Jason Burgos
Barstool Sports boss Dave Portnoy offered up a bizarre opinion this week that could actually unite Ohio State and Michigan fans because of how ridiculous it is.
Portnoy has always been a lightning rod for his hot takes on sports. It is how he turned Barstool into a media giant. He has also been at the center of the Buckeyes’ decades-long rivalry with the Wolverines, since he is a Michigan diehard and alum. However, this week, he made a comment that will make the rival fanbases agree for once.
“I think I’d be one of the great offensive minds in the history of the game. I honestly think play-calling, I’m smarter than 99% of the play-callers,” Portnoy boldly said on the Barstool Sports podcast. “Maybe not be Xs and Os. And pulling guards. Or power trap, and all of that. I’m saying, hey, it’s third and seven, I can tell the flow of this game, and I know they’re going to blitz. I know if I run a little draw play, it’s going to pop for 10 yards.
“A lot of these guys take dumps in their pants, calling plays. They’re so nervous about screwing up, they don’t think outside the box. How many times do you sit there and think, ‘What a stupid play call. How dumb are you?’ … I can do pass, run, where are we going, I think, better than 99% of the play callers.”
The pizza aficionado is certainly a smart football fan. But this is also the same man who has never played sports at any level of note. While that doesn’t mean he could not coach a football team and call plays, he definitely won’t do so successfully in college football or the NFL.
Michigan fans love Portnoy. Especially because of his willingness to use his platform to stick it to Ohio State any chance he gets. But despite that adoration, this is one wild take that they can agree with Buckeyes fans is an elite level of ludicrous.
