a producer to tell them to. say this and that and we don't do that. We You're your We hire people we think. talented. Let them run wild. You off the. cuff, bro. Yeah. It's like you don't. we're not going to tell you what to say. and you're going to love what you're. talking about. So, it wasn't We weren't. trying to be the different. And I had no.

problems with ESPN till we had problems. with ESPN because you look at ESPN, they. got fancy studios. Guys are normally. buttoned up. They're normally, you know, suit tie. You guys are in very informal, very casual. T-shirts, blue jeans, shorts. Hey, hey, I'm more interested in. what you say, not what you. wear. That was always your So, I heard a. story that ESPN once had a meeting about. us when we're on the come up. And it's. like, how do we be more authentic? Like. Barcel, it's like, well, you lost. Like, you are having a meeting on how to be. authentic. There was nothing. We ar I'm.

not planning what my studio looks like. That's what my life look like. you're. So, it's just we didn't think about. that. We didn't care about fancy. cameras. We didn't have fancy cameras. We had idiots. And uh it it it almost. the bigger we got, the more I had to. keep an eye like we don't want to look. polished like ESPN. Like that's not who. we are. Just because you can do it. doesn't mean we want to do it. It wasn't. an early thought. Is is pardon my take a. playoff pardon the interruption. First.

take. So you got pardon and take and so. boom boom. ESPN so stupid they sued us. first day. got sued. They went through, sent the cease and desist. Best thing. they could have done for us. It was a. 100% a mash of that. Like that's what. we're doing. And then we posted, you. know. Oh, you posted it. Of course, that's the worst thing you could do. Just send the letter idiots. Like. because you're going to post it and then. all of a sudden everybody go like, "Well, let's see what's going on." Yeah. They couldn't again. We've had that. multiple. Goodell's been one. But that. was perfect. Yeah. And in a weird way, it's it it was like tipping our hat to.

them, you know? It's like an homage to. that. But yeah, they they sent that. letter right away. Do you think sports. media is taking itself too seriously? I. I do I think it's changed like again I. think a lot of. things it's much more free flowing but. yeah generally I sports media people I. think there's double standard. Okay. let's let's say um the flake gate right. one of my cornerstone that's in your. crawl. Yeah, that's one of my like. cornerstone events. And they're killing.

Brady. And I I remember Sal pal. He's. he's on CNN or what I mean ESPN acting. like this is like world news being like. Tom Brady is an Ugg salesman. Women buy. Uggs. They're not going to buy Uggs if. they don't trust them. It was so dumb. So I went to media day and I see Cell. Palpal and I take my mic. I'm like, "Sell Palpal, what did you say about Tom. Brady and Uggs?" "No, no, no. I don't. talk to the media. I don't talk to the. media." It's like you are the media. Like it it that double standard drives.

me crazy. Like you're going to talk. about people. Media are celebrities now. No different than the athletes. How have. you been able to surpass Sky Sports, Fox. Sports, and social media following? Cuz we're we're we're born from the. internet. Like I I we're probably the. first digital media company. Like who. are the heads of Fox? How old are they? What do they look like? We're all young. guys. Who we hire? They come with a tr. proven internet record. Like you don't. get to us unless you're young. Like.

would you like I I've been looking at. crypto. I don't understand it because. I'm too old and it's like hard. If you. have a crypto guy who's probably older. than 25, like he's probably not a great. crypto guy, right? So if you look at the. internet, these are these are network. guys who have come up doing it the same. way, same playbook, same everything. We. had no playbook. We were figuring out as. we went. Do you believe that's the. mistake that linear is making is because. those guys came up in linear they don't. understand deep digital they don't. understand social kind of like these say.

23 to 30 year olds 100% like even I mean. eventually things will change but like. if you look at a NFL game why does. everything look identical on the sets. eventually. it'll been doing it 100% they're just. this is how you do it this is the way to. do it we're not going to change We know. more. So, 100%. What do you think the. future of sports media is? Is it more. what you do? 100%. I mean, look at you. I mean, I if you would think that you.

could say some of the things that you. say, whether it be not on the main. network and then go on ESPN, that that's. a relatively recent development in my. mind that you can have that and they're. letting him. Even like Stephen A with. his own it that didn't happen not too. long ago where like you just wouldn't. see it right. Was your goal always to. create a media company? Yeah. No. Uh. yeah. No, it was to first it was to have. a job that I liked waking. Then we got. to a degree of success. It's like what.

do we want to do here? Is Boston. replicable? Can I hire other guys and. create the success in Boston? And then. it became a media place where it's like. let's try to create other personalities. which I think for my money obviously I'm. biased my company I think we've in this. new last 20 years created probably the. greatest stable or biggest like if you. brought back everybody whether it's. McAfee Alex Cooper uh you busting with.

the boys obviously are leaving you have. wallow and gilly me Dan like we have a. people who have come from the internet. Jenna Marbles who a lot of Do you know. who that is? I don't. Jenna Marbles was. like internet 1.0. Like she was the. first YouTube girl. So we've launched. massive stars and at some points like I. think we have the platform that we can. do this and no one else is trying to do. it. Like McAfee is an example like no. one hired his ass out of the Colts. No. one wanted him. What what have you. learned about building a media company? I mean can can if somebody say you know. what Dave we need you to at University.

of Michigan call said Dave we want you. to teach a class on how to go about. building a media company. how to build a. conglomerate. I got no clue on why I'm. going to say that. Honestly, I think I. think what we've been good at and what. I've had an eye for and they're not a. whole runs. It's like a band almost like. a a a record label model like you're. going to miss, but if you can get some. hits, we have a good eye for talent, whatever that may like unique people. Like if I see something, I'm like, do I. do I click off of it in a second or do. they have me for 10 to 20? And if they.

do, that generally means there's. something there. Like you you're just. interested in what's going on, right? How many employees, shows, personalities. do you say you think you employ at. Bartool? I think about 400 right now. total. Wow. Yeah. Did you ever think you. could grow a company to have 400. employees? No, I don't even know. It's. just we got bloated a little bit, but we. have a lot of a lot of stuff going on. Well, how do you manage because you said. you look you are who you are. How do you. manage so many different personalities?

We have different people who help, but. the person I that's the wor the talent. business sucks. I wouldn't recommend. that for anybody. Like that's one of. those things when you ask me what I. thought, but I mean we're in the. business of building stars and then. having him turn around and be like, "Hey, we want a quadrillion dollars and. you can't afford them." It's like a. sports team SNL model or something like. that. Like your agent there, Michael. Klein, I think he owes me his whole life. to me. If we're being honest, like. without me, he doesn't exist. So, you. might need to invest in his business.

Yeah. It's like I'd like to know how how. he runs that business. But it's uh you. let people be themselves. We try to see. if they rise above like if they start. getting traction, we just give them. whatever they want resources. You want. to fly to, you know, I remember we had. these two guys. They start they were. there for a a week and uh they wanted. Porzingis like we want to go find his. his family and where the is he from? Lithuania. Yeah. They flew to Lithuania. Latia somewhere like Latia on I had no.

idea what they're doing. So we just let. the creators create and try to put the. resources behind them and then we let. the internet decide. It's like all. right, do you guys like them or not? How. would you describe your workplace? Chaotic, uh, competitive, petty, all those things. What type of. You mentioned like, okay, I'm watching. this person whether or not I want to. hire him. Does what I hear him hear him. or her speak click move on or do they.

like. okay might have. something. It's that and and and I don't. even have to like it. It's just like I. haven't really seen this. He's just. caught my attention for whatever reason. He's saying things I haven't heard. Um yeah, that that really is it. And and. it's rare, but you see it. And again, you can be wrong plenty of times, but. there's just something there. It's like. why why am I staying more than that one. second almost to see what's going on. here? Why are you okay with firing. people publicly? We do everything.

publicly. Who did I fire publicly? You. you get I mean you I mean I don't know. if I could be the type of boss you are, Dave. I mean you you cut because you cut. I I'm I think I'm a little bit more. compassionate than you. I'm trying to. think who did I fire who did I fire I'm. looking for my guy. Who did I fire. publicly? Francis. Francis. You fired publicly? I tell. people that fired. Yeah. But I don't. know if it's like everything we do is. public, by the way. So like if you do. for if you've gotten to the point where. you got fired by me, you earned it.

Yeah. And I'll publicly do I'll do. anything public. Don't come to my like. if you're in my world, right? You got to. content. Everything everything's fair. game. What is your response when people say, "Man, Dave Dave don't pay enough, man. Dave need to break bread." I mean, you. know, he he getting a whole loaf and he. passing out crumbs. Those people full of. Find me that person who said that and. that that like I mean you'll have. certain things. We've had a couple like. Caller Daddy there. Do you know who that. is? I do. So yeah, she she's turned into.

a monster. We found her nothing. She's. nobody. We signed the two of them to 100. grand uh each, right? Her and Sophia. thing exploded. 6 months later they're. up to 500 grand. They signed a. three-year deal. You can go be. billionaires when you're like that's. what we do. like you we don't own you. after go make all but the peanuts thing. why why didn't you like sign them to a. three-year deal maybe like a year in. year and a half in say hey let's redo. this deal I want to we were redoing the.

deal they're tough to deal with you. athletes same way hold outs this their. talent and they look at it and your. talent looks at it hey I got strike when. this is hot they don't give a about us. we pay as good I think as any media. company in the I mean you got Oh, and. Gilly, they're crying, popping bottles. with how much they're making. Alex got. 60. McAfee is making tens. We pay. That's the biggest misnomer in the. world. Y'all pay. We pay. Pay pay. Pay. pay. I mean, you're huge. How much? I'm.

a free agent. Let Let me All right. I'm. just I'm just David. I'm just throwing. it out there. We don't have to negotiate. publicly, but I'm just saying I'm free. When are you free? When you want me to. be free. Are you really free? Yeah. What do you mean? Like when you're. you're on like I no parole, no. probation, nothing. I mean free. You. You're probably very expensive right. now. What we our model generally is the. reverse. Like we find the guys, build.

them up, and then they leave as opposed. to like getting them at the top cuz you. pay the premium. Yeah. Like we I don't. know what like you coming to us for. example. We're not going to make you. bigger. You're you're huge. So, like our. our secret sauce is if you're talented, we'll make you huge, but you'd be good. on our networks. What have you learned about negotiating? I I I I'm not a big negotiator. Uh you. say, are you a take it or leave it type. of guy? I I I have a price that I know.

works for us and it and if it's not good. enough, like what are you going to do? Like the busing guys just, you know, 3. years 30 million from FanDuel that. that's more than we can do. So, good luck. You go. We You great. relationship, but I'm happy for them. Damn. Three for 30, huh? Yep. Was I not. even supposed to say I. don't 40%. They got they got the bag. Let me ask you a question. How do you go. about structuring your deals? Okay. You. find somebody clearly when you offer.

them, they're not making that money. So, somebody going to give me a minute a. guarantee MG 100,000 plus I mean 8020. 9010 as far as revenue with ads. That's. that's a lot of money to a person that's. making 30,000. So, most of the most of. the time we do it, they're they're. they're not as huge, but we'll do we're. full-time employees for us. So, we. basically own your IP and it it's no. different than a sports contract. Like, you sign for a certain amount of years. You can have incentives. We're happy to.

rip up if you're doing good. At the end. of the contract, if we can't pay you. what you want, then you can go get a. better deal, which is exactly Boston's. the perfect example. Alex is McAfee. They're they're one after another. Well, you got a talent. I mean, you have an. eye. I mean, you'd have been a hell of a. GM for this space. Yeah. For this space. Yeah. Oh, you can't you don't think you. could uh pick sports stars? I mean, it's. a different thing. I that that listen, I. I'd love to like own a team and try it. But, uh yeah, for for this space, yeah,

like even when you start popping off. like I didn't know where was at. There's. just something that and this credit to. you. you you you're like, "Oh, I I'm not. looking away here. There like something. going on." Mhm. Uh who do you think the next big sports. star in media is? Who So, what level? Who Who do we say is. like a real unknown? Yeah, it's hard. I don't know. All the people. I know of are known. If they were. unknown, I you know, you would have a.

