Dave Portnoy Just Blew Up Over an Antisemitic Stunt—Then Did Something Truly Remarkable

Punishment can't defeat bigotry. But dialogue can.

Barstool Sports owner Dave Portnoy just gave a masterclass on how to deal with bigotry — but he’s getting criticized for it.

Portnoy posted a video on Sunday in which he informed his audience that some people had ordered a sign that read, “Fuck the Jews” and displayed it at one of his bars in Philadelphia. Footage showing young college students filming themselves near the sign circulated on social media.

Portnoy was visibly angry as he threatened to find out who ordered and displayed the sign and expose them to the world. The video garnered a flood of reactions, with people condemning the actions of these individuals.

However, in a follow-up video, Portnoy indicated he’d had a change of heart.

All right, real quick update on the Fuck the Jews sign that was at my bar in Philadelphia yesterday. Two hours ago, he literally could have cooked an egg on my head. That's how much steam and heat I had come out of my ears. And the more I thought about it, it's like, these are young fucking morons who did this. They're drunk. It's like, do you really want to ruin somebody's life?

He then noted the rise of antisemitic rhetoric in America after the war between Israel and Hamas ignited in Gaza in 2023.

“I've had more hate, more anti-Semitism in the last year, year and a half than I've ever had,” he said.” And whether people, it's like Kanye, the UFC guy, it's like mainstream lunatics. And I'm not talking about politics or what's going on in the Middle East. Just hating groups of people. You hate my parents, you hate my grandparents. Shit like that. It's crazy.”

Portnoy said he “can use this as a teaching moment.” He said he spoke with two of the “culprits” who were involved in the stunt and their families, and came to a decision.

I'm sending these kids to Auschwitz. They've agreed to go. That's, of course, the Holocaust concentration camps. Been in touch with the Krafts, who run the anti-hate group. We're going to send these kids to Auschwitz, and they're going to do a tour of the concentration camps in Germany and hopefully learn something. Maybe their lives aren't ruined and they think twice, and more importantly, other people see it's not just words you're throwing around. To me, that's a fair outcome of this event.

While many lauded Portnoy’s decision, it did not go over well with others, who said he was going too easy on the individuals. The New York Post’s Karol Markowicz indicated that Portnoy’s first inclination to ruin the lives of the young men “was the right one” and questioned the wisdom of sending them to Auschwitz. “Why show them when we were weakest?” she asked, and suggested it “Would have been better to take them to Israel as the Israelis finishes the Houthis.”

Another user accused Portnoy of harboring “internalised antisemitism,” which is similar to a term leftists use with Black folks who have “internalized racism” if they don’t agree with a particular viewpoint or ideology. “It is part of a coping mechanism in which some Jews fawn to an antisemitic world in the hope that they will be accepted,’ the user said. “It is the hope that if we act like the most reasonable people - to unreasonable people - then they will like us.”

Attorney Marina Medvin chided Portnoy for not holding the young men responsible for their actions.

The criticism isn’t lost on me. I also believe people should be held accountable for their actions. One of the students involved in the incident was suspended from Temple University. It’s not clear what type of accountability the other young man is facing. But this is the right move.

Also, Portnoy’s decision is the right move.

Punishing these people would be taking the easy way out. Sure, it might make us feel good to see bigots get their comeuppance. But there is little chance this might change minds or create a teachable moment for all of us.

I’m a big believer in the idea that dialogue and understanding can destroy bigotry rather than shame, cancel culture, and other types of retribution. Look at musician and activist Daryl Davis, who directly and indirectly persuaded 200 Ku Klux Klan members to renounce their white robes and hateful ideology simply by befriending them.

Davis didn’t do this by exposing them to scorn, but by sitting down and having tough conversations. Imagine if thousands were willing to do the same? I believe we would be living in a much different America from what we see today.

Bigotry is a societal cancer, one that the government cannot solve. It is up to we the people, to address these problems.

Yes, there might theoretically be times when a harsher approach is warranted. But I do not believe this represents most cases — especially when it concerns impressionable 20-year-olds who do not always understand the flaws in their belief systems.

I don’t know how Portnoy’s decision will work. But I hope the young men have an experience that prompts them to change their thinking. Hopefully through this trip and the conversations they will have, Portnoy’s gambit will have made a lasting difference. If it does, it might just provide another prototype for how the rest of us can change minds.