Clay Travis, who founded Outkick, has dismissed his perceived competitor, Dave Portnoy’s Barstool Sports, stating that unlike his own organization, the latter harbors staff with excessively liberal views and possibly deficient masculinity. Outkick and Barstool are often considered akin, given their unconventional and unafraid approaches towards sports commentary, often bordering on controversy. However, Travis scoffed at this comparison, underlining the difference in political allegiances of their staff, particularly highlighting the absence of any ‘Caucasian males who cast their vote for Kamala Harris’ in his organization.
In an interview with Semafor Media, Travis expressed surprise at the lack of competition, drawing on the analogy of having created a unique beer recipe and finding no one else attempting to create a competitive brew. Furthermore, he dismissed the notion of Barstool being a competitor. He stated, ‘I really don’t see them as competition, not at all. Because when I consider the overall structure, Barstool primarily employs numbers of individuals who are staunch liberals. These would be the Caucasian males who voted enthusiastically for Kamala Harris. This isn’t usually addressed.’
Travis was then probed regarding hiring practices at Outkick and whether they had any policy against hiring Democrats. To this, Travis replied, ‘I do not believe we have any Caucasian males who voted for Harris. If we did, good for them. I would, however, inquire why their levels of testosterone are seemingly low, although they, of course, have their freedom to vote for whoever they choose.’
Alleging Barstool as an organization tilting towards liberal beliefs would not sit well with its founder, Dave Portnoy. It would also vex the Democratic party members due to Portnoy’s publicly known support for the then-President, Donald Trump, and his long-standing criticism of their party.
As of now, Portnoy hasn’t yet responded to Travis’ provocative remarks, which bear the hallmarks of instigating controversy. This in itself has the paradoxical effect of associating Travis with Barstool in a manner he arguably might prefer to distance himself from. The intricate dynamics between these two sports commentary companies, their founders, and their complex interaction with the political landscape continue to provide fascinating insights.