With some WNBA followers calling for Dave Portnoy’s ban from league video games, the millionaire Barstool Sports activities founder is floating an concept he believes would put the NBA‘s sister circuit out of enterprise.
Portnoy attended the Indiana Fever’s season opener towards the visiting Chicago Sky. And whereas Caitlin Clark‘s Fever gained simply, it was a flagrant foul by the reigning WNBA Rookie of the Year on Chicago rival Angel Reese that has since dominated WNBA media protection. A visibly upset Reese needed to be restrained as she pursued Clark, who appeared irritated that her exhausting foul on the second-year energy ahead was being upgraded to a flagrant.
Since then, the league has introduced an investigation into allegations of racial abuse by Fever supporters towards Reese, who’s African American.
Portnoy, an outspoken Clark, has disputed the allegations of racism, calling them ‘bulls***,’ whereas persevering with to slam the WNBA’s supposed mistreatment of its greatest star.
‘You realize what’s loopy,’ the 48-year-old Massachusetts native wrote on X. ‘If Caitlin Clark simply wakened one morning and determined she was sick of the @WNBA s*** and determined to begin her personal league which would not be that troublesome together with her star energy she’d put the WNBA out of enterprise in 2 years.’
Barstool’s ‘El Presidente’ is now the topic of a Change.org petition aimed to blocking him from attending WNBA video games.
Reese takes a tough foul from Caitlin Clark throughout final week’s WNBA season opener
Clark’s Fever are actually 1-1 after dropping a recreation to visiting Atlanta on Tuesday in Indianapolis
Portnoy is seen amongst a number of Indiana Fever followers earlier than final week’s opener in Indianapolis
‘The WNBA has at all times been about making a protected house for individuals of all genders, races, and backgrounds to get pleasure from unbelievable basketball,’ the petition reads. ‘With the latest media consideration girls’s basketball has gotten, it has introduced some damaging, racial consideration from individuals who declare to be ‘followers.’
‘Barstool founder Dave Portnoy has inserted himself into this house, the place he has disrespected the gifted girls of this league. For years, he has been harassing Angel Reese, a Black lady, utilizing his on-line platform.’
The petition goes on to say his use of the N-word in earlier clips and his profitable $350k wager on Clark recording a triple-double towards the Sky.
‘This petition is to place stress on the WNBA, the Indiana Fever, and the NBA to take swift motion in banning Dave Portnoy from all NBA and WNBA occasions sooner or later,’ the final part of the petition reads. ‘It will present a robust dedication to participant security and present that there are penalties for racist fan habits, irrespective of who you might be. Please signal and share – let’s assist hold the WNBA a protected house for all!’
The petition garnered 1,029 supporters however was closed as of Tuesday night.
Following the Sky-Fever recreation, the WNBA introduced it was investigating alleged racist abuse towards Reese.
Talking on Monday, Clark herself made her emotions clear on the alleged abuse, telling reporters: ‘There isn’t any place for that in our recreation, there is not any place for that in society.’
Nevertheless, Portnoy – who attended the sport in a Fever duplicate jersey and shorts – alleged that anti-Clark web ‘trolls’ are accountable for the ‘false’ accusations.
‘We do not condone hate’, there was no hate,’ Portnoy mentioned, referencing the WNBA’s assertion. ‘The one hate was coming from Angel Reese attacking Caitlin Clark.’
Notably, Sky coach Tyler Marsh mentioned the staff discovered in regards to the allegations when everybody else did, and indicated they weren’t conscious of any hate speech in the course of the recreation.
Reese, in the meantime, mentioned after apply on Tuesday that ‘there is not any place on this league for that.’
‘I believe the WNBA and our staff and our group have performed a terrific job supporting me,’ she continued, by way of The Athletic. ‘I’ve had communication from everybody, from so many individuals throughout this league. It may occur to me, it may occur to anybody. And I believe they’ve performed a superb job supporting us on this.’
After the sport, Reese issued a blunt eight-word verdict her bust-up with Clark, insisting the referees obtained it proper and urging individuals to ‘transfer on.’
When requested for her ideas on Clark’s foul, she merely mentioned: ‘Basketball play, refs obtained it proper, transfer on.’
Throughout an in-game interview with ESPN, Clark mentioned there was ‘nothing malicious’ in regards to the foul and referred to as it a basketball play.
‘It is only a good take foul,’ she mentioned. ‘You realize, both Angel will get a large open two factors, or we ship them to the free-throw line.’
Chicago is now 0-2 on the younger season whereas Indiana is 1-1 following Tuesday night time’s 91-90 loss to visiting Atlanta.
The Sky and Fever will meet once more on June 7 in Chicago.
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