Boston Bruins Did The Bruins Make A Blunder In Barstool Partnership?

[Fenway]

This has become a big story in Boston and even respected PBS flagship station WGBH weighed in.

Barstool started some 15 years ago as a free paper in the Boston area that was distributed to local bars but my how it has grown.

Some journalists have questioned the sport’s team cozy relationship with the online sports media company, pointing to a history of sexist remarks and encouraging fans to go after the website’s critics. On this week’s edition of Beat The Press, Emily Rooney was joined by Adam Reilly of WGBH News, Mike Nikitas of the University of New Hampshire, Dan Kennedy of Northeastern University, and Jon Keller of WBZ News.



According to Deadspin, neither the Bruins or the NHL wants to comment on it.

https://deadspin.com/the-bruins-dont-want-to-talk-about-getting-into-bed-wit-1835100650

https://deadspin.com/the-nhl-doesnt-want-to-talk-about-why-the-bruins-shacke-1835132113

Click to read more...

 

[CDJ]

no, it’s the same old tired drivel time after time. The Boston herald basically committed libel the other day in regards to them. They claimed that men were carrying unconscious women back to their houses to rape them at barstool events....even though the entire street was lined with police officers and these events never had issues. It wouldn’t shock me if portnoy hits them with a lawsuit. I know he was thinking about it based on what I saw on Twitter

Also deadspin is the worst media outlet in sports imo. This sucks because they did use to have some solid content. But now they are mostly giant hypocrites trying to stay relevant

 

[Donnie Shulzhoffer]

no, it’s the same old tired drivel time after time. The Boston herald basically committed libel the other day in regards to them. They claimed that men were carrying unconscious women back to their houses to rape them at barstool events....even though the entire street was lined with police officers and these events never had issues. It wouldn’t shock me if portnoy hits them with a lawsuit. I know he was thinking about it based on what I saw on Twitter

Also deadspin is the worst media outlet in sports imo. This sucks because they did use to have some solid content. But now they are mostly giant hypocrites trying to stay relevant

I almost stopped reading after the word drivel. Captures the whole thing perfectly.

 

[TrashPanda]

Controversy doesn’t follow Barstool because people are out to get them. Controversy follows Barstool because Portnoy thrives on controversy. We all know people who start bs argument after bs argument and keep pressing buttons long after rational people have lost patience with it. I wouldn’t want to be associated with their crap, but the fact that he’s built a financially successful business empire shows plenty of people are, and I’d argue in this demographic, financially it likely works out better for the Bruins than if they denied the sponsorship (at which time Portnoy would have turned it into a different controversy)

 

[KnightofBoston]

There’s no way I can post in here without it becoming political


Let’s just say I enjoyed facets of Barstool around the 2012-15 stretch but after that for a variety of reasons it became too unsavory for my taste. Personally I find the culture it encompasses and the majority of people that love it to be abhorrent people as well. At some point in your life, you just gotta realize a lot of the stuff they joke about isn’t funny anymore. Only someone with extreme privilege/is a sociopath/has no empathy/ would continue thinking the topics are just in good fun.

 

[Kate08]

I could do without the fat-shaming of women who aren’t a size 2, which has admittedly calmed down over the years. Outside of that I don’t really have a problem with barstool, and enjoy a lot of their content. I started reading it when it was still a newspaper and it’s been impressive to see it grow into what it’s become today. For all of the flack Barstool gets now, they’ve cleaned it up a ton from back in the day, and I have to respect anyone that learns and adjusts as they go.

They produce entertaining and unique content and I enjoy the local spin they’re able to put on various events for different parts of the country. Sure, I’ve outgrown a lot of what they produce and it’s no longer a daily stop for me, but I scroll through once or twice a week and read what interests me.

Portnoy was smart to hire a female CEO. He was smart to bring in some female contributors. Their Bruins writer is great and is the exact opposite of what you would expect a “Barstool girl” to look like.

Their problem is their lax bro followers that see Portnoy as their god and will do anything to try and get his attention. Their competition has created a false narrative about the sites intentions and because controversy sells and the social justice warriors will rally behind anything, it’s blown up. The site and the writers have come out against that kind of behavior on several occasions. As is the case in a lot of things, the loud minority tend to ruin it for everyone else.

I don’t like when they would highlight an attractive collegiate athlete that was just playing their sport and happened to look good doing it. The smokeshows of the day choose to be featured - that’s their choice, and good for them. But these women aren’t choosing to be featured, they just happen to be stumbled across and then featured. That said, the issue isn’t so much that they’re featured, it’s the harassment that comes from their followers.

