Many of the things that Dave Portnoy does are faked or exaggerated for the sake of entertainment. But the longstanding tensions between Portnoy’s company, Barstool Sports, and the NFL are very real.
After the league handed down its ruling on the “Deflategate” scandal and suspended New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady for four games in 2015, Portnoy handcuffed himself to the front desk of NFL HQ in New York City and was arrested.
A couple of years later, the NFL refused to credential Barstool for the Super Bowl, citing the sit-in as the reason. Pardon My Take host PFT Commenter was even escorted out of Super Bowl Media Day by security in 2019.
The same year, Portnoy was kicked out of New England’s historic 28-3 comeback win over Atlanta, despite attending the game as a fan in the crowd.
Along the way, Barstool sold merchandise with Roger Goodell’s face made up as a clown, crashed league conference calls, and more. The brand’s hostile relationship with the NFL was arguably one of the biggest things that helped it develop national notoriety, as core to Barstool’s identity as betting or Saturdays.
Now, it may be over.
Suddenly, on Monday, with the Patriots back in the Super Bowl and Portnoy reveling in it, “El Presidente” posted on X that the ban “has been lifted.”
Breaking: I’m hearing that the NFL ban on Barstool Sports has been lifted. It feels like the end of Rocky IV. This hasn’t been 100% confirmed but the Cold War may be over.
— Dave Portnoy (@stoolpresidente) January 26, 2026
Later, TMZ confirmed that Portnoy is welcome at Super Bowl LX between New England and Seattle — so long as he buys a ticket.
Just as they did not need access to the NFL to go big last decade, they do not need access these days to cover the game and dominate sports fans’ online feeds. After all, Pardon My Take has recorded Super Bowl-week shows from nearby hotels for years.
But the NFL’s decision to end its standoff with Barstool certainly signifies that the brand is as big as ever.