Dave Portnoy: Penn pressured Barstool Sports activities to fireplace Ben Mintz for rapping racial slur
Barstool Sports activities founder Dave Portnoy introduced Wednesday that common host Ben Mintz was fired from the corporate after saying a racial slur whereas studying rap lyrics on a livestream earlier this week.
Portnoy mentioned the choice was made by Barstool’s mother or father firm, Penn Leisure, regardless of protestations from himself, Barstool CEO Erika Nardini and longtime expertise Dan Katz that Mintz — rapping the music “1st of Tha Month” by Bone Thugz-N-Concord — had made an trustworthy mistake.
“This morning, I made an unforgivable mistake slipping on air whereas studying a music lyric,” Mintz tweeted Monday morning after studying the slur aloud throughout his present “Wake Up Mintzy.”
“I meant no hurt & have by no means felt worse about something. I apologize for my actions. I’m really sorry & ashamed of myself.”
Penn acquired 36 percent of Barstool Sports from The Chernin Group for $163 million in early 2020, and purchased the rest of the corporate for a further $388 million this previous February.
Portnoy mentioned that the mother or father firm made the decision to fireplace Mintz over concern that the incident might jeopardize regulatory playing licenses throughout the nation.
“I hate the choice. I disagree with the choice. I might not have made the choice. However I don’t take care of the issues Penn offers with when it comes to state regulators and so forth,” Portnoy advised The Submit in a direct message.
“Penn paid some huge cash for Barstool they usually need to make the perfect choices to guard their enterprise. I belief and respect [Penn CEO] Jay [Snowden] that he makes what he thinks is the proper transfer and that’s all you’ll be able to ask for. Doesn’t imply I’ll at all times agree however once more he offers with issues I don’t need to assume or take care of.”
Along with proudly owning Barstool Sports activities, Penn operates 43 brick-and-mortar casinos in 20 states below the manufacturers Ameristar, Boomtown and Hollywood On line casino.
Within the video saying the firing, Portnoy expressed shock that this was a scenario that might have affected the corporate with regulators.
“They imagine there’s a legit probability a lot of states might pull their licenses due to this,” mentioned Portnoy, who himself has been at the center of a racial slur incidents.
“Penn’s a multi-billion greenback firm. With out their licenses, they’re a zero-dollar firm. Buyers, households, workers, hundreds of individuals — they imagine it’s their job to guard all of this and the one reply is to fireplace Ben Mintz.
“I nonetheless disagreed with it, and perhaps I’m naive, however I’m like, ‘There’s simply no method anyone can take a look at the clip and assume the punishment suits the crime.’ It makes my pores and skin crawl considering a man would lose their job on an harmless mistake. Sure, horrible, however clearly no intent … It’s every part I’ve stood towards for 20 years.”