I consider myself a feminist and enjoy celebrating the successes of other women, and women’s ability to make choices that impact them and their lives. It’s not barstools fault that their followers are morons, but I can see the argument that they draw attention to women that may have not chosen the spotlight for themselves.

 

[Montecristo]

Bruins are stupid if they didn’t see the internet outrage machine coming. Anytime any major corporation partners with barstool the vocal minority on the internet attempts to pressure said corporation into severing ties and apologizing for a lack of judgment. If the bruins do not do those things, it’s clear they knew what would happen and were willing to accept the consequences, if they tuck tail pull sponsorship and apologize they are dumb.

Personally I don’t care much for barstool anymore. I just also don’t find it necessary to try to negatively impact a business just because you don’t like how they do things. Deadspin writing an article critizing the bruins and barstool is essentially the same thing as Applebee’s giving chili’s a bad review on yelp. I just see it as a competitor angry that a rival is doing business

 

[Donnie Shulzhoffer]

There’s no way I can post in here without it becoming political


Let’s just say I enjoyed facets of Barstool around the 2012-15 stretch but after that for a variety of reasons it became too unsavory for my taste. Personally I find the culture it encompasses and the majority of people that love it to be abhorrent people as well. At some point in your life, you just gotta realize a lot of the stuff they joke about isn’t funny anymore. Only someone with extreme privilege/is a sociopath/has no empathy/ would continue thinking the topics are just in good fun.

So you are going to judge an entire group of people and label them as bad people because they like something you don’t?

There is a word for that

 

[EverettMike]

Im embarrassed as a Bruins fan they partnered with them.

Here's a couple of examples why.

Barstool Sports Stole From Her. Then the ‘Insidious’ Harassment Began.

Inside Barstool Sports’ Culture of Online Hate: ‘They Treat Sexual Harassment and Cyberbullying as a Game’

 

[KrejciMVP]

So you are going to judge an entire group of people and label them as bad people because they like something you don’t?

There is a word for that

The Globe has a bad record covering up harrassment and they are run by the red sox but I don't think I would judge all globe readers as bad people

 

[Donnie Shulzhoffer]

Im embarrassed as a Bruins fan they partnered with them.

Here's a couple of examples why.

Barstool Sports Stole From Her. Then the ‘Insidious’ Harassment Began.

Inside Barstool Sports’ Culture of Online Hate: ‘They Treat Sexual Harassment and Cyberbullying as a Game’

And yet you never do the same with the Boston Globe, a place of rampant sexual harassment for decades. Men drafting female college interns and brushing all their cases of harassment under the rug.

Where is your embarrassment with them Mr Morality?

You also tell us how you will never follow any media outlet employing John Tomasi but nary a peep about Kevin Cullen

 

[Bruinfanatic]

What isn’t offensive anymore ,If anyone has a towel they are offended by,and would like to get rid of ,I will be happy to take it for you,my wife would like one also.

 

[Donnie Shulzhoffer]

The Globe has a bad record covering up harrassment and they are run by the red sox but I don't think I would judge all globe readers as bad people

Remember there are the precious few in here who will judge you on what kind of person you are based on what you listen to and where you eat

 

[Donnie Shulzhoffer]

What isn’t offensive anymore ,If anyone has a towel they are offended by,and would like to get rid of ,I will be happy to take it for you,my wife would like one also.

Right. They would come in very handy.

Curious how many in here who are embarrassed as a Bruins fan for them handing out towels have an iPhone in their hand wearing a pair of Nikes. No child slave labor, sweat shops with them right?

 

[CamMac]

I think Barstool is pretty douchey, but I’m not going to get outraged because I have much more important things in my life to worry about.

Deadspin has a weird obsession with Barstool and will slander them any chance they get. I dislike the holier than thou attitude of Deadspin and their writers more than I dislike Barstool. They just come across as angry self righteous little nerds and given the history of their company it’s very hypocritical.

 

[Chief Nine]

I don’t have a dog in this fight because I’m not really all that familiar with Barstool but I’m aware that they’re supposedly controversial. That said, I used to read Deadspin regularly until they decided to become what they are now. Most of these bro sites are just fluff anyway

 

[Chief Nine]

Right. They would come in very handy.

