In his unfiltered style, Dave Portnoy details the journey of how he built his polarizing media empire, Barstool Sports, while refusing to bend the knee to those who tried to tear him down, staying true to himself and blocking out the haters.
Dave Portnoy is a gambler. From his days playing Little League baseball, he has always bet on himself and his future, which is exactly how he built his digital media empire, Barstool Sports. It all started in 2004, when Dave wrote what he knew and passed out a four-page broadsheet newspaper all over Boston. The idea was simple but revolutionary: not everyone wanted their sports takes from SportsCenter anchors in suits. Fans wanted something local, raw, and unapologetic—written in the same language and tone you might hear at your local sports bar. So, Dave gave it to them.
More than twenty years later, Barstool has grown into a nine-figure company with over 300 employees and 150 active brands. But the story doesn’t end there. Dave continues to expand Barstool and his personal brand, launching into the world of sports betting, giving honest pizza reviews, building generational media stars, and giving back to dog shelters and small businesses with the help of his own famous rescue dog, Miss Peaches.
Though he didn’t set out to be a political lightning rod, it happened—and he’s fully aware that half the internet hates him while the other half loves him. The truth? He doesn’t care, as long as people take interest. He’s always been brutally honest, and he always will be. Dave’s journey hasn’t been perfect. He’s failed—publicly and personally—and he’s constantly willing to risk it all. Why? Because he already knows what it’s like to lose everything and start over, time and time again. So why not?
In Cancel Me If You Can, Dave lays it all out: the hard work, the timing, the luck, the poisonous relationships behind the curtain, and the balls it took to get to where he is today. This isn’t a memoir or a business book—it’s another bet on himself. But honestly, would you really want to bet against him? The odds are against it.
