Dave Portnoy calls out LIV golf players’ lawsuit: ‘Shut up and take your money’
Barstool Sports founder says he has ‘no moral objection’ to golfers joining the Saudi-backed league
Dave Portnoy: LIV Golf 'is not good for the fans'
Barstool Sports founder and president Dave Portnoy discusses LIV Golf, the viral Little Leaguers hug, and SafeMoon's lawsuit in a wide-ranging interview on 'Varney & Co.'
Barstool Sports founder and president Dave Portnoy voiced his mixed feelings on LIV Golf and its players’ antitrust lawsuit against the PGA Tour on "Varney & Co." Wednesday, arguing players want to have their cake and eat it, too.
"If LIV wanted to pay me a katrillion dollars, I would go to that league so fast it would make your head spin. So I don't have any moral objection to people going," Portnoy told FOX Business’ Stuart Varney.
"They made the decision. They knew that they weren't gonna be able to play in the other," Portnoy continued, "and they're making a ton of money, so shut up and take your money."
High-profile golfers including Phil Mickelson and 10 other athletes are claiming that the PGA Tour’s indefinite suspensions against them for joining LIV were aimed at hurting their careers.
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While the new LIV league offers modernized rules like reducing the hole number to 54 and permitting loud music during play, Portnoy explained he doesn’t want an organization that "changes all the rules."
Dave Portnoy, founder of Barstool Sports, tells LIV Golf players to "shut up and take your money" on "Varney & Co." Wednesday, August 10, 2022. (Getty Images)
"I like golf like everybody else likes golf. I like waking up on Sunday of the Masters, taking a couple snoozes and watching the final 18," Portnoy noted. "Fifty-four holes? I like music and cheering, but they changed all the rules."
The sports aficionado further argued that LIV Golf’s expansion of the sport is beneficial for pro golfers, but not the fans.
"I want tournaments with all the best players in the world in one tournament. Again, I get what they're doing, but no, it's not good for the fan," Portnoy noted. "Nobody can argue that LIV is good for the fan. It's good for those individual players."
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In the interview, Wednesday, Portnoy also touched on crypto coin SafeMoon’s lawsuit against him over claims the Barstool founder for disclosing his investments in the cryptocurrency and hyping it up before dumping it after a 94% loss.
"Let me say this very clear: I bought SafeMoon. I've never talked to anybody who's part of SafeMoon. I've never been paid a cent to promote SafeMoon. I put $40,000 of my own money into SafeMoon. I now have $2,000 left. I haven't sold any of SafeMoon," Portnoy spelled out.
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Portnoy then pointed out he should be on the other side of the lawsuit after the attorney representing SafeMoon reportedly showed up at his home.
"They showed up at 8 a.m. at my house, knocking on my door like my house is on fire," Portnoy said. "Somebody should go to prison for knocking on my door that early."