Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy says there is nothing that will stop the NFL from resuming games this fall.
Speaking with Tucker Carlson on Friday evening, Portnoy said he was excited that the decision to restart the NFL did not befall top infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci, whom he accused of acting as the “end-all, be-all” decider on whether the season would go ahead.
“The good news is I don’t think he has any actual influence on it. And in a rare situation, the only man who thinks he was elected without being elected by the American people more than him, Roger Goodell, I think he’d infect his own family with corona before canceling the NFL season,” Portnoy said. “They’re going to play in the NFL. Why Fauci feels like he has the right to say they’re not, he can certainly say, you know, it may be dangerous. But the way he phrased it, it was like he was the end-all, be-all on that.”
Portnoy, whose turn as a day trader on the stock market has been the topic of heated debate during the coronavirus pandemic, said he expects fans to fill stadiums if they are given the choice.
“The American people clearly have COVID fatigue,” he said. “People are showing up in droves to casinos, to bars — if you let people go to the game, they’re going to go. The American people, humans in general, are social creatures, so they’ll show up. The only way they won’t is if we physically are told we can’t go, are not allowed in. But if you let people go, they’re willing to risk it. And, by the way, I think that should be each individual’s choice.”
Portnoy added that the idea of implementing temperature checks upon entering the stadium would create serious issues because of the number of people who attend NFL games.
“Imagine them taking every person’s test. I went to Michigan. It takes an hour and a half to get into that stadium anyways,” he said. “In practicality, it sounds all right if you can do it. How he can actually make this work, I mean, you’re going to have to get the game 9 hours early. You’re going to have more problems with people congregating, trying to get in, than actually being in.”