Yeah. Yeah. I mean, we just hired. Gruden, who who was already top of the. game, then obviously had fella. He's a. monster. He's gonna be right back at the. top. He's he's just unbelievable. He. gets it. Gets it. He can talk. He can. talk. He's somebody you don't want to. look away. And I've met a bunch of. different people through him. It's like. they don't have it. Like you can see why. he got where he did and he can tell. stories. You need people that can tell. stories and captivate. Like again, you. want to turn the channel on this guy or. not. Right. You mentioned Gruden and uh.

you know he had a $100 million contract. that got I think they're in mediation. right now trying to get that resolved. because you know he got he got let go I. think he has still like six seven years. on the deal so they're trying to figure. that out. So how do you go to a John. Gruden because you know he got x amount. of dollars. Is it a situation where you. know he likes to talk he has something. to say and you want to give him that. platform in order to say it? Yeah. So. for him he started putting out videos. So, and I just saw it and right away I'm. like, "Oh my god." Like, again, I'm not. turning away. And we reached out. We're.

like, "Would you ever be interested in. talking?" Flew out to uh Orlando, actually. Met him, hit it off, and and. he was ready to go. I think he was ready. to just get back in this world, right? Are you afraid of losing him to. coaching? I'd be stunned if he's not an. NFL coach at some time again. Stunned. I. don't know. I don't think it's going to. be like tomorrow, but the guy eats, lives, breathes football, so I think. that's what he loves. Let me ask you. this. There are some emails that got. leaked. Well, I don't know who leaked. them. Maybe you know who leaked them. Maybe he's talked to you about he has an.

idea who he thinks leaked those to do to. damage his reputation, his credibility. Um, are you surprised he got uh uh fired. because of. that? No, not in the way that it sounded. like it went down. Uh, sound like they. were going to keep I mean, this is my. theory before, but he called Goodell an. anti-OOT. Um, well, that didn't help. Yeah, right. And then guess guess who's reading and. as someone who's coming from that I I. know that guy can hold the grudge a.

little bit. I don't think he loved that. He's like, I'm gonna this guy and he got. caught up in that whole Washington. thing. And suddenly the only emails. being leaked are about him. So I think I. I think they were like, we're gonna get. this guy out of here. Wow. You mentioned. Pmac um and what he's been able to do. You talk about a punter and and he was a. very good punter, but punters don't. normally parlay what they did on the. field until media careers off the field. that normally belongs to quarterbacks.

Uh maybe highlevel players that had a. big name when they played and they. parlayed on that name moving forward. How do you think McAfee has been able to. be so successful? It's talent like I. mean the second you see him it's it it. he was a super talented guy. He was very. funny and very talented when he's a. punch in Indie. Was already kind of like. an ind that swag. Yeah. Yeah. Kind of. like an indie legend, but I remember I. hired him. He said he wanted to be like. WWE Champion like 3 days after I met. him. Like that's one of his goals and he. worked his ass off and he's But combine.

all that with he's super talented. So. that that's why how are you able to. build around how are you able to build. around him? So what he did Barcel was. already huge at the time. We hired him. and we put out, hey, we're doing a. casting for McAfee. Like, and just all. Bar stool people showed up. He picked. the team he wanted around him and ran. that office in Indianapolis. Wow. How do. you feel like you mentioned uh Alex. Cooper left McAfee? I think McAfee might. have been the first one to leave. Well,

the first was that Jenna Marbles. Okay. Jenna. Then I don't know. Was it Alex or. Pmac? I think it was Alex. then McAfee. Uh, and I'm probably now busing. I'm. probably forgetting a couple others, but. yeah. How do I feel when they leave? It's bittersweet. I think I think I. think it's an endorsement of what we're. doing. Like a new person coming up, I. can be, hey, look at these. They all. went and got multi-million dollar. contracts. So, we're a good place to.

build that career. It weakens us and. it's pressure because when someone. leaves like that, you got to replace. them, find the next guy. Again, I keep. saying it. It's a very sports team model. like you can't pay everybody the max. salary correct because then you're not. gonna have no offense. You're gonna have. nobody. So that's what it is and and I. know that going in but it still sucks. McAfee said the quote he left Barto. stool part because the lack of. transparency with the business. operations of the company. Yep. I think. that's I think that that part he and I. disagree on.

Now there are certainly something to be. said like maybe a check was late or. anything like that but but the check. late. Yeah. Like you can't be late that. day. But it's like a I got operations. I. got people I got to pay you. Yeah. No, he's making plenty. It's like a. commission check. We got to wait. Okay. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Thing not. like his regular salary. And he was kind. of in a a hybrid. So let me give you an. example. PMT Pat McAfee. Um, if our. salespeople are out pitching it and at. the time PMT is dwarfing McAfee, which.

it was at the time, obviously no. longer he did, he wasn't a full-time. He. got like a share of what was sold. PMT. didn't, but it could appear to an. outside person, well, they want all the. sales to go to PMT as opposed to me. because they don't have to share the. commission. Sales guys don't give a. sales guys just want the commission. Whatever these Yes. Whatever they sell, they want they want the 4% off the top. If if the client is like, I'm doing PMT. Our sales people aren't going to be. like, well, go to McAfee because we got.

to do that. So, I could see how he would. say maybe it wasn't transparent, but in. no way were we trying to screw McAfee, anything like that. He has said that. about the business. At the same time, be. like, I like Dave and Eric. I don't. agree with that part of it at all. At. all. You mentioned Alex that you lost. her. Um, do you remember that last. conversation that you had with Alex? The. very last one. Yeah. I mean, I still. talk to her time to time. Uh, no. There. was nothing specific with her. I knew. the deal and and almost everybody who. leaves us will take a hometown discount,

right? Because they like working. It's. kind of like, you know, Compton will. talked about it's like, you leave the. NFL and we're kind of like a team. There's a lot of us. We bust balls, locker room vibe. Um, but she told me. what the offer and it's like, if you can. get close, I'll stay. And and we. couldn't get close. Yeah. Cuz uh first. like 60 million then 125 and then she. just got a nugget like that. Yeah. She's. she's she's a mega star and she's. somebody like the first time I met her, right? I saw her sizzle reel and I'm. like who made this for you? She's like I. did. I learned how to edit like done.

signed up. We let's do it. So she's self. motivated very smart. What made her. special? That what I just said. So like. you see a lot of people who who don't. put in the work to learn how like the. beauty of nowadays there's a lot of. people I get 100 emails a day. Hey, I'm. super funny. I fit in. I can do this, I. can do that. All right, show me a real. Show me what you've done. Zip. They got. nothing. The people, the internet, you. can go do it. You can be self-motivated. You can put out a 100 episodes. You can.

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player of the year. And he says, "It's. not our job to get you ready to go play. somewhere else.". I mean, it's a blessing and a curse. because they come to you and a lot of. these people are really unknown and then. all of a sudden they grow into these. mega superstars and then they leave you. Yeah, it sucks that. But that's why I. wouldn't recommend anybody get in a. talent business. Like, you know, one of. our biggest stars right now is my dog, Miss Peaches. She's a [ __ ] mega and I. never have to renegotiate. So, that's. like you want to get in the dog.

business, not the human business. Are. you surprised she got as big as she got? It happened so fast that caught me off. guard. But no, once it went going and. you know once you start that that. mountain she became like almost a female. Oprah. She these huge guests and I mean. she's got Kamla and like that. So no I I. I wasn't. But you still handle you still. do business where you handle the merch, right? That ended. We used to. Wow. So. let me ask you this because you got a a.

a model for merch. How did you de How did you come up with. that model? We needed to make money. That's it. Like, yeah, I I told you in. the beginning of the interview, we had. the uh the the homeless guys selling. shirts. I mean, hand out the newspapers, right? I bought a bunch of t-shirts as a. bar sports on them so they could wear. it. Well, we let they lasted one week. I. was stuck with these shirts. I had no. money. Put the shirt in the newspaper. Hey, buy these shirts. Couple people. bought them. I'd actually keep count. Hey, we sold seven shirts this week. and.

there'd be a little picture of it. So, day one, we were just selling merch, hustling. You need to find a way to make. money. What's your number one selling. t-shirt? Oh, what a question. It could. be Free Brady. That was obviously. They're around iconic moments. Uh I was. thinking about the other one, the. commissioner with the nose. That's huge. Goodell clown nose. Huge. How did you. How did you How did you come up with. that idea? So, there was a shirt that we sold. Charlie Sheen winning like I.

Yes. So, we sold that. It was on a. similar blue t-shirt and I just stuck. the red nose on him and then we had I. mean Patricia wore it off the plane. after they won the Super Bowl. Shawn. Payeyton wore it when he got suspended. It became like a basically a sign of. rebellion against the league. Just took. off. We did this event uh at Foxro first. game after they won the Super Bowl. Goodell's back at Gillette. They're. playing the Chiefs. We had uh 40,000. towels printed with the little clown.

nose on it. And we we did an event a. week before. I said, "Patriot season. ticket holders, I need you to show up at. this warehouse. I'm going to give you. boxes. You hand them out." Crafts call. me. They heard about it. They're like, "You know, we don't let anything come. into the stadium. You're not allowed to. promote for free. We're just going to. turn the other cheek on this. We're. going to let these come in." Wow. Yeah. Yeah. So, that that took a life of its own. Have you ever met Roger? Never. He put. me in cuffs twice. You think you think.

Roger would sit down? You think he he's. willing to bury the hatchet now? I don't. know. Maybe now. At one point during co. he did a uh charity auction and it was. you could sit in his basement, watch. Monday Night Football with him. So I bid. 250 grand, won the auction. And then I. got an email being like, "We did NFL. security, did our background check on. you. You've been arrested twice. We're. not going to let you do it." You didn't. have to do background chat. I've been. arrested twice by you guys. That's the. only time I That's the background.

That's the background. You didn't have. to do go dig that. So that was a little. bit ago. The thing about it, it's been. good for us. If he sat down, it would be. the end of it. Like I mean, what what's. going to happen? So I don't know. It's. been a interesting saga with him. Are. you still banned by the NFL? Can you not. go to an NFL sanctioned event? I I don't. believe we're allowed to media day. Like. a couple years ago, they had a picture. It looked like uh we're like Billy the. Kid. They had gang. They had posters up. with like Barcel employees. Dude, be on. the lookout for them to up with es uh.

ESPN with Super Bowl events. But is it I. only do it if the Patriots are in it, which by the way I still hate I've gone. over it, but your little like call the. National Guard thing like there's no way. I I like very aware of that. Dave, you. couldn't have been more than like 16 or. 17 with that. It was It was before we. had really gotten going and you guys. were in the height of it. But yeah, I. hate that speech. Hold on. Caleb Presley, I mean, gone.

