Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy announced on Wednesday that popular host Ben Mintz had been fired from the corporate after he uttered racial slurs while reading rap lyrics live this week.
Portnoy said the choice was made by Barstool’s parent company, Penn Entertainment, despite protests from himself, Barstool CEO Erika Nardini, and longtime talent Dan Katz, whose Mintz – rapping Bone Thugz-N-Harmony’s “1st of Tha Month” He made a real mistake.
“I made the unforgivable mistake this morning slipping within the air while reading the song’s lyrics,” Mintz tweeted Monday morning after reading the insult aloud during his “Wake Up Mintzy” show.
“I didn’t wish to do anything mistaken and I’ve never felt worse about anything. I’m sorry for my actions. I’m really sorry and ashamed of myself.”
Penn acquired 36 percent of Barstool Sports from The Chernin Group for $163 million in early 2020, and purchased the rest of the corporate for an extra $388 million last February.
Portnoy said the parent company called for Mintz’s firing over concerns that the incident could jeopardize regulatory gambling licenses across the country.
“I hate this decision. I don’t agree with the choice. I would not make a call. But I do not do the stuff that Penn does by way of regulators etc,” Portnoy told The Post in a direct message.
“Penn paid a number of money for Barstool and so they should make the most effective decisions to guard their business. I trust and respect [Penn CEO] Jay [Snowden] that he’s doing what he thinks is the best move and that’s all you possibly can ask for. That doesn’t suggest I all the time agree, but again, he’s coping with things I haven’t got to take into consideration or take care of.”
Along with owning Barstool Sports, Penn operates 43 land-based casinos in 20 states under the Ameristar, Boomtown and Hollywood Casino brands.
In a video announcing the dismissal, Portnoy expressed shock that it was a situation that would have affected the firm with regulators.
“They imagine there may be an affordable probability that many states could have their licenses revoked for this reason,” said Portnoy, who himself has been at the middle of racist incidents.
“Penn is a multi-billion dollar company. With out a license, they’re a zero dollar company. Investors, families, employees, 1000’s of individuals – they think it’s their job to guard all of it, and the one answer is to fireplace Ben Mintz.
“I still disagreed with it, and perhaps I’m naive, but I’m considering, ‘There’s just no way anyone could take a look at a clip and think that the punishment matches the crime.’ I shudder on the considered a man losing his job for an innocent mistake. Yes, terrible, but apparently without intention … That is all I’ve stood against for 20 years.”