Barstool Sports CEO Erika Nardini is under fire from the National Women’s Hockey League and others because she — get this — was trying to bring attention to the sport of women’s hockey through the sports media company she runs:
In Today's Headlines: Sports Media Mogul, Erika Nardini, Is Attacked For Supporting Women In Hockey https://t.co/PjsKyuIEbd
— Erika K Nardini (@EKANardini) January 26, 2021
At issue is that many libs absolutely despise Barstool founder Dave Portnoy and because of that hate, they want to keep Nardini — a hockey lover — from promoting the league. Nardini then called these folks out in this video from her podcast account:
Important message to the @EKANardini haters: pic.twitter.com/3qU0BqgggH
— Token CEO (@tokenCEO) January 26, 2021
TBH, we didn’t even know the league existed until this controversy erupted. Why wouldn’t they want Barstool promoting it?
That’s our girl @kelly_babstock https://t.co/fp6V3lBGr5
— Erika K Nardini (@EKANardini) January 24, 2021
But the NWHL was mad at that video above and they released this statement condemning it:
“There is no circumstance where it would be acceptable to call out many of the reporters, staff members and fans who have given so much to women’s hockey.”
Full statement from NWHL Commissioner Ty Tumminia on the Barstool video released last night. ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/sDxsFsWZfs
— Hailey Salvian (@hailey_salvian) January 26, 2021
Nardini does have her supporters, however:
I’ve played in both the NWHL &PWHPA. Never had anyone support either like @EKANardini is supporting the NWHL. Barstool is the most successful sports media companies ever RUN BY WOMEN. I know for a fact majority of players in both leagues want to see the sport grow. Let’s do it. https://t.co/0RwKxoCM39
— Katie Burt (@KatieBurt33) January 27, 2021
Anyway, this brings us to Vice who wrote up what’s going on and, in the process, slimed Portnoy:
Emergency Press Conference – Female Hockey Reporter Continues to Make Up Lies About Us But I’ll Be the Bad Guy For Calling Her Out For It (A 3 part play/thread) pic.twitter.com/qA6QN0zKkl
— Dave Portnoy (@stoolpresidente) January 27, 2021
Here’s the excerpt in the vice article Portnoy is objecting to, and rightfully so:
On Tuesday night, Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy tweeted a video riddled with inaccuracies and mocking the devastating, career-ending injury suffered by Denna Laing in the league’s first season of the league in 2015. (The NWHL honors Laing every year with an award, and her number is retired by the Boston Pride.) Portnoy also expressed a desire for Tinker—who wrote “WE, as a league do not want support from ANY openly racist platform” in a tweet in which she accused Barstool of promoting white supremacy—to be jailed.
— Dave Portnoy (@stoolpresidente) January 27, 2021
The problem Vice has is Portnoy and Barstool actually did a fundraiser after “the devastating, career-ending injury suffered by Denna Laing” and in no way did he ever mock her:
Denna Laing documentary pic.twitter.com/yHYuvhECD7
— Dave Portnoy (@stoolpresidente) January 27, 2021
Portnoy later asked if he should sue Vice over the article:
Should I sue @VICE ?
— Dave Portnoy (@stoolpresidente) January 27, 2021
Maris Ingemi, the writer of the Vice hit-piece, has since locked down her Twitter account:
These facts matter and Vice never even mentioned it:
Typically not one to call journalists, but the disgusting libel piece that VICE’s @Marisa_Ingemi wrote about Portnoy & barstool should make everyone sick. The company raised tens of thousands of dollars for an NWHL player that suffered an injury that left her paralyzed…
— Josh Sanders (@J_SAND3RS) January 28, 2021
The NWHL also defended Ingemi in all of this:
One more thing: here's the actual real statement the NWHL put out after Dave was slandered in one of the worst ways imaginable, simply because Barstool = bad to them so you can say anything you want. They would've said this if Marisa claimed Dave murdered her entire family. pic.twitter.com/FpIgnRCDn9
— Robbie Fox (@RobbieBarstool) January 28, 2021
And here’s what Vice took to be mocking. As you can see and hear for yourself, it’s not at all like it’s bein portrayed:
For those unaware, this is the entire “mocking” clip in reference, beginning to end: pic.twitter.com/kzwJtgJyNa
— Robbie Fox (@RobbieBarstool) January 28, 2021
Man, what a PR fail for the NWHL. Just apologize:
Emergency Press Conference – The NWHL Owes Erika Nardini An Apology pic.twitter.com/qpnPn54Qqa
— Dave Portnoy (@stoolpresidente) January 27, 2021
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