We lost him, too. Yes. You know, these. gambling companies, they're they're if. we know how much we're paying people and. how much we make and someone's going to. overpay by 50%. Now, it may not be an. overpay for underdog because I don't. know their business model, but I know. how much we made and if I I can't just. lose like 10 million a year, right? Can't. Yeah. Cuz you can only sell so. much. Yeah. It's like I go to our.

salespeople. I'm like, "How much can we. possibly make on this guy?" And I'm. happy to even get close to breaking. even. And Caleb wanted to stay, right? So, but they just made him an offer he. just he couldn't refuse and you couldn't. match. And it's got to be okay. It It. is. He at one point he's like I I told. him I'm like I think you got to go. He's. like I'm not going to go. Like we hired. him out of college. I saw him running. down the North Carolina sidelines with. this long blonde hair. I'm like who the. hell is that? And and so we recruited. him as much as we recruited out of.

college and he was with us I don't know. seven eight years. So but at some point. everyone's going to get paid. Hold on. Tom Brady signed it. Did Brady? Yeah. Oh, the Brady your guy. Can you steal. Listen, you can do like, you know, when. you do a murder mystery, you have. strings up on like almost everything. comes back to us. Your guy, Silver Lake, Brady's company, they're all underdog. They're all bar stool people. We were so. early. It's like all bars stol. But.

Dave, Brady is your guy. It's like if. you got a girl and y'all break up, she. should be off limits to Brady. He. definitely should He definitely. shouldn't try to quarter. Half the. companies won't exist. That I agree with. you. I agree. It sucks that they're. they're but it literally every company. is so twisted with like ex bar stool. people, right? Uh it's tough. And. Brady's my guy. I don't know if Brady's. my guy. I don't know that I'm his guy.

Okay. Yeah. like he he he he likes me, but like I But he's running a business. now. You doing Yeah. I don't think he's. like I I owe Dave a ton of favors type. thing. Why do you let your Why do you let your. uh your talent keep their IPs? It. varies. So if some of them come to like. Boston had the IP beforehand, Caller. Daddy essentially put a gun in my mouth. with contract negotiations. is it's like.

all right I don't have I don't have much. wiggle room and some IPs they don't work. like all right let's say uh you work for. me and and we have club club [ __ ] right. what the [ __ ] am I going to do with club. [ __ ] if you leave so some of them it's. like you know you're just being a to a. degree gives me more leverage but I want. creators to be like they're a fair place. they're not trying to me over so you. know certain ones if it's just a general. podcast that we change. Yeah. But like.

what's it synonymous with them? Call her. daddy busting with the boys. X Y. Yeah. What are we going to do with it? You You. actually signed a good friend of mine, Coach Prime, um to a contract before he. ended up getting and I think he was. still doing it for you when he was at. Jackson State. One of my favorite guys. we've had. He told me the same thing. He. said, "Man," I said, "Man," cuz I was. surprised that he actually signed with. Barto Stool and he said, "Man, you got. it wrong about Dave." A lot of people go. around, but I I and I didn't know what. to expect with him. Like I'm still.

pretty friendly. Like I'll text him now. all the time. I think he's one of the. most. what I was expecting to walk through the. door 180 and one of the most impressive. like none of his none of his success. surprised me in the least after you get. to know him. What you I think the thing. is the the the public persona versus the. private persona is totally different. I. remember he told me a story when I was. like, man, when he was coming out of. college and he's like, you know, you saw. the pomp circumstance. He's like, I. researched where guys at my position got.

drafted and they weren't getting paid. and they weren't. He's like, I knew I. had to do something to create my brand. and my image and and brilliant. And he's. a brilliant, smart I he's literally one. of my favorite hires we've ever had. You. signed Million Dollars Worth of Game. Willow and Gilly. How did you how did. you know about them before you signed. him? So, how much did you know? a guy. ran who's a battle rapper, white kid. He's like uh he's like basically the. real life version of like Eminem. So. he's from Philly and he's like, "Hey, there's these two guys uh you may want.

to go look at." So we went to. Philadelphia, sat down, had uh dinner. with them. Wallow was out of jail for like 5. seconds, I think, when we met him. And I. remember him being like, "I just hustle. t-shirts on the side of the road. like. that's how I'm making money right now. He had his own gear, right? And again, it's like that's what we want. Like. that's that was kind of the model you. started with. Exactly. It's all right. I. And we were sold. We clicked. We got. along. They're crazy. Uh and I mean I.

don't even know what the hell Gilly's. doing now. I run out of the tunnel. That's crazy. That's like the craziest. I've seen doing it. It's like the. mascot. So, and again, it's like we hire. him. We try to put our gasoline behind. them. They're a new demo for us. I don't. think most people would be like, "Oh, Barcelona's urban." Um, and then you let. them do their thing, right? How would that have that. investment paid off? Cuz normally you. you I mean, have you made any bad. investments? Because we hear about Caleb. Presley, we hear about McAfee, we hear. about Buster, we hear about uh uh Alex.

Cooper, we hear about all the Yeah. There. I mean, we we those are big. contracts. So, you have to be really. really proven at that point to get that. type of deal for us. So, it's hard to do. a bad contract. Um, so those guys I Wall. and Gilly are one of the highest. probably contracts we've given out. They're already there. Um, and at the. time, if we're being just totally. honest, a lot of people have perception of us. just a bunch of white guys. So, there's.

a diversity ad that they had even not. only being super talented. Yeah, I was. wondering about that DEI. stuff guy. It's not being like, you know. who we tried to hire before? It's uh the. guys on before they went to Showtime. Oh. Yeah. All the smoke. Jesus. No. Jesus and. Romero. Oh, okay. Like before anyone. knew who the hell they were. And even. like we we did talk to up all in all. that smoke. Uh and sometimes y'all. didn't talk to us. What's that? Y'all.

didn't talk to you. You didn't exist. yet. I Yeah. Oh. Uh we was free when I. got let go by Fox. We reached out to. him. No, they they were before Fox. Oh, yeah. No, we were talked on like precoid. almost. Oh, okay. Yeah. No, we didn't. reach out. So, I was like, do you then? Well, I I didn't honestly know you were. let go by Fox. I didn't I knew you were. doing it with Skip. Yeah. And then you. showed up on ESPN. I was like, "Wow, don't nobody don't nobody want us, CJ.". But you kind of you you kind of. like I feel like opened up after the Fox.

like like you were more gu like I don't. know if this is going to sound bad. I. felt like you were second fiddle to to. skip and then once you got off that show. bloomed. Well we didn't have night cap. So Night Cap allows me to be a different. talked to Oo at one point. Yeah. Zack Bryan. Why you write why you had. the Diddy D song for him? So he's he's. dating a girl that was on my podcast. He. was dating Briana Chicken Fry, right? Who is a girl who blew up kind of social. media. I was doing a Tik Tok podcast.

with her. She got paid offered a $12. million NDA not to talk about the. relationship. I saw the NDA. So in my. head and based on what she said 12. million 12 million she turned it down. She turned it down because she wanted to. be able to talk about the relationship. To me that's somebody's doing real. scumbag behavior. So this track came. out. You hold grudges, don't you? Like you. don't believe. No, I believe. Yeah. I I. I have champagne bottles with my enemy's. names engraved on Skipper. Uh the the.

CEO of ESPN. Yeah. John Skipper. Yeah. So they cancelled our ESPN show without. telling us after one episode. Uh I was. mad. Made a champagne bottle. Like two. weeks later, busted for the Coke thing, which makes no sense. That story got. held hostage by a random Coke dealer. Anybody who believes that story is out. of their mind. You don't believe that, huh? You found a r you're John skipper. You found a random coke dealer on the. side of the street and he's holding you. hostage or after No, I don't believe. that story. So what the hell you think.

happened? Cuz the man he had he wielded. so much power in ESPN for such a long. period of time. Nothing ran through ESPN. without Skipper's blessing. I I I. something happened that I don't know. I. wasn't there. I I think there's probably. a lot of backstories. Skeletons maybe. I. don't think it was a Coke dealer. Yeah. That's that that that forced them out. We were talking about busting with the. boys, Taylor Lewan and Will Compton. How. did you how did you how did you knew.

know they were they could be special? Saw an early episode of theirs and it. was just raw real and we reached out to. them. We're like, "Hey, you guys are. doing something we really haven't seen. Uh would you be interested to come on. board?" So, I think we've had them for. about six years and it's been great. I I. actually love those guys. It sucks. they're leaving bust balls, but they. just had that it and Will's a monster. A. lot of times what you find Taylor's. great and and this isn't really your. case, but a lot of times what we found. is the guys who were athletes who maybe.

didn't make all that money and he. didn't. He was like, you know, bouncing. off getting cut. Yeah. They come in the. media world and they're just ready to go. working their This is their career. They. didn't make it. And Will's been Will's. Will's a mega star. Yeah. What did they. learn how to do this? Because I think. they're set up at a production company. They're doing a production company now. I think they all learn they they go to. school of bar stool, get a degree, and they get a degree and. then they they they graduate, make a lot. of money. So, let me ask you this is.

that it seems to be like this. It's the. the the gambling deals or the deals that. they get once they leave you that they. don't get and they feel they don't get. when they're under you. Here's what it. is. So, we have a a a gigantic. all-encompassing DraftKings deal. Okay. So, DraftKings pays us ton of money. They don't necessarily if if Boston's. with us or not with us, that doesn't. change a scent of what barcel makes, right? So, another gambling company can.

be like, "Hey, we can pay you all this. money. We have no way to make that up.". If it was a different advertiser, if it. was a liquor, we could incorporate it. and give the money to them. But in this. case, it's gambling deal. That's. opposite of what? Correct. And we have. an exclusivity and DraftKings is paying. us the same whether Busan's here or not. Busan's here. They they care me, Dan, and some people. So, it puts us behind. the eight-ball. And these guys have. infinity money, these gambling companies. right now. They're spending, you know, they're spending like wildfire. They do.

Yeah. Do you not have a gambling deal? Does he not? So, they wanted to split. the revenue with you. who busting. So, like you said, you have this deal where. you have an all-encompassing gambling. deal. I want to go back to your. gambling. It's not It's not very good. I don't. really want to talk about it, but that's. another. So, you have this all-encompassing deal. And so, basically, okay, bar stool, we're going to give you, let's just say. for I'm throwing out a number, 70. million. And so, you're like, "Okay,

this show bar I'm going to give you guys. 2 million of this. This show I'm going. to give you 1.5 million of this. And. this show I'm going to give you three. million of this." pretty much. And now. there's different people. Some people. like if you advertise with me, it or or. pardon my take, that doesn't get cut at. all. Those are like shows we own, right? Uh spent chicklets, yes. Uh busing, yes. But there's no way it's going to be near. what they can get on their own if a. gambling deal just reached out directly. to them. Yeah. And then they can still. go sell their other ads on top of that.

