One slam, everyone knows the rules: Fans react to potential Barstool-FOX agreement

According to a report from Front Office Sports, Fox Sports is nearing an expansive deal with Barstool Sports and founder Dave Portnoy that would include him appearing on the network's Big Noon Kickoff and include Barstool content being featured on FS1.

The deal is not yet finalized, and Portnoy posted on X that it is nothing more than rumors at this point:

Portnoy, an avid Michigan fan, couldn't help but poke fun at Ohio State in the process. While plenty of fans are less than thrilled about the news, no fanbase is taking it worse than the Buckeyes.

If Portnoy joins Big Noon Kickoff, he would be on set with Urban Meyer. He has had some... choice comments about Meyer in the past. You don't have to look far to find them on his X account, though I will refrain from posting because this is a family website, and his comments...aren't.

Portnoy and FOX seem to cater to a similar base, so the move makes sense in that way. But even that audience seems fractured when it comes to Portnoy.

Portnoy knows pizza, but does he know ball? That seems to be the overwhelming majority of the complaints about this move. But in this era of sports media, knowing ball doesn't mean as much as being the loudest guy on the set. That's a job Portnoy will have little trouble with.

It's a desperate move by FOX as they try to avoid falling further behind ESPN's College GameDay, which enjoyed its most-watched regular season ever in 2024.

Fans are crashing out over the rumored Barstool-FOX partnership

To be fair - Big Noon Kickoff wasn't all that watchable before this news.

This certainly appears to be FOX's "answer" to Pat McAfee. One loud, obnoxious commentator begets another. At least McAfee played in the NFL!

Man, McAfee is catching a LOT of strays on social media with this news. Fun fact: McAfee actually began his media career with Barstool after he retired from the NFL.

The choice is pretty clear.

"Frat boy energy" is a common theme among the hate Portnoy is receiving for the rumored Fox deal.

This remains the most interesting part of this story. Portnoy has been extremely critical, and outright hateful, over the years towards Meyer. Meyer has had his shortcomings, no doubt, but the bulk of the vitriol has stemmed from the fact that Meyer OWNED Michigan when he was the head coach at Ohio State, going 7-0 against Portnoy's beloved Wolverines.

That might be the first time anyone has ever put the words "need more Portnoy" in the same sentence, even sarcastically.

This is an excellent point. Fans of Barstool like non-traditional sports media and tend to be irritated with what they consider "mainstream" news. To them, this is a total betrayal by Portnoy and Barstool.

On the other hand, the folks who actually turn on Fox Sports to watch Big Noon have probably never seen anyone like Portnoy before. He's going to be a culture shock for fans of the network.

Again, that's the big dividing line between Portnoy and McAfee. McAfee at least understands football at a level that Pornoy never will.

To be fair, knowing anything about what you are talking about is no longer a requirement in any realm of life.

You have to feel for Big Ten fans. Their best game every week is played at the absolute worst time, with sleepy stadium atmospheres. Now, they have to endure this.

We end with the most PG way we can summarize the overwhelming majority of what fans think about Portnoy, Barstool, and the potential FOX partnership. "Man, he just sucks."