Dave Portnoy Coke Video Sparked A Controversy On Social Media

Posted by Zora Stowers on Monday, May 20, 2024

The controversy surrounding Dave Portnoy‘s coke video caused a stir on social media.

During the latest episode of The Joe Rogan Experience, Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy briefly spoke about his rocky relationship with ESPN. 

In 2017, ESPN president John Skipper abruptly canceled Barstool Van Talk after just one episode, citing an inability to distance the show from Barstool. 

After the decision, Portnoy labeled Skipper an enemy and promptly celebrated his unceremonious resignation later that year.

Joe Rogan had never heard of John Skipper before this week, but if it were up to him, Skipper would still be running Disney’s sports network. 

The coke scandal

When Portnoy mentioned Skipper’s name, Rogan was surprised to learn that Skipper resigned from his position as president of ESPN following a cocaine extortion attempt. 

“I don’t know who that is,” Rogan said when Portnoy, who briefly took his Barstool brand to ESPN before a pretty quick divorce. “He had to leave ESPN because of a coke dealer? That’s f*cking so stupid, the guy was doing coke.”

“I think in that world, you can’t even admit you did coke,” Rogan continued. “It’s a stupid world. It’s a stupid world where you have to pretend to be a fake person.”

Rogan couldn’t believe someone would lose their job over something as minor as cocaine use, stating that “the guy did good work, so he likes to do a little coke.”

Skipper’s departure from ESPN in 2017 was initially attributed to a substance addiction, but months later, he revealed that an extortion attempt led to his resignation. 

According to Skipper, someone he bought cocaine from attempted to extort him, which put him and his family at risk. 

Skipper disclosed the details to his family, and when he discussed it with Disney CEO Bob Iger, they agreed that Skipper had placed the company in an untenable position and as a result, he should resign.

He stated that Skipper did good work and had been with Disney for 27 years, so he must have been doing something right if they had kept him hired for that long. 

Rogan also criticized the notion that people in Skipper’s position can’t admit to doing drugs, saying that it’s a stupid world where you must pretend to be a fake person.

Ironically, Rogan’s UFC commentary now airs on ESPN, partially because of Skipper’s departure. 

It’s been documented that Skipper wasn’t a fan of MMA, and his exit opened the door for Dana White to reach a rights deal with ESPN.

Skipper is currently the CEO of Dan Le Batard’s Meadowlark Media, and while Rogan may not have known who he was before this week, his name is certainly back in the news now. 

The discussion on The Joe Rogan Experience about Skipper’s resignation has sparked debate about the consequences of substance abuse and the stigma surrounding drug use in certain industries. 

While Rogan may believe that Skipper’s body of work should have kept him employed at ESPN, it’s worth noting that many companies have strict policies against drug use. Employees who violate those policies can face serious consequences.

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