So I I think Will and Taylor said they. would have take 40%. like they if we. they are getting a 40% and I mean Will. was call he's like how can I stay and I. want it I made the most aggressive offer. I've made at bar stool to keep them and. I just couldn't do it you get to a point. it's like how you know the company. doesn't make sense yeah you can't do it. if it doesn't make dollars it doesn't. make sense and if it doesn't make sense. it doesn't make dollars that's a good. so what have you learned from each.

situation talent. leaving because it doesn't seem like as. I sit here with you Dave It doesn't see. it doesn't seem to me that you bear any. animosity. It it it it's how you leave. Like I I had a problem with Jenna. Marbles the way she left when she left. But as long as you do the right thing, I. know it going in. Like I there's, you. know, if somebody left for less money or. similar money, even then I don't I'd be. like, why? Like I don't we treat you. well. But I can't really begrudge any of.

the because I do the same thing. Like if. if that's me, I'm probably making the. same decision there, right? So, but it. does suck. Do you ever regret like, "Man, bro, bro, we put this gas behind you, bro. We blew you up and this how you do. your boy?". No, I mean, the caller daddy thing, yeah, that became a real situation and. it could have ended really ugly and it. didn't. Um, but maybe it's maybe petty.

like most of the people graduate like. when I say graduate going to they'll. come back they'll be like yeah I owe. Barcel a lot like thank you and so no I. don't I don't really have that that and. I'm a petty guy. I almost have it on. lesser people like people who who's like. irrelevant if someone goes to a compet. like there's a guy at underdog who tried. to poach are like producers and that. drove me nuts. It's like you won't even. know who the they are if you didn't work.

here. That's a little different. Talent. who's on contracts, right? Like no, it. doesn't. It doesn't. Who shocked you the. most that they left? Have you been. surprised by anyone that they ended up. leaving? Not big names. No, not on the. talent side. I had like a guy who was. like worked for the go went and worked. for the world Empire State Building. That's it's like you're going to work. for bricks. That surprised me. but not. not on the talent side because again we. pay really competitively, really well.

and we're a good place to work. I'm. going to give you of the talent that. you've lost. I'm going to give you the. opportunity to bring one of them back. You can pay them what they're getting, but you only get one. You only get one. McAfee caller daddy busting with the. boys. Caleb that uh are are they going. to the question would. be well do I know everything about him. that I know right now? Y will. Compton.

no doubt. Wow. So Will would be the guy that you'd be. willing to break the bank for. If you. could break say you know what the guy. say you know what if you give him X we. can we can save it. We can sell it down. Yeah. Yeah. It'll be Will. The reason is. I think he's the most loves Barcel the. most. Like we get, you know, I'll get. people put in front of me and they're. stars a lot of times like, well, are. they are they bought into what we do? Do. they want to like be in these stupid. like we had a skills competition like.

Gruden last night is announcing it happy. or are they their own thing? Like that's. why I didn't say McAfee. McAfee is a. supernova, but he's he's got a lot of. interest and he's WWE and he's this like. we want guys who are like, you know, where they're all in with Yeah. It's. like I I want to be here in the doors. the more I So that's why I'd say well. Okay. I I like that. Uh Dan Bigats bringing in William uh. weekly listeners. I mean, I'm I'm. looking at this, bro. I I just don't I. still don't I figured it out and I've. been looking at it. I'm like, how do you.

create this? So that's that that is the. number one sports cast uh sports podcast. I say of all time like for the longevity. they're doing it the numbers. He's maybe. the most unappreciated guy because he. never went to a mainstream network. He's. just a super talented super hardworking. guy and people love him and PFT is. wildly talented. right time, right. place, and it exploded. And I mean, you. know how hard it is to do stuff. Like a. lot of people come into this and and.

they think it's you throw your glove on. the field and the thing will be success. It's a lot of work. It is. People think. you need a all you need is a camera and. a microphone and that's it. Yeah. So, these guys work their asses off. They've. changed the whole way a lot of people do. podcasts and people used to not put. stuff out on Mondays till after NFL. Sunday. These guys were at the office. after the games. So they're just super. talented, super hardworking and early. How did you two meet? He was a fan. So. when I expanded outside of Boston, I. said, "We're looking for guys in.

different cities." He applied. Wow. How. do you treat loyalty? Because it seems. like to me, number one thing, you you're. a very loyal guy. And and this I I think. it's the for you and I'm just sitting. here talking to you and I don't really I. didn't know you before we sat down. I. still don't know you, but I'm having a. conversation with you. as I see you, as. I talk to you, loyalty is the foundation. of which everything you do. Number one. thing, number one thing. If you're loyal. to me, I'll I'll be wildly I mean, wildly loyal to you. But if you look at. us, we've had guys who've been here like. employee number one still there. I.

people have made millions when we did. equity deals just on like handshakes and. as it it's a two-way street and that's. why I think in a lot of ways been. respectful. That's also gets me trouble. sometimes because I feel like I've been. crossed. You know, you may hit me with a. feather and I come back with like a. sledgehammer and that's it. Always like. an equal thing, but uh yeah, loyalty is. a huge part of I don't know why. That's. just my personality. What happened to. the ESPN deal? You had a ESPN deal and. you mentioned earlier that you you they. they canceled it after one show. Yeah,

they did. Uh so here real quick, Dan and. I used to do a podcast basically when no. one knew who we were and we talk college. football. Okay. So, at the time, Sam. Ponder just took over for Aaron Andrews. We're watching and uh she had a kid. The. kid was on the podcast. We made craft. jokes about her. We're like, "Nobody. wants to see your kids, Sam. We want to. see you slutted up." That's what I said. Something to that effect. Okay. By the. way, I stand by like, "Guys are watching. us here pretty slutted up." Whatever.

This was the Wild West. I didn't even. know we said it. Fast forward five. years, they get the show and there was a. rebellion within ESPN. Like, you know. what these guys said about you back in. the day and I think there was so much. pressure they canled the show. Who was. the agent of hers who started? He's a. big deal. Khan, Nick Khan. Yeah. And. then he asked me, he's the WWE now. Yeah. He asked me to a fight in New York. like three weeks after it happened. I. sent I go, "Do you think I don't know. what the just happened at ESPN?" Like I.

know who complained. Yeah. So that's. what happened with ESPN. Bro, I How the hell do you sell a company for. five for over a half a. bill and then buy it back for a buck? It's one of the great trades of all. time. So better than the Louisiana. Purchase. Yeah, it was. So we were sold. to a gambling company. Yes. Gambling. super regulated. you need licenses. If.

uh of a state regulator in in Indiana. doesn't like you, you're in trouble. Yes, I'm a controversial guy. It was. definitely creating issues for Penn. getting licenses. They had an. opportunity to do this deal with ESPN. and I think they were like, you know, we're not the right holder for Bar Stool. rather than go to war with me that we're. friends. They're like, this just didn't. work essentially. Um it was losing money. at the time. So, uh we we cut that deal. I got the company back. I think they. would have taken it. A lot of people.

would have lost their jobs um because. there wasn't a need for a lot of what we. have idiots. Like what are they going to. do if they lose their job? They've done. them nothing else. So it was a bunch of. factors all coming together. Again, it. worked out for me. Right time, right? Yeah. How do you But for a dollar they. dollar you can't give it to somebody, it's going to be an official sale. Dollar. Why not? Okay. Why not a hundred. million? Okay. They they would have. lost$450 million. But damn, I wouldn't. pay 100 million for it. You want to? No. And I look at like this. I knew we were.

a lot. It's like I'm the guy. Like Dan's. with me. Like it. You need me bought in. on whatever you're doing with bar stool. Um no. I would have paid $100. But why. why did they sell it to another company? You need me in that probably too. like. what if you sell that to a company I. don't like and it's like hey this thing. my baby that I've been working on 20. years maybe my right like yeah they they. liked us and it's like I don't think. they wanted to create a war especially.

in the scheme of what they did with ESPN. like this was kind of a small they're a. billion dollar company then so in the. scheme of their world it's like we get. along with them let let's do right by it. so let me get this. straight that wasn't the first time that. you sold bar second second First sale. was to the Churning Group, Peter. Churning, right? Yep. Rupert Murdoch's. longtime second in command for 15. million with 15 51% equity. The second. sale to the Pin Group, 163 million, 36%. of the company. The third sale, PIN.

Group, 388 million, 100% of the company. You said you'd never sell Bar Stool. again. We in the deal we did, if I sell. it again, Penn gets 50% of the proceeds. So that right off the bat kind of. prevents it. And we're doing great. Like. I I I didn't love living in someone. else's world. So, you know, I I like. where we're at. Now, if you want to. write me a check for a billion, I'll re. like, you know, Yeah. I never say never. Bill Parcels, I reserve the right to. change my mind. Do you have to sell a company to become.

super rich in America or be in. finance like those finance guys who are. trading or private equity? Yeah. You. know, when you buy for a little, you. know, you get on the bottom boards like. Google or something like that, Netflix. Those guys, those guys, I mean, next. level. But yeah. Yeah, I think you do. Can I ask you this? Why don't you think. you could be cancelled? Cuz you said. some pretty you said some pretty some. pretty outlandish. things. I If you back up a couple, if if.

you give people an inch, they'll take a. mile. You can't apologize for things. that you don't think you've reallyed up. or said bad things about, which I. haven't really done. I stand by almost. everything I've said. I think some. things may be out of context, misconstrued, but if you have a fan base. that knows you, that truly knows you, and mine does for like they've been. following for 20 years, they'll they'll. have your back. Provided, you know, I. don't think we've ever done anything out. of hate, out of misery, out of anything.

You don't believe, you don't feel that. you've done anything maliciously. I know. I haven't done anything maliciously. And. again, I I a perfect example and I know. you're a Caitlyn Clark fan. I've seen I. live for Caitlyn Clark. I ignited to a. degree. I want to say the race aspect of. Angel Reese verse Caitlyn. I will go to. my grave. It was there was no race fun. I watched the national championship. I. bet on Iowa. I'm a Caitlyn Clark fan. I. thought what Angel Reese did at the game. was classless. Nothing to do with the.

color of his skin. I tweeted that and. became a race. He's only said nothing to. do with that. I will stand forever. And. I think the way they acted for a long. time where Caitlyn didn't say a word and. she's taking bullets like they are. coming out that's not a race issue to me. for whatever reason with me like Wall. Gilly apologized for me. They're like, "Oh, we don't stand with Dave on that.". Now they told me they were going to do. it. But people there's pressure outside. I will go to my grave. That's not I'm. never going to apologize for that.

because it wasn't malicious. I stand by. it. Right. And by the way, the biggest. enemy is I got a white Roger Del Pton. Manning in the heat of the rival. So. it's like you can I'm not going to cater. if the outside world is going to take. what I say and just be oh this is a. racing. It's not. I hate LeBron. You. know why I hate LeBron? Whoa, whoa, whoa. [ __ ] hate LeBron. We got to. part ways because you know what? Celtics, LeBron, we're a heated rivalry. And you know who hated LeBron more than. I did? KG, Rondo. So yeah. So yes, I.

hate his guts and that's a rivalry. thing. So it is tough a lot of times. though like that if I. still show a p a video of Angel Reese. like airballing a layup. Yeah. People. will be like that's because it's a race. It's like no it's because I love. Caitlyn. I don't like her because. they're rivals and that's sports. Do you think it was orchestrated? Do you. think people actually write hit pieces. or say things or do things to try to see. you fail? Yes, 100%. No doubt. I that. that's not that's a fact. That is it.

going to get dark tonight? Yes. Factual. statement. I know that's a fact. But why what what are what is it that. people get wrong about Dave Point? I. think people get a lot of things wrong. I I think it I call it as I see it, but. I mean I I was the I I would say the. victim of a pretty aggressive. uh smear campaign like well a couple. years ago like Business Insider and when. you say do I think it's a a coordinated. attack, this is when we were part of.

