Dave Portnoy has spent years in Tom Brady’s corner, but the Barstool Sports founder is now sounding fed up with the way the quarterback’s post-NFL life is playing out.
Portnoy has long worn his Brady loyalty on his sleeve. He has been just as open about his love for the New England Patriots, and that support went all the way to the Deflategate saga, when Portnoy and three Barstool employees handcuffed themselves together outside NFL headquarters in New York City to protest Brady’s suspension. That protest ended with all four spending a night in jail.
Now, though, Portnoy is turning his criticism toward Brady’s recent public appearances. After Brady took part in a promotional stunt with Logan Paul at Fanatics Fest and later exchanged middle fingers with Paul during the FIFA World Cup final, Portnoy said enough was enough. The staged slap between Brady and Paul at Fanatics Fest had already spread widely online, and Portnoy aimed much of his frustration 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 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, where internet personalities like Logan Paul are often part of the scene.
The Fanatics Fest stunt and the World Cup final moment only added to the noise. Photos and videos showed Brady and Paul joking around in the stadium and flashing middle fingers at each other, a look that has fueled the conversation about whether Brady’s recent public image is pulling attention away from the legacy he built on the field.
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