Dave Portnoy scorches Platner operative with punishing takedown after odd request

By Fox News · Fox News

Barstool Sports "Presidente" Dave Portnoy lambasted a political operative connected to controversial Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner after the strategist floated the idea of a Boston sports-themed ad collaboration. Platner cut an ad targeting private equity firms’ involvement in Boston Red Sox management, as principal owner John Henry II’s Fenway Sports Group includes multiple investors, including private equity firms, while also holding a stake in NASCAR’s RFK (Roush-Fenway-Keselowski) Racing team. On Thursday, political strategist Jeff Coote reached out to Portnoy to alert him to the ad and ask if he wanted to collaborate with Platner on an effort to call out the rise of private equity in sports and "big bad John Henry." Portnoy later shared the email chain on X. "Hey Dave, something different for you," wrote strategist Jeff Coote, who called the ad an example of Platner’s " populist streak " while commiserating about "s—t people are p---ed off about like the Sox" and Henry. RED SOX OWNER, STAFF FLY TO MEET FRUSTRATED $313.5 MILLION STAR AMID POSITION DRAMA: REPORTS After Coote "nudged" Portnoy’s inbox again Friday, "El Presidente" lit into him. "Hey Jeff. Now this is the Nazi guy right? Yeah I’d be happy to talk to him about that tattoo and him being a Nazi," wrote Portnoy, who is Jewish . "I’m not as interested in his baseball takes. Let me know when we can set up some time. Dave." When Coote responded, "nice one," Portnoy replied, "is that a no?" Coote followed up by saying that if the two sides could find a way to have a productive conversation, he would consider connecting him with Platner. But Portnoy was not finished. "What’s that mean? You reached out to a Jew to poo poo a Nazi. I’m not Bernie Sanders ," he said — as the Vermont socialist is also Jewish but has endorsed and rallied with Platner. "If your boy isn’t a Nazi and can handle me 1 on 1 in a convo set it up. If he can’t you should fire yourself for thinking I’d want to glamorize this clown.…