Curious how many in here who are embarrassed as a Bruins fan for them handing out towels have an iPhone in their hand wearing a pair of Nikes. No child slave labor, sweat shops with them right?

Steve Jobs was a great guy too

 

[Montecristo]

Im embarrassed as a Bruins fan they partnered with them.

Here's a couple of examples why.

Barstool Sports Stole From Her. Then the ‘Insidious’ Harassment Began.

Inside Barstool Sports’ Culture of Online Hate: ‘They Treat Sexual Harassment and Cyberbullying as a Game’

I’ll say that first article was a big negative for barstool. The 2nd certainly sounds even more damning until you research some of the quotes and realize that the most shocking and cruel of the examples in regards to ponder were simply never said. That article is not written by a neutral author looking for both sides. He was trying to crush barstool with that article even if he had to commit some libel.

The first one was entirely factual and makes barstool look bad. I think personally that all the websites writing these articles are all barstool competitors. I don’t see barstool write any hard hitting investigative negative articles about any of them. I’m pretty sure barstool is more profitable than the daily beast and deadspin. I can’t help but look at some of these articles as angry bitter less successful peers trying to level the playing field. If wallstreet journal or the times wants to publish a hit piece I’ll listen. But if it’s just direct competitors I can’t look at their motives as unbiased

 

[wintersej]

Portnoy is a douche and so are a lot of the Barstool followers. Bunch of drunk bros who think it is cool that Portnoy got booted from the Super Bowl for being too drunk. Barstool itself I think has tried to improve their image, woman CEO and all, but their fans are still all the bros who go to the worst parts of Reddit and are tools. Of course, a lot of those guys are the guys in front of me at the beer line at the Garden. From a business POV, just kind of a dumb move for what...30k in ad fees? Just get something uncontroversial like Dunkins to do it again or something.

 

[KrejciMVP]

Portnoy is a *****e and so are a lot of the Barstool followers. Bunch of drunk bros who think it is cool that Portnoy got booted from the Super Bowl for being too drunk. Barstool itself I think has tried to improve their image, woman CEO and all, but their fans are still all the bros who go to the worst parts of Reddit and are tools. Of course, a lot of those guys are the guys in front of me at the beer line at the Garden. From a business POV, just kind of a dumb move for what...30k in ad fees? Just get something uncontroversial like Dunkins to do it again or something.

there is literally now way to tell if people in the front of the beer line read barstool, maybe they just like expensive bad beer

 

[Kate08]

Portnoy is a *****e and so are a lot of the Barstool followers. Bunch of drunk bros who think it is cool that Portnoy got booted from the Super Bowl for being too drunk. Barstool itself I think has tried to improve their image, woman CEO and all, but their fans are still all the bros who go to the worst parts of Reddit and are tools. Of course, a lot of those guys are the guys in front of me at the beer line at the Garden. From a business POV, just kind of a dumb move for what...30k in ad fees? Just get something uncontroversial like Dunkins to do it again or something.

Barstool follows are incredibly loyal. If Barstool thinks the Bruins are cool (which, if you’ve read throughout the years would know that it’s kind of a joke and Portnoy is the ultimate pink hat hockey fan but owns it), their minions who may not be on the bandwagon will hop on too.

It’s generated a ton of chatter, so on that alone, Barstool wins again.

 

[Ozamataz Buckshank]

I never really followed or cared about Barstool but this thread made me take a look at their website. They seem to have an entire section dedicated to posting random pictures of beautiful women.

This is a easy pass from me, seems like a site dedicated to frat bros.

 

[Donnie Shulzhoffer]

there is literally now way to tell if people in the front of the beer line read barstool, maybe they just like expensive bad beer

And if you are in the same line doesn’t that mean you are just like the guys in front of you in line.....liking expensive bad beer.

No blind labeling of people going on there right?

 

[Mr. Make-Believe]

I admit I am ignorant of Barstool controversy and have only on occasion read their content. Never had an issue with what I've seen and have enjoyed my limited exposure.

But ten minutes of research and uh... Yeah that's not good. I don't think partnering with them is a good look at all for the Bruins. There's some pretty appalling content and Portnoy seems like a gentleman I wouldn't care for. And that's only part of the problem.

Appears to be a "blunder".

 

[wintersej]

And if you are in the same line doesn’t that mean you are just like the guys in front of you in line.....liking expensive bad beer.

No blind labeling of people going on there right?

All I meant is that there are a lot of Bruins fans who love barstool. Not sure how that is controversial.