Dave Portnoy Slams Antisemitic Sign at Philly Bar—And the Fallout Still Isn’t Over
Dave Portnoy, the loud-and-proud founder of Barstool Sports, is no stranger to controversy. But even by his standards, the firestorm that broke out in May hit differently. It started when a video emerged from Barstool Sansom Street (a Philadelphia bar owned by Portnoy) showing a group of guests flashing a sign that read, in all-caps vulgarity, "F--- the Jews."
In response, Portnoy, who rarely holds his tongue on anything, was visibly shaken. In a profanity-laced video posted to social media, he condemned the act as "disgusting" and "infuriating," promising swift consequences. The clip went viral, headlines followed, and for a moment, it looked like the internet had done what it does best: rage, repost, and move on.
But this time, the story didn't just blow over. The situation has evolved, and the story is trending yet again. It now involves college suspensions, an internal feud at Barstool, and yet another antisemitic jab hurled at Portnoy mid-pizza review.
The Sign That Started It All & Portnoy's Emotional Response
The antisemitic sign incident at Barstool Sansom Street in Philadelphia occurred on the night of Saturday, May 3, 2025. A video capturing the event surfaced on social media the following day, Sunday, May 4, 2025. The viral video took place during bottle service, showing guests laughing and dancing as a girl, appearing to be in her early to mid-20s, parades a large light-up sign with the offensive phrase displayed front and center.
Dave Portnoy is Jewish, and as you might expect, he didn't exactly take the blatant disrespect quietly. On May 4, he fired back with what he dubbed an "emergency press conference" video on social media, and his fury was impossible to miss. "I've been shaking. I've been so f------ mad for the last two hours." He vowed to identify those responsible and hold them accountable.
Portnoy took decisive action by firing the two waitresses involved in the incident. He also identified two Temple University students as being connected to the event. Initially, he offered to send the students to Auschwitz as an educational experience to confront the horrors of antisemitism. He later rescinded this offer after one student denied involvement and claimed to be acting as a "citizen journalist."
Temple University Holds Students Accountable
Temple University quickly responded to the allegations, confirming that at least one student had been identified and placed on interim suspension. The school launched a formal investigation into the incident, as stated in a press release on May 4.
Temple University President John Fry stated, "Antisemitism is abhorrent. It has no place at Temple, and acts of hatred and discrimination against any person or persons are not tolerated at this university."
Barstool Sports also released a public statement condemning the incident and reaffirming its stance against antisemitism, calling the actions "disgusting and unacceptable" in an Instagram post shortly after the video surfaced.
The Story Evolves
While that should have been the end of it, the controversy did not remain contained. In early June, The Economic Times ran a piece revisiting the incident, bringing Portnoy’s emotional reaction back into the news cycle. The piece was not merely retrospective. It opened the floodgates to everything that’s transpired since.
Tensions flared within the Barstool digital media company during a recent episode of Barstool Sports' The Unnamed Show. In this episode, Dave Portnoy and Kirk Minihane engaged in a heated exchange over Minihane's suggestion to interview Beyond Average Mick, a content creator criticized for antisemitic humor. Portnoy vehemently opposed the idea, leading to a profane on-air argument.
Then came Toronto. While filming one of his signature one-bite pizza reviews, someone in the background hurled an antisemitic slur directly at Portnoy. If there was any doubt lingering about this situation getting personal, the Toronto outburst erased it.
A Story That Won’t Go Quietly
One of the individuals tied to the Philly incident, Temple student Mohammed Adnan Khan, added another twist by launching a fundraiser on GiveSendGo, claiming he was the target of cancel culture. The campaign quickly became a focal point for debate, with supporters and critics weighing in on what accountability should entail.
As for Portnoy, he’s been clear: he doesn’t care if the outrage looks messy as long as people pay attention. “A lot of Jewish people reached out to thank me,” he said in a follow-up post. “I don’t know if it did any good, but I wasn’t just going to sit there and say nothing.”
Final Slice
What started as one offensive sign has spiraled into firings, suspensions, public feuds, and international headlines. Dave Portnoy’s raw, immediate, and unapologetic response put the issue front and center. And as the fallout continues, so does the conversation.