WEEI’s Jason Wolfe bans Barstool’s David Portnoy
It’s said that “there is no such thing as bad publicity.’’ Barstool Sports is about to find out.
After posting a link to pictures on its website this week of Pats’ QB Tom Brady’s toddler son naked on a beach in Costa Rica, along with typically questionable language for Barstool, a firestorm erupted. Readers called Barstool’s editor David Portnoy every unprintable name possible on the website. Today Jason Wolfe, vice president of programming for WEEI, tweeted: “No we will not have portnoy on again. What he did was completely irresponsible. It’s not about whether he was allowed to do it or not. It’s about common decency. And he showed none.’’
Portnoy was anything but apologetic yesterday, posting: “As I’ve already said a million times I’m honestly shocked this got blown so far out of proportion. To me anybody with a normally functioning brain should have looked at this blog, hopefully laughed, and moved on.’’
Portnoy wrote that he got a cease and desist letter from the modeling agency of Brady’s wife, Gisele Bundchen. But the photos only came down briefly and were back up yesterday afternoon because, as Portnoy said on his website, they were available elsewhere on the Internet. “I feel like it’s disingenuous of me to take them down because of what a bunch of looney bins are saying,’’ he said on his website.
The Patriots had no comment yesterday, and calls to Brady’s agent, Don Yee, were not returned.
Some called for criminal charges to be filed against Portnoy. David Frank at Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly said on the group’s website that’s unlikely.
“I’ve talked to several lawyers today, from both the prosecution and defense side, who say there’s no chance Portnoy will ever be hit with a possession of child pornography charge. Portnoy’s post, as out of bounds as it is, simply doesn’t support the elements of the crime.’’ DOUG MOST
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