David_Portnoy

David Portnoy (born March 22, 1977) is an American internet celebrity, blogger, and founder of the satirical sports and pop culture blog Barstool Sports.

Early life
Born to Michael and Linda (Kaufman)[1][2], Portnoy grew up in Swampscott, Massachusetts, where he attended Swampscott High School. One of his classmates was ESPN's Todd McShay.[3] Portnoy then began his studies at the University of Michigan in 1995, graduating with a degree in education.[4]

Career
Following graduation in 1999, Portnoy moved to Boston and began working at Yankee Group, an IT market research firm.[5]

Barstool Sports
After four years, Portnoy left the company to begin what would eventually become Barstool Sports.[6] On January 7, 2016, Portnoy announced The Chernin Group had purchased a majority stake of Barstool and the headquarters would be moving to New York City. Portnoy continues to run the site and retains creative control over content.[7]

Pizza reviews
One Bite with Davey Pageviews is an internet show that Portnoy created, which consists of him reviewing pizza. Portnoy began his goal of reviewing every pizza place in Manhattan in 2017.[8] While many videos include only Portnoy, celebrities and athletes often also appear as guests.[9]

Arrests
On May 12, 2015, Portnoy was arrested by New York City police after he and three Barstool employees handcuffed one another on the floor of NFL headquarters. The protest was a reaction to Deflategate.[10]

Portnoy was detained in a Mercedes-Benz Stadium holding cell for a portion of Super Bowl LIII. Portnoy was prohibited from attending the game after he created fake passes to attend a press event the day prior.[11][12]

Controversies
Labor investigation
In August 2019, the National Labor Relations Board commenced an investigation into Portnoy on charges that he illegally threatened to fire his workers if they unionize. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez tweeted that if Portnoy tweets firing threats, he is breaking the law and can be sued.[13] In December 2019, Portnoy settled with the National Labor Relations Board. The informal settlement required Portnoy to delete his threatening tweets and remove anti-union material created by Barstool Sports.[14]

Mayoral bid
In 2013, Portnoy launched an unsuccessful campaign to become the Mayor of Boston following the retirement of Thomas Menino. After raising over $16,000 in campaign contributions, he failed to submit enough nomination signatures to qualify for the election.[15]

Personal life
Portnoy is Jewish.[16] He married Renee Satherthwaite in 2009. In January 2017, Portnoy separated from his wife.[17]