Will FOX cancel Dave Portnoy after cringeworthy lightning delay rant?

Jeff Hauser

Will FOX cancel Dave Portnoy after cringeworthy lightning delay rant? image

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The Dave Portnoy experiment with FOX Sports might get grounded before it can take off. 

During the network's latest episode of Big Noon Kickoff on Saturday morning, the Barstool host didn't waste an opportunity to take a shot at Ryan Day and Ohio State, but then pivoted into a rant about lightning delays. 

Portnoy aired out his frustration about games taking over four hours due to weather. 

"I am sick of lightning delays in college football," Portnoy said. "I don't remember growing up, you have four or five games that have four hour delays. Everybody going in, sign a waiver. If you get struck by lightning, so be it. But when they do the delay, the fans have to leave the stadium anyway. So what if they get struck outside?Let's play football. Man football weather midwest.You sign it. Lightning, If it hits you, it's just not your day."

Portnoy's colleague Brady Quinn immediately responded by saying, "I think Dave should get struck by lightning first before he starts talking about it." Rob Stone immediately shut it down by saying, "We're not asking for that." 

FOX added Portnoy and his Barstool team before the start of the season. A move that hasn't been a good look for the network after consistent weeks of blunders. However, this one might take the cake and make the decision makers at FOX rethink their decision or correct Portnoy's actions. 

“We’re excited to welcome Dave Portnoy and Barstool Sports to the FOX Sports family. Dave has built a one-of-a-kind brand that connects with a new generation of sports fans – authentic, bold, and original. Their unique voice and loyal fanbase makes them a natural fit for our evolving multiplatform content strategy,” said Eric Shanks, CEO & Executive Producer, FOX Sports said after announcing the move.

“Everybody at Barstool is super excited to partner with the FOX Sports Family,” said Dave Portnoy, Barstool Sports Owner and Founder. “In our two-decade history, we’ve never had the chance to work with so much talent and resources.  We can’t wait to collab and bring our voice to FOX Sports’ airwaves." 

We'll see if the tone stays the same after Portnoy's lack of concern about safety. 

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Jeff Hauser

Jeff Hauser is a freelance writer with The Sporting News. He has over twenty years of experience and is a two-time Emmy Award winner, Heisman Trophy and Biletnikoff Award voter. Among the events he has covered are the Super Bowl, College Football Playoff, World Series, World Cup, and WBC Boxing. Hauser is a regular guest on FOX Sports and ESPN Radio. He previously wrote for Sports Illustrated, SB Nation and Athlon Sports.