Penn two vicious hit pieces on me. released the day before Penn's earnings. like that that that's a hit piece that's. not hey we really think and I know the. tactics went around reporting I don't. know I for That one I thought maybe. because I got involved in this GameStop. which like that stock thing and I was. killing a lot of big wigs. So I I have. no idea. I think people get a little. leerary maybe of voices that they feel. like they can't control. Like it's hey. we can't get this guy to say whatever. He's a loose cannon or I've offended.

people. I've said things like I ran the. owner of the Mets Steve Cohen off. Twitter. Like he he deleted his account. because I was hammering him during game. time. I love people be like, "That's the. worst enemy you could ever want in a. million billion years." We're We're past. it, but who knows? I really don't know. I used to have I can see people at I've. had a lot of enemies. Yeah. Do you have. a PR team? No. No. Do you have a lot of. friends? Yeah. All my Yeah. I don't.

believe in PR. PR I've I've never I. don't want PR. Okay. PR is telling the. truth. I've seen you popping bottles in the. pool when companies and people that came. for you, they go down. Correct. Why do. why why do you why do you feel that you. need to celebrate their demise? Not it's. not good enough. That's my personality. It's what fuels me. You know, Tom. Brady's crying because he got passed. over by six quarterbacks. I get fueled. by people who have doubted me who or. more more accurately for the bottles who.

have gone out of their way to create. difficulties for us the company. It's. never I don't want someone to like die. but I want their professional life to. beed up. You want their professional. life to die. Not you. I don't want you. to die literally, but I want you like. like Skipper is the perfect example. We. had the bottle. We puffed it. He. cancelled I you can cancel our show, right? But to not call us to be like, "Hey, we're having a I found out on the. TV like I found out." He never told us. that. To me, it's like, "All right,

you're dead to me now. It's that's how. you're going to treat this. We've been. talking to you for a year and a half, right? And you don't even tell us the. show's canceled." Wow. How dirty can this business get? Is it a. dirty business? Media. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I I think it's real dirty. But I. mean again there's certain I I did you. know it was this kind of this kind of. way before you got really like deep into. it and I don't know as much as like the. internal art I think art company is not.

overly like what goes on at an ESPN. internal I don't know I've heard rumors. is pretty dirty but uh there's different. elements of it like I don't concern I've. I ended up getting in like the politics. realm a little bit that's a scary dirty. business like that's I think a lot of. the hate that comes my Hey. Um, that's a. hell of a lot dirtier than I think. media, right? I saw this the situation. going on at at Fox Skip Joy this uh hair. stylist new and you was like the accused.

shouldn't listen to their lawyers. If I. didn't do anything wrong, if I didn't. say anything wrong, I'm going to shout. it from the tallest building I can cuz I. want everybody to know I ain't have this. is not me and I did not do what I'm. being accused of doing. Yeah, I 100%. believe that. I've been accused of I. didn't do and I mean I went instantly. because I knew I didn't do it. I think a. lot of times people are told, even our. company, my lawyers would be like, "Don't say it." It's like, "I'm not. going to perjure myself because I'm. telling the truth, right?" I think a lot.

of companies don't give a about their. employees in that situation. Fox, I'm. sure the lawyers are be like, "Don't say. a word." Absolutely. You're part of a. lawsuit, bro. Yeah. And and guess what? They're not looking out for you. They. don't give a [ __ ] about you. They care. about Fox. So, absolutely. If you're. innocent, there there's no friends. I. would I would scream it. Mhm. But you. also like Jason Whitlock came for you. So, how do you feel about He's a clown. Jason Whitlock's. clown. Jason Whitlock is on the record.

as being I love Dave Porter. Dave Porto, he's the best. He's this Jason Whitlock. is a click chasing clown. Oh, really? You don't say. Yeah. He's out there. calling that girl. What do he say? Big. like butter sugar skin. Big uh peanut. butter skin with those with that rat. The next sentence he said that like what. are you talking about? Have you ever met. him? Never. He You know what? He's He knows my name. He He He's gotten me a couple times to.

his credit, but he's just fishing. He's. taking his little pole. He's like, "Maybe it'll bite and I'll get some. clicks." I try to ignore it. I tell. people actually, "Don't send me bad. stuff about me cuz I have a hard time. ignoring it. I don't even want to know. it exists." But you do realize that when. you do when you when you respond to. people that take shots at you, you. giving them content. They're lazy. because they can't create content on. their own. So let me well let me hope I. can he can feed me. Yeah. And and my. Achilles heel is I don't give a It's.

like it's like I know I'm being played. here. I know he's getting clicks, but. this guy he's a clown. Your former. Michael Rapaort clown, too. Damn. Are. you friends with him? He's a crazy. person. I, you know, we go back and. forth. I like Mike. You know, we uh we. conver not in I haven't talked to him. since I left Fox, but you know, he you. know, he's LeBron. I like LeBron. He. doesn't like LeBron. So, we go back and. forth. We have healthy conversation, healthy uh banter, but I I don't like I. said, I don't really know. We had a huge.

falling out. So, we hired him. I thought. he was super talented, like with he had. this rant on draft pick of the Knicks, but we had a huge falling out. He. essentially seriously said that uh all. our fans were idiots and stupid and I. had to let him go. I was still friends. with him at the like I'm like I'm sorry. we can't have you insulting our entire. fan base. Yeah. Yeah. And and still work. friendly, right? Um side note, why would. he say that? He was in a fight with. another one of our employees and.

and it it spiraled. So I woke up to this. huge thing of him just killing our fan. base. Well, why didn't he just have if. he had an issue with the the the guy. that worked in the company, why not take. it out on the guy? What did the fans got. to do with it? Should have should have. He's we wouldn't never have him falling. out. Then after that, he started coming. at me, which I don't care. He's like, you know, I want to fight Dave. I. actually sent I can't even lift my. shoulder. I sent him a contract to fight. him in this boxing thing that we had uh. because he said, "I want to do it." But. fine, all that talking, right? And then.

he sued us. So he sued us for saying we. defamed him. It's like, dude, you you. started the whole thing. So, ended up in. I had to go to like a deposition for it. It's crazy. He calls himself the king of. talk and then he was suing us over talk. Wow. Crazy. Let me ask you this. How. have you been able to to secure major. sponsorship brand when a lot of people. boycott like look y'all with bar stool, y'all with poet Noi. How have you been. able to do that Dave? I think that's. shifted uh because we've become more.

we've become fairly mainstream at this. time and you look it's like well we had. all this talent that's one the entire. media is moving our way like I mean I. again I've heard the stuff you talk. about on your show it's not too. different from anything we talk about on. our show so it's become more mainstream. and we deliver so you have those things. and we do right by our clients like I. remember what uh well I won't never mind. not telling what happened no I'm not. telling no.

I mean, this is the opportunity. Nope. How do you decide who you partner. with? Anybody that comes with a bag? No. No, it's not just that because of it. goes back to what you just said of we we. tell them, do you know who we are? Do. you know what Dave is? Do you know what. he does? Peter, do you know what PMT? Like, be secure with what bar stool is? Because we don't want somebody at the. first sign of trouble who's like, what's. going on here? we because that is bad. for them, bad for us. So, uh we got to.

find the right partners. There's a lot. of them now. And again, it's crazy. because I think we haven't done anything. really when you really. look at what we've said and done and. then look at other things that have been. said and like like Shaq with Angel Reese. when he's like, I want to see her. playing in her underwear and like. running up. If I said that, I'd be in. jail. Oh, yeah. For sure. In jail. Are. we going to see more of these deals? We. saw the Kelsey brothers get this big. deal. We saw uh caller call your uh. caller daddy get get this big deal. Uh.

Rogan is at top of the food chain. Um he. just got another what quarter of a. billion dollar deal. Are we going to see. more of these deals? Yeah, I think so. Uh but yeah, I do. Yeah, he's I mean you're picking top of the. food chain, guys, right? Yeah. So, super. talented people. Uh but all right, you. just named three of the best. If you're. like, who's the Theo von is definitely. up there, but there's only a handful. There's a hand. PMT um those people.

will, but in any business, if you take. the absolute top of the top, yeah, they're still out there, right? Investment besides bar stools, what's. been your best. investment? You say you don't know. anything about crypto. That seems to be. the hot that seems to be the hot. investment vehicle right now. Yeah, you. got to know what you're doing there. Most of my investments have failed. outside of bar stool. High noon has been. an unbelievable partnership. It's not.

really investment. Uh yeah, I'm not good. at. investing. Have you ever thought about. making bar stool its own streaming. service like a Netflix or an Amazon? Not. so much in that. I don't I mean would. you want to like would you want to like. have an NFL game or an NBA game or. sometime we we tinkered with league. rights like we had a bowl game before. Snoop the Arizona bowl was ours we did a. college basketball tournament for me our. business model wildly expensive like to.

pay for those live rights and you better. have some like huge deal so it's not. something I'd see us doing anytime soon. What have you learned most about money? Once you get it it's easy to get a lot. more is it? Yeah. Oh yeah. Like it took. me 10 years to make anything. I I if. you're like, "Hey Dave, you got to go. make an extra 5 million in the next. week. I could do that like. that." Damn. Once you got it, it's it it. it's it once you get the over the hump,

it's just it comes. I remember the first. time I saw it when I really got a lot. Even me, I was like I I spent five hours. just talking about the interest I was. getting on it. I couldn't believe it. It's like I'm making money not doing it. It's just like that's where you're. really making money. When you're. sleeping, when you're not working and. your money your money is working for. you, although you're not working for. him. Yeah. Yeah. But it what what it. took so long for us to turn the corner. and make money. But once we got going, it it it goes. What's your best and. worst purchase?

Are you are you a car guy? Do you like. extra? Not a car guy. I I got some. houses that I love. I'm a horse guy. Okay. Horse. So yeah. Like what type of. horses? Thorbredads. Okay. So I love. racing. You you trying to get to the. derby. I wish. So I'm poor for that. world. Like I'm rich for. 99.9% horse. No, I'm still poor guy. So. it's really hard for me to compete. I. know Bob Bob Baffer personally. I can. get you into I know. I know. I know. I. He's going He's going to need the money. to get the horses. So uh but my house is. I got a Nucket house. That's my dream.

house. The one 42 million that you Yeah. Richest house in Massachusetts history. That's my that's I grew up going like so. I started bar stool I would go there for. a day couldn't even get a hotel it's an. expensive place bar stool as it was. going I go for a weekend for a week for. a month finally bought a little place. and then I bought like my dream house so. that's your that's your primary. residence in Nucket no primary is Miami. taxes. yeah doing the tax thing I don't blame. you yeah you gota so you got a Miami you.

like you like overlook the water so. you're a water guy cuz Nantuckets on I I. I like to be on the water but not on the. water. Okay. Like I don't want to be on. a boat, right? I want to be on the. water. Yeah. Wow. Houses. Let's see. I. just read that. And I'm gambling. I I. like to bet. Really? Oh, yeah. Yeah. Cuz. you just bet a million dollars on. something. The Bills to win the Super. Bowl. I made a million on Trumpcoin in. like six hours, right? I'm like, "All. right, I made a million on this. cryptocoin. It's free bet, free roll.

