The cast of characters from Barstool Sports are no strangers to controversy, and despite their site-wide ban from the NFL, they’ve once again been making major headlines during Super Bowl week in Atlanta.
Stemming from a 2015 sit-in in the NFL head offices over Deflategate, Barstool has been blacklisted from participating in any NFL-sanctioned activities. That hasn’t stopped them from drawing the ire of the shield, as company founder Dave Portnoy and the co-host of the extremely popular satirical podcast PFT Commenter snuck into Super Bowl Sportsbook Night on Monday using fake credentials.
The duo were subsequently removed from State Farm Arena and apprehended by NFL security but managed to speak to many of the athletes participating in Super Bowl 53 before getting noticed. As a result, Sportsbook has released odds on the next Barstool employee to get apprehended by authorities during Super Bowl week.
Feitelberg is favored to be apprehended next
John “Feits” Feitelberg is the favorite at +250, while Tom “Tommy Smokes” Scibelli (+300), Dan “Big Cat” Katz (+400), Ben “Young Pageviews” Friedman (+400), Kevin “KFC” Clancy (+500), Paul “Gaz” Gulczynski (+800) and Henry “Hank” Lockwood (+1000) round out the field. Along with Portnoy, Feitelberg, Gulczynski and Lockwood were a part of the 2015 stunt that got them sent to jail due to the NFL’s investigation into Tom Brady’s role in Deflategate.
The sportsbook is also offering odds on whether Portnoy will be handled by authorities on Sunday at the Super Bowl, with the YES option coming in at +155 and the NO at -220. According to Portnoy, both he and PFT Commenter are banned from Mercedes-Benz Stadium, yet “El Pres” still has plans to go. PFT has already stated he and Katz will be going back to New York City on Saturday.
Barstool continues to be a thorn in the NFL’s side
Mercedes-Benz Stadium is as state-of-the-art as it gets for modern sports stadiums and Portnoy will surely be a wanted man at the big game. According to Pro Football Talk, the NFL implemented a “Barstool protocol” for the Commissioner press conference which included close attention to credentials.
With facial recognition technology expected to be heavily used during the game, Portnoy will be a wanted man after once again embarrassing the NFL at Super Bowl Sportsbook Night. Clearly the shop expects the Boston native to get away with it, however, evidenced by the steep odds on him not getting escorted away by NFL security.