Dave Portnoy launches into blistering rant at Barstool employees and reveals he almost fired them

Dave Portnoy criticized two of his Barstool Sports employees and revealed that he almost broke their contracts after they missed a broadcast of the Mets-Phillies game.

“I was beside myself” Portnoy became enraged while unloading on Rico Bosco and ‘Smitty’ after they opted not to work during the MLB playoffs this week. Barstool regularly hosts live viewings, capturing staff reactions as games unfold.

The Barstool boss claimed he was deep in talks with the company’s human resources department, trying to figure out how he could fire both staff members.

‘That’s how angry I was. And by the way, I don’t fire anyone,” Portnoy said. “I was beside myself. I think I was muttering to myself: this is straight up insubordination. “I couldn’t believe what I was witnessing.”

Portnoy added: “I was more irritated than I had been in a long time… I was texting HR, thinking about how to get out of contracts.” “I couldn’t believe what my eyes were seeing.”

smitty explained in an article on Barstool that he missed the game because it coincided with his 40th birthday.

He insisted he doesn’t regret the decision, saying the weekend hosted by his wife was “better than anything I’ve done here at Barstool combined.”

But Portnoy invited Smitty to leave the company if he has other priorities. “Everyone in the country would cut off their thumbs to work here,” says the Barstool boss.

‘Smitty (saying) “I want to spend time with my family…” and then get out of here because I don’t need you. You asked to work here. When your contract ends, you ask to renew it. If Smitty wants to leave… do whatever you want.’

Portnoy called his decision to skip the broadcast a “slap in the face,” and revealed he was discussing severance terms with HR. ‘If I fire some people, what will it look like?’ he asked them.