Put it on uh put it on the bills." So, that was tough. Are you are you friends. with uh Dana Dana White? Yeah, cuz he. gamles too. Y'all go gamble. No, he. gamles me into a into like he's sitting. at the tables. Yeah. Playing at So, you. don't play tables. You just gamble. I'm. not nearly like that. I I much prefer. sports. Okay. Yeah. Like I mean last. night I'll bet college hoops. I I'll. bet. Yeah. What's What's the most you. won in a single single bet? I uh. probably I had last year I think I won.

2.6 6 million on Yukon to win the. national title. I want to I bet straight. a million on Michigan guy. Bet them on. the Rose Bowl. I went I got hot at the. beginning of last year. I think the. Yukon's the single biggest that I won. So when you win a bet So like you're. like, "Okay, if I win this bet," do you. like if I win this bet I'm going to go. buy this or you just going to take it. and like bet bet bet something else? Keep rolling, buy a horse, keep betting. on sports. Yeah. I'm not I'm not a per. outside of houses. I don't really have. extravagant. So you don't like a car?

you know, an old school car like maybe a. 68 or a Chevy Seville or Cuda, something. like that. I have a I have a 70s remade. Bronco, the ones that they like remake. from scratch. I have one of those. So, I. do like the old cars and they're good. island cars for Nucket, but I'm not like. a gear head. Like, if the thing breaks. down, I'm. What's this next? What's that look? Your dad calling you a legitimate. degenerate. Yeah, I yelled at him for. that. You're like, you you take care of. him, right? Yeah, of course I do. And he.

call you that. Not only did he call me. that, he they the New York Times who was. writing a hit piece on me used his quote. against me and like the New York Time. Yeah. He even he did this article. He he. he felt really bad about that. But I've. gambled. My dad used to take me as a. horse racing. It was a documentary we. made, right? And he was talking about me. and they took his quotes and I'm like I. called him like, "Hey, just so you know, the New York Times is using you as the. lead witness on why I should be banned. from gambling." So yeah, that was I.

wasn't happy about that. At what age did. you start gambling? You said your dad. took you to the track. I go to the. horses and and and bet with him as a. kid, go to Saratoga, right? So I was. always interested like sports. I always. loved it. Right. Yeah. So you you you. you like betting the ponies? Love, love. So, you still you still bet the ponies. like that now? I love it. Yeah. Yeah. I. I just bought like a horse, a couple. horses. So, yeah. I love it. I. absolutely love it. I love the animals. I love like I have a house near Saratoga.

Racetrack. Walk over, feed the I love. all of it. They eat a lot. Yeah. Secretariat and Joe Blow cost the same. amount of money. That's what it says. Hay is hay. So, they're expensive. Hello. When you first started bar stool, you you filed bankruptcy protection. after losing 30k. Yeah, that was my dad. Did you did you did you think that you. could bounce back? Cuz I hear a lot of. people you're not the first. I mean, you're not going to be the last that's. filed bankruptcy and were able to bounce. back. Yeah. It wasn't even bouncing. back. My dad again is an attorney,

right? So, I had when I started bar. stool like shuffling around doing. everything. He's like, you know, you can. get rid of this. I I swear I asked him. 100. I'm like, will this come back to. bite me? He game the system. He's like, "Do it." I mean, 30 grand a lot, but not. a lot. Right. In hindsight, I would. never advise that to do it. And I think. they actually changed the laws. He's. like, "They're going to change that.". So, yeah, that was also in the New York. Times. How do you get How do you get a. $60,000 credit card that day?

Well, I had like 10 different credit. cards. What the hell were you buying? I. was starting the business. I was putting. Oh, okay. Okay. You putting everything. on the credit card? I was just moving. everything around. Yeah. And you owe. your dad 18. Yeah. Would you have paid. them back 10fold? My dad's got my dad's. got his apartment. They got in Florida. and Yeah. They're taking care of. Is it. really hard to start a business from. scratch? Super hard. I mean, the thing about. Barcel is the only thing I've ever done. and it became successful. I always.

thought it would, but yeah, 95% of. businesses probably fail. Again, I I. always believe we would, but that. doesn't I may have just been that again, a lot of luck involved in the right. place, right time. You ever had a tax. lean placed on? No. Business lesson. What's your biggest. business lesson that if you could teach. someone like what would you tell them? What was some of the first thing. starting a business? Don't listen to other people. I there. there's so much people talk about doing. stuff and just do it. And that's not.

really a business lesson, but it's you. write a business plan, you do this, you're talking, you're trying to do all. just do it like kind of get into it, right? And figure out where it goes. What about [ __ ] girl? I mean, she came. out, she she had her moments of fame and. then she come out with this coin and. then they get it and then boom. I would. have bet my life I was not getting a. Hakua question during this. I did not. see a hua. How do you scale people out. of uh in cryptocurrency? So the way I. understand it because I knew you would.

understand someone like Hawkua Yeah. can't do this herself even if she wanted. to. She needs other people and like if I. want to launch a coin which I've looked. you need other people to do it. A lot of. these people are shady. They have the. controls. Hua didn't have the controls. They're telling her you can make this. money. You can do that. And once it goes. these people basically pull the escape. latch and no one knows who these people. are and Hawkua is sitting there. She's. the face of it and they like Well, we we. don't know them. We got you. Yeah.

Exactly. So, I think that happens to a. lot of these there's been no successful. celebrity coin launch. You could argue. Trump's has been successful. Um because. it's still there. You can still trade. it, but like uh Logan Paul had a bad. one. This Hua clearly was bad. What's. his name? The fighter did one the other. day. He may have intentionally uh Ryan. Garcia. I don't I don't know if he. intentionally did it. He deleted. So, none of them have been on the up and up. You was married. Would you do it again? I'd have to know it was dead ass, right?

Like, and I don't know how I would know. How do you know? I don't know how I. know. So, I that's why it's hard for me. to answer. What did you learn from What. did you learn during that marriage about. yourself? She's still my best friend. Like, we get along better as friends. than in a relationship. Yeah. But she. was with me at the beginning of this. company and like if she called me right. now like I need you. I'd be there. Like, we're we're it just didn't work as a. marriage. How's the dating life for Dave. Portoy right now? So, I'm talking to a. girl. Uh, I went through a wild stage.

kind of like because when I started, I. was married. Uh, no one knew who I was. like girls weren't exactly available to. me. I had no money, no future, no. career. Then you become famous. That. kind of changes the game a little bit. You a lot more options. So, and I was no. longer married. So, I I went through a a. pretty crazy time, I would say. But now, not nearly. I don't even like going out. anymore. Hold on. Is it true your. ex-wife have access to your bank. account? Yeah, I told you I trust her implicitly. I beg. you pardon. Implicitly? I trust her. If.

she wanted to take it, she could. There's very few people that you meet. where you can trust implicitly. And to. be honest, she was there when we were. living at the in-laws house. She was. there when we couldn't afford a. hamburger. She was there through the. grind. She to me just like we we kind of. separated when we started making it. So, she doesn't get to enjoy any of that. To. me, that's not right. Wow. I'm a loyalty guy. You are a boy. You. You lo to the song. For real. I don't. know too many people doing too. I know. It surprises people. But she could if.

she wanted to do something with it, she. could have done it a long time ago. Bill Gates said he regrets getting a. divorce. And you said that she's your. best friend now. Do you regret getting. divorced or this is the best thing that. could have happened? I think it was the. best thing. Yeah. Wow. Then Bill Gates's. wife also like drag him over the coals. Oh, I think he I think she did. I mean, I think she said some nasty about him, too. Yeah. I think uh I think he said he. probably shouldn't have been as close as.

he was to Epstein and some things like. that. You can't go wrong with that. That's a pretty pretty good thing to. say. Yeah, you probably wish I should. have stayed away from But I tell you. what, Tom Brady ex-wife having a kid. I. know. Do you Let me ask you a question. Do you think that bothered him? Yes. He. posted that cryptic Instagram message. like a sunset or some [ __ ] Yeah, I. think it bothered him and it like they. knew each other, didn't they? Yeah, because that was her like a trainer when. they were together. So Tom is probably.

thinking in the back of my mind when I'm. on and I'm studying and I'm away. I. think that's why he still posts like the. shirtless photos and all. He's letting. the world know he's still out there. He. has to. Damn. But I'm sure I think it. does bother him. But let me ask you let. me ask you this. If your ex-wife is she. married? She remarried? I think they. Yeah, they just had a kid. Your ex-wife? Oh, no. I thought you break. No, I'm. talking about No, your ex-wife. If your. ex She's dating somebody, boyfriend. Are. you cool with that? Yeah. I want her to.

be happy. It's true. But then she got. She can't get no more access. Dave, she. got to got to cut off. Cut a cut off. Cut a little. I I won't even notice if. it's gone. You mean to tell me she might she might. I mean, if she takes it all? No, no, no. But she might take like, you know what, I'mma have this I'mma have this. extravagant wedding. I'm going to spend, you know, half a million on a wedding. You cool with Yes. 100%. 100%. Lord have. mercy. You want kids? No, I hate kids. I.

do. I hate kids. I have no interest in. kids right now. None. Really? I hate. kids. You don't You don't want a little. Dave? A little Dave? No. A little point, Junior? No. I hate I I'm a dog guy. I. hate kids. Don't like being around them. Don't like them. Don't think they're. cute. Don't want to hear about them. What about your upbringing? You have a. You have a a pleasant upbringing. How. was it? Yeah. Super. It's as middle. class upbringing. Little suburb outside. of Boston. One sister. Very as blah.

normal for like a a white middle class. kid as you could ever have. You play. football? Baseball? You play? Baseball? Yeah. Football. I have a bump shoulder. Need like replacement. But yeah, I was. pretty good at baseball. You go to. college? Yeah. You go on the baseball. scholarship? No. I thought I could walk. on at Michigan. Couldn't didn't even. come close. They was really good. It. wasn't that they were really good. They. just didn't do like real tryyouts to be. honest. It was like like that. It's. like, "Hey, take three swings." They. took no walk-ons. So, there was nobody. who made the team. Wow. You were.

diagnosed with skin cancer and had it. surgically removed from your neck. Did. you did you know I mean, did was it a. spot or something? Did you feel I'm. always in the sun? Always. So, I just. started doing the routine checkups, which everyone should do. They found a. little dot. I would have never known, right? And they cut it out. You do sunscreen now? Little bit, but. you know, even the I like the sun. Let's. just say that. I like tan. If can't if. can't tone it, tan it. You were against. the Tik Tok ban. I was.

