ATLANTA (CBS) — Add another chapter to the ongoing feud between the NFL and Barstool Sports.
Dave Portnoy, the founder of Barstool who’s known as “El Presidente,” was escorted out of State Farm Arena on Monday night in Atlanta after security was alerted to his presence. It would appear, based on Portnoy’s social media posting, that he created a fake credential in order to gain access to Opening Night.
“Barstool Sports is banned from all NFL activities, so I had to come incognito. In disguise,” Portnoy told NESN.com.
Portnoy was not the only member of Barstool Sports to be escorted out of the arena, as the writer/podcaster known as “PFT Commenter” was also led out of the building after initially gaining access to the event.
Portnoy later said on social media that he was charged with criminal trespassing and was told to not return to the arena for a year.
The history between Barstool Sports and the NFL dates back to the days of DeflateGate, when Portnoy along with three other employees staged a protest in the lobby of the NFL headquarters. Employees of the website were then subsequently banned from all Super Bowl events, though commissioner Roger Goodell claimed to not know about that.
Portnoy popularized the shirt depicting Goodell’s face sporting a red clown nose, which he wore on national TV before printing it on 70,000 towels to give out before a Patriots game. Portnoy also once threatened legal action when it appeared as though the NFL infringed upon a copyright for T-shirts.
After the latest chapter, there appears to be no end in sight for the running feud.