Dave Portnoy has spent years in Tom Brady’s corner, but the Barstool Sports founder is now blasting the NFL icon for what he sees as a damaging post-retirement act.
Portnoy has long worn his Patriots loyalty on his sleeve, and that devotion extended all the way through Deflategate. At one point, he and three Barstool employees handcuffed themselves together outside NFL headquarters in New York City to protest Brady’s suspension, and the stunt ended with all four spending a night in jail.
Now, though, Portnoy says Brady’s recent public appearances are crossing a line. The latest flashpoint came after Brady’s promotional stunt with Logan Paul at Fanatics Fest and their later exchange of middle fingers at the FIFA World Cup final. The slap at Fanatics Fest had already spread quickly online, and Portnoy took to X to vent his frustration, aiming much of it at Fanatics founder Michael Rubin.
“Can somebody please shake Tom Brady and tell him to get as far away from Michael Rubin as possible and stop lamifying his entire legacy,” Portnoy wrote on X.
Portnoy has repeatedly called Brady the greatest player in Patriots history, but his tone has clearly shifted as Brady keeps showing up at high-profile events since retiring from the NFL. Brady has stayed active through broadcasting, business ventures and appearances at major sporting events, and he has worked closely with Rubin at multiple Fanatics events that also feature internet personalities such as Logan Paul.
The Brady-Paul interaction at the World Cup final added another layer to the conversation. Photos and videos showed the two joking around in the stadium and flashing middle fingers at each other, a scene that has fueled more debate about whether Brady’s recent appearances are distracting from the legacy he built during his NFL career.
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