Why? Cuz I think there's so many small. businesses and creators who are earning. a living. I think that people are. talking about have no idea what's going. on in social media. And if you're. building something and that's your. primary platform, you've been building. it now for years. Yes. And you just get. ripped away like you can't just be like, "All right, I'm going to Instagram. I'm. That's not how it works." So to just rip. that many livelihoods away or or. advertising agencies without a plan. That that really bothered me. Do you.

believe it was political? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, I mean I don't get the ch I It's. all China, but everything's political. and posturing and things like that. Um I. don't really get the spy. I mean, I. don't get where they're learning from. it, but it was really the small. businesses. Are you okay with these. billionaires, these big companies trying. to particularly buy Tik. Tok, you control a lot. You control. media, man. You definitely control the media and. Trump has it. If you look, you got the. Amazon, you got Zuckerberg, you all. So,

I get that concern. And he got X. Yeah. So, I get that. But I would I would say. times are always shifting and people. like the left definitely were. controlling New York Times and the. Washington Post and NBC and CN. So, a. lot of that you I and this is maybe. unfair, but I would hope that no one. vehicle shapes somebody's opinion. like. if I see something and I'm like what the. hopefully you go research it on your own. and you can make your own decision but.

it is a concern right Brady Mahomes if. Mahomes wins the three Pete does he pass. Brady as the GOAT no and and it's an. easy answer now that you can say that's. the best team because they won three but. we have the benefit of them meeting. headto-head in the Super Bowl when Tampa. Bay Brady won right AFC championship at. Kansas City Brady won so you got uh if. they've played and and Brady's at the. end of his career still beat him. So I. don't know how he can now he keeps he. wins seven in a row different story. Not.

yet. Let me ask you this. You're a. Taylor Taylor Swift fan. Swifty. So you. rooting for the Chiefs and Kelsey. No, I'm not because uh I told you Taylor. Lewan asked I didn't know Patrick. Mahomes hated Bartool, but he does. He. does. Yeah, I found that out today. Uh. Taylor Juan at me uh uh media session. asked if Mahomes would do an interview. with busing that they're leaving. He's. like now now that we're leaving Bartool, will you do an interview with us? He's. like yeah that helps. So I didn't know. he hated us so now I don't like him.

Wow. What made you defend Taylor Swift. against when Kanye and Kanye Kanye is a. piece of Kanye is an absolute piece of I. don't get people out defend him. I you. know what I noticed people that you. don't like there is no misinterpretation. of where you stand on these people. Yeah. I I think Kanye has one of the. great free passes of all time. Now, I'm. Jewish. He hates Jews. Loves Hitler. So, you're not going to be my cup of tea. Like, if you're going around me like I I. like what Hitler did. It's like, well, I. don't like you, right? So, um what he.

did at the Grammys the first time when. he stole her award. This is a. 17-year-old girl. I don't know what his. problem he thought someone else should. win. You have no problem with her. This. girl's 17. You're stealing it. And then. after that they edit a phone call. They. edited a phone call. Her and Kim. Kardashian of Taylor when the uh I want. what was I want to sleep. He put in a. song. Yeah. He put in a song. Yeah. And. and they say we asked we called her. She. said it's fine. They put out an edited.

voicemail that made it and they recorded. her that made it sound like she agreed. Taylor the whole time. I didn't that's. not how it went. I didn't say that. Years later the actual voicemail. unedited comes out. Everything Taylor. said was the truth. Everything they said. was a lie. That drives me crazy. And and. it did affect her. She didn't leave her. house for like a year cuz all Kanye fans. are trashing her. So I I'm a big like. truth straightforward. It resonated with. people trying to smear her name. So that. made me start liking and then I got into.

the music. But yeah, that's how it. that's that. And she wrote you a. handwritten letter. She did. I went to. the concert. Her uh brother tapped me on. the shoulder. Handwritten letter. And. the letter essentially said and a lot of. people would think these are two people. who are not going to be friendly or. align but it basically said to the. effect we appreciate the sport. I think. we kind of see similar on when people. say things about you that you stand by. and don't think was true. I hugged her. mother so I think she appreciate the. sport because Kanye is huge. He's I.

sometimes I don't think and people have. said about me the influence he wields. but I he says like what he did the other. day at what do you think of what he did. at the Grammys with the naked girlfriend. clicks. Yeah. He got what he wanted. I. mean my woman is the my wife is the most. what is the uh what was it? Googled. Googled. Yeah. If I if I walked into the. Grammys and I and I shot somebody, they're going to Google me. Yes. Like. that like there's shock value. I Yeah. I. I don't I don't get I I I don't get him.

either. Your Patriots, we know you're a. Patriots fan. Huge. Uh Gerard Mayo, he. gets one year, four and 13, and they. come on to bring Babel back. What do you. think about that firing? I know. I don't. know if you're a crowd fan or not. I am. I mean, it's tough because I think I. don't know if you can say two things can. be true. Mayo got screwed. I don't know. how you can give a guy one year and how. he can be your guy. I The team sucked. before he got there. What were you. expecting? So you let you let go.

Correct. And by the way, they were bad. with Bichc at the end of his tenure. Horrible. Um, so I don't know what. people are expecting and to me it's like. you got your quarterback Drake May who I. think everyone like great. So you you. got a structure. I love Rael as a coach. So it it it like I I'm glad they I would. have been okay either way, but it's like. well Vel's probably not going to be. there if you don't get him this year. No, he's not. Right. So, I love Rael as. our coach. Having said that, if I was. Droid Mayo, I'd be pissed and he got.

screwed. I know you're a big You're all. things Boston and I know you're a big. Jason Tatum fan. Yes. Cuz you were upset. about Steve Curry not playing him at the. Olympic and still and and you're upset. about uh uh Brandon Jennings calling him. the softest Boston Celtics superstar. ever. Yeah. I mean, listen, he takes a. lot of heat. I don't know what they I I. don't know what they want. What do they. want from the guy? Like, you just won a. world championship. I think but they're. I'd be stunned if they don't repeat. They're loaded. They're good. I I don't. know what the hell they want from the.

guy. I don't know why he didn't play in. the Olympics. Right. You think he's a. top five Celtic? Oof. That's such a. tough Obviously, uh Bill Russell, Larry. Bird, Koozie. Yeah. Yeah, he's getting there. There's What you got? Paul Pierce. Paul. Pier. I think you got to put Tatum above. those. tough. We got so many greats and I could. be for because I think the thing is it's.

like okay he didn't MVP. Pierce only got. one. Yeah. So and Tatum still got a lot. Yeah. He's young. I think Tatum's what. 26. Yeah. So right now maybe I'd take. Pierce, right? But I mean if he wins. this year I'm a big championship guy. What about the Lakers getting Luca? You. upset about that, huh? No, I'm not. upset. That was crazy. an absolutely. crazy move. I mean, nobody, I think, really knows. Nobody knows how to and I. I mean, I don't know how LeBron and and. him are going to coexist necessarily. It's like they have no rim protector.

So, it. doesn't The craziest part is they didn't. shop him. That to me makes no sense from. what you've read. It's like they were. just sending him to the Lakers. Uh, crazy, Bronnie. And if you had a you. don't like kids, but let's just say for. the sake of argument and you had a kid. and you know what and you you're doing. what you're doing now. Would you like do. everything you can to kind of steer your. kid in the profession that you're in or. you let him chart his own thing? I'd let. him do his own thing. Like I I I. actually I feel bad for Bronny right.

now. I think it's crazy that he's on. that team and the attention he's getting. and you know it's one of my alltime. LeBron takes. He's like he he said he. wants to kind of like he felt bad. putting all the pressure on him but you. named Lebronny Jr. and you put them on. the Lakers, it's like you're putting. them in a pretty big spotlight, hot red. spotlight. Uh the Wolverines, the quarterback, $12 million Underwood. Underwood and you chipped in. So I got. involved in this in one of the craziest. NIL stories. Yeah. I Yeah, we want to.

hear this one. So I'm Michigan guy and. now I'm not a firm believer. I'm not. like uh Michigan's a rich school. They. didn't give a [ __ ] about me till I start. getting money. I root for them. Right. But you start getting money and suddenly. the phone's ringing and alumni dude your. alumni dudes a new day. Yeah. Right. Exactly. It's like hey I see you love. Michigan. Um but the NIL stuff starts. happening and I get a call or or it's. like hey this person wants to talk to. you right and it was a a woman's name I.

had never heard of. Uh Yolan I think. Jolan Jolan. I'm like so I'm not I'm not. I don't want to deal with the alumni. I. don't want to deal with any of this. Like, I'm not into it. Well, her her. husband uh is the Oracle guy, uh Larry. Ellison. Oh, yeah. I'll take that call. Like, so Larry's going to be on the. call. All right. I I mean, a legend. Like second richest guy on earth. So Jolan went to Michigan. Big Michigan. fan, right? Larry Ellison suddenly big. Michigan fan. And they're there what.

they were waiting for. I said on a. podcast, I was so mad after Michigan. lost. I'm like, this I will buy us a. quarterback. I'll do three million. I'll. find us a quarterback. We're never gonna. have no quarterback again. That provoked. Joel and she like, aha, someone else. cares about Michigan as much as I do. That's how the conversation started. They're like, we're recruiting this kid, Bryce Underwood. I already knew about. him because people told me, right? He. went to school 20 minutes north, right? Cuz he was going to LSU. Yep. Two days.

later, we're on a phone call with Larry. Ellison. myself, Michigan in the. underwoods. It's like out of a movie and. we're pitching this kid. It literally. it's like what world am I in? I could. tell that no one This was all my. interpretation about the money. I didn't. kick in anything. I'm getting credit for. it. Larry Ellison, they bought the. quarterback. It would have it just crazy. world of NIL. So you So how much did the. kid get direct deposited immediately? I.

don't know. Probably a decent amount. I. think I think LSU just couldn't I mean. how can anyone No, they couldn't compete. with that and he's he's a monster. Wow. It's a crazy world the NIL. But do you. ever get do you ever think like okay you. invest all this money in the kid and it. doesn't pan out? I guess that's the. chance you take with an NFL player. The. guy you pay a guy big a ton of money. The good thing about Larry Ellison he. can he can cycle through. Yeah. Yeah. The $12 million a worth 200 billion. I. mean 12 billion you're not even missing. that. You don't even know it's gone out. of your account. Infinity Money. Has the.

Big 10 surpassed the SEC as the top? That's a no doubter. I think I think. once NIL came leveled the playing field. Yeah, because they're already paying. them now. Everyone's paying them. I. mean, that's exactly what happened. What. do you What do you get a degree in at. university? Education. I couldn't pass. So, I went to Michigan. Weird. I got. into I applied to the liberal arts, just. the general program. Got denied. They. wrote back a letter. We think you'd be a. good nurse. I don't know why they said a. nurse. nurse. I didn't apply as liber.

how do you get liberal arts go from. nurses to liberal? They must have needed. male nurses and and by the way I pass. out of the sight of blood. So I don't. know where they got that. My sister was. in school. I called she went to Michigan. said if I go as a nurse can I transfer. to the liberal arts? She said yeah. Went. to liberal arts. Couldn't pass my. Spanish requirement education school. No. Spanish. So I was just kind of scheming. my way to get my degree. Uh so I had an. education degree that you never used. Never used. never had an intention to. use. The first company you started.

before bar stool, you started a company. that matched student athletes with. college recruiters. It was called. NextStep Scouting. Yep. So you you kind. of I never started that. That was one of. my ideas. That was one of your ideas. So. the and this is internet 1.0. Okay. So. you have athletes, not division one. These guys aren't going pro. The concept. was a D3 guy. Coach still wants to win. Help them recruit because they don't. have the budgets and connect using the. internet. low like lower level athletes. with D3 schools D2. That was the.

concept. You spent 2,000 developing the. software, but it didn't happen. No, it. was one of the ideas. Yeah. At that. point, I was working at a little. software and I paid a couple of the uh. engineers on the side to build it. Well, when you graduated college, you worked. at an IT market research firm making. 100K a year and you went happy right out. of college. When I would graduated. college, the economy was booming. I was. happy with that. Okay. I didn't like the. job. So I when I got that job, the.

economy booming, do era, it flipped. One. day I went to work, half the people. fired. I was like, "Oh, this is this is. brutal." But no, I thought 100 grand was. more money than God at that point. I was. very happy with the salary. So what. sales pitch? What would what would you I. mean what was your pitch to who? Whatever you Because you're a good. salesman because you can you convince. like when people come work at bar stool. you convince them that with us in your. corner you can I think they trust me. I. think my sales pitches trust even when I. was selling that some you know you have.

salesmen who give you uh snake oil. salesman vibes and you're like I don't. trust what this guy is. I think most. people after they meet me, even if they. don't like me, they're like, I think. he's telling the truth to what? And that. goes a long way with selling anything. How long do you work at this company? Uh, five, six years. So, you do you have. a nice little nest egg that you're like, I'm done with this. I'm going to do. something else. Yeah, that's I used that. to start Barcel. Okay. That was went. into the cost of starting Barcel.

Target audience. So, let me ask you a. question. Like when you started bars do. you like did you have an idea of the. type of of the audience that you were. looking to to get? The early premise was. sports media in Boston was so stuck up. and actually like rooted against the. teams like they seem to revel in the. failures of the hometown team right like. we have a very famous Red Sox guy Dan. Shaughnessy he rooted against the Red. Sox and the thought was and it's a.

little bit about the Bill Simmons one is. like there's a place for a fan's voice. and that's always sort of what we've. been we may not be right we're not. trying to like we're not in the locker. room were speaking as fans. I think that. was the early kind of concept. What do. you mean by the common man for the. common man? Exactly that. It's like. these are actual fans talking to fan. These are normal people. It's how you. talk at a bar to your. buddy. Bar stool. No matter what, when. you think of bar stool and think of you,

you always, it doesn't matter, right? Alex Cooper is who she is. Uh uh Pmac is. who he is. busting with the boys, those. guys. You're you, right? That's good and. bad. It's good and bad because do. sometimes they feel like you overshadow. them. Yeah. Not only overshadow, I may. speak for them. Like I like if I'm. speaking my mind, that doesn't mean. we're a super diverse weirdo group of. people. I think sometimes when you come. into the office, you're like, "Holy.

[ __ ] this is what's here.". But if I'm saying something, if I'm when. I interviewed Donald Trump, that doesn't mean everybody in the. company likes Donald Trump or you you're. speaking for them. Yes. And that I wish. wasn't the case. That is always the. case. So, uh, that's just the nature of. the beast. You ran for mayor of Boston. I did. What the hell? So, we we used to. throw these little concerts. Okay. Uh, and I was very unhappy with the way the.

city was treating us. Like they they. unfairly in my mind and very anti-. business, very anti- nightlife. So I was. like, I'm going to run for and I thought. I could win cuz at the time we were. pretty big. I'm like, I'm going to go. register all these college kids. They're. got vote for me because you can legally. do that. They rigged it so I didn't get. on the ballot. It my first introduction. a true rigging. like you had to. basically get I think 12,000 signatures, right, to be on the ballot, right? They. had to be registered voters and you had.

to be able to read the handwriting. I. paid a legit like signature company that. did this for they went got 20,000. signatures. Guess how many they threw. out? 9,000. 9,000. Can't read it. Can't. do it. There's no way they just kept me. off the ballot. In hindsight, probably happy, right? But. it was what type of mayor would you have. been? Proday Dave Porter like whatever. whatever was in the best interest of. Bartool. But you raised 40 uh during the pandemic.

you raised $41 million from small. businesses. What made you do that? So. small business is definitely probably. because of bar stool. Something I'm. passionate about because I know what. goes into it. So I actually uh who was. the guy he did maybe did the profit. Kevin Lammanis. He's uh like the out is. he. He's a he's a big entrepreneur. Okay. So, I was ranting and raving about the. shutdowns being like, "You got to let. businesses if they want to stay open. It's up to them. People know the risk if. someone wants it." So, I was ranting. He.

tweeted at me, "Hey, Big Mouth, why not. do something about it?" It's like, "All. right. Uh, that's a fair point." So, I. put 500 grand into a fund and I said, "We're going to give this out to small. businesses. Here's what I want to see. from you. I want to see that you running. a profitable business before the co like. the only reason it stopped is you had to. shut your doors but you have a proven. track record and I want to see you're. still paying your employees and if you. can do that we will pay your bills as.

best we can till you can open again and. the first money we gave away I facetimed. the person like we told submitted and. I'm recording and the reactions like. very emotional like you're saving our. livelihood people saw that the money. started flowing in so fast we couldn't. get like we're getting millions every. day and it it probably saved about I. think 500 small businesses. Uh and it's. definitely the most meaningful thing. we've done. Um it was why and unlike the.

government like we were we get the money. in we talk to somebody the money would. be in their bank account in 24 hours. No, we get the bills and and suddenly. small businesses then they were giving. the money back. They're like we don't. need anymore. We want to refund, help. It was It's a lot. It It was not on. purpose. It was kind of like the spur of. the moment thing, but it it it means a. lot. You ran for mayor. Would you r for. would you run for president? I know. I I. El presidente. Yeah. I The hate that you. get from politics. You nothing nothing.

I think politics is has surpassed. religion. Honestly, it it's nuts. It's. like Gladiator 1. Gladiator 2 was the. worst movie I've ever seen. But Vladier. won when they asked Maximus, they're. like, "You got to be the emperor of. Rome." He's like, "I don't want it." And. the guy's like, "That's why you have to. do it." I don't know who would ever. willingly do it. Do you have when you. went in the business, do you have any. mentors? Yeah. Micropoli is a guy. He. started Vitamin Water, started Body. Armor, sold them both for billions. I've.

leaned on him for quite a bit of advice. Uh he's probably the. most he's probably the most that I've. used, and he he's been great. Yeah. What's the best advice you received? Everything's so different. I I I don't. know that there's any piece of advice. that's really one is Yeah. Yeah. I I. can't think of something. There is no. magic trick. There is nothing and what. worked for me may not work for you. And. it's different time, different place,

different people. You're a foodie. Give me your top five. fast food restaurants. Fast food? Yes. What level are we going fast? McDonald's. and Five Guys, the same thing. I'll let. you pick. I mean, we ain't got to do I. mean, Wendy's for the burger category is. definitely my favorite of the burgers. Wendy burger. I I like Chick-fil-A a. lot. Um the sandwich, the waffle fries, the lemonade. I'll go with the nuggets. and the waffle fries. Okay. Um top five.

I'm not a big fast food guy anymore. because I get sick when I eat it. I'm. too old. You going out with the guy? If the guys. If you and and five of your friends are. going out to eat, where y'all going? Nice restaurant. Nice, huh? Yeah. Like, I'll hunt around here and be like, "Where's where's Yeah. I love eating.". Okay. Like I don't know how all these. people older people do. Ozepic. Like. it's like what are you doing? Like why. do you care what you look like? You. know, you can't eat. It's crazy. You call yourself a a pizza.

afficionado. What is it about pizza? Boston got good pizza. Maybe I'm Yeah, it does. It does. Well, it it cuz. normally I hear about New York and. Chicago. I'm going to humbly say I'm the number. one food critic in the world. Okay. Uh. for pizza, but I can influence pizza. more than anybody can influence anything. else. And it started as a bit with me. and Dan from uh pardon my take. We said. if you could eat one food the rest of. your life, what would it be? He said. burritos. I said pizza. We did it for a. month. Just ate it. People started. asking, "Hey, is it any good? I'm eating. the pizza. I just score it." And it just.

it caught on. So for 10 years straight, every Monday through Friday, I've tried. a new place. The pizza, does it have to. be like a a famous chain or you going to. some of these offbeat? I've done them. all. Okay. I I like in New York, I just. spile around the office here. Like I've. already done five pizza reviews. Everywhere I go, I'm finding the pizza. and eating it. What's your favorite. pizza? You want to tell the truth? I Yeah. Pizza Hut. You know what? I now that.

could be a race thing because wallow and. Gilly also had like a ridiculous they're. like thut. It's like crazy how have you. had good pizza? I I'm I'm I'm a thin crust guy. I don't. want that. I want that stuffed crust. I. just want thin pizza. And I grew up. that's what we had cuz pizza used to. have what they call uh uh buffet. And so. for like $5.99 you could go eat on a. Tuesday night you could eat as much. pizza as you wanted. And so they had, you know, I'm I'm simple, you know, cheese, ground ground beef, and I'm. good. That's really the only thing that.

I really want on my pizza. And so we. would go and I eat like 13 14 slices and. I was good. So that was really good. I. like like papuccinos and growing up. I I. mean it just But we didn't have like I I. don't remember. You haven't had it. You. haven't had good pizza. It'll blow your. mind. You should have good pizza. When I. grew up there was I don't I don't. remember Little Caesars and Domino's. weren't local because like those are all. trash. They're all chained. Like you. can't you got to go to a place. where the owner is in there making and. they've had it for 40 50 years like but.

see I'm see what what do you get on your. pizza? I'm a well I if I'm off the clock. I'll do peppers and onions otherwise. just cheese. Yeah. See but it doesn't. matter. I'm tell it I feel like I'm in a. crazy town. Like it there's great just. like any food. There's great food and. like the best burger in the world can't. be McDonald's. I mean I when I go to McDonald's I eat. the nuggets, but the best chicken in the world isn't.

at McDonald's. Nah, you know what? You know who got. some good fried chicken? Publix. I rock with Publix. They be. fine. I I I know people talk highly of. the pub subs. See, that's crazy to me. No, they're not chefs in there making. it. You have profess I I don't know what. to I don't know what to do with it. I. mean, there's great It's just somebody. take this guy next time he's in New York. to like John's a bleeaker or something. No, I'm I'm like if I go out to eat, I'm.

probably going to go to a steak place. Okay. So, would you say a steak at. what's what's what? Uh I like uh uh I go. to steak 48. I go to a Mastros. I go to. I've been to Peter Luger. I've been a. you know team. So if they serve steak at. McDonald's, would you say that compares. to one of those places? No. It's the. same thing with a food. I take your word. for it. Dave point. No. You got anything? You. you promoting anything? You got any.

shoes new shows coming out? You got you. selling any new t-shirts? No, we're. good. We're uh I appreciate you having. me on. I appreciate you being on. How. long did we go? I always judge that. I. didn't know you were the two Two hours. So is that short? about average you. right right the research see that's how. I judge you know I was you know I was. actually I was interviewing you. potential workplace yeah you gambling. deal top five can we get your top five. yeah all right so I gave some is it it's. definitely you gave Russell and and Bird.

were for sure Russell and Bird. KG it's not KG I love he's maybe my. favorite Celtic but. Um, Koozie Koozie. Pierce. Yeah, Pierce and Pearson. Uh, how w and you know the two that have a. chance are Brown and and Tatum if they. keep winning.

What? How many championships do you have. to get? I mean, you're probably going to. have to get three. Yeah. So, I mean, I. love Pierce. He has one and I love him. He has one. Yeah. Different eras cuz. like Havich has 10 and I think he's like. a 10 time all MBA, right? So it's going. to be it's it's going to be very. interesting. Appreciate you my man. You too. Thank. you for having me. Grinding all my life. Sacrifice hustle.

paid the price. Want a slice. Got to. roll the dice. That's why all my life. I've been grinding all my life. All my. life been grinding all my life. Sacrifice hustle paid the price. Want a. slice. Got to roll a dice. That's why. all my life I' been grinding all my. life.