Barstool Sports: Playing by Their Own Rules for Success

I. Introduction

               If you’re reading this blog post, chances are you read the last one, checked out Barstool, and now are back to learn more about these sports swamis and what they are doing for the progression of the English language.  (Or you’re Dr. Estes—more likely the latter.)  As we learned last post, the writers at Barstool have growing their loyal fan base exponentially and are competing with some of the titans in the sports commentating world such as ESPN.  How are these quintessential “David” men competing with the “Goliath”?  It’s basically because these sports bloggers are more than just that, they are social commentators on everything important to a stereotypical testosterone-pumping male—including, but not limited to, girls, beer and debauchery. And if you’re wondering why this is working you’re in luck, because not only are we going to discuss this impact they have had, but we will do it thoroughly and pinpoint some scholarly theories as to why these guys are so successful.

Introduction: Barstool is Formed

                Dave Portnoy, founder of Barstool Sports and better known by his cult-like following of young males as “Pres” or “El Presidente,” launched his website in the metropolitan Boston area, at first only writing about gambling advice or fantasy football tips.  However, as the site’s popularity grew, their content expanded into blogs about all sports, and from there—anything they wanted.  According to entrepreneur.com, Portnoy wanted to make a sports site for the “common man,” and break away from the rules and regulations of everyday sports writing.  "Dave is hell-bent on proving everything in the mainstream wrong," Kevin Clancy, a writer for Barstool, says. "He wants to prove all the advertising agencies are wrong, all the media agencies are wrong and all the PR agencies are wrong. He is fighting against everyone who says you have to play by the same cookie-cutter rules, and he won't stop until he proves he's right. It's his crusade." 

                Barstool has expanded to having multiple Podcast radio shows, and have found their way to the actual athletes themselves, some world-class names, too.  Michael Phelps, Giants offensive lineman Justin Pugh and Mets pitcher Noah Syndergaard have all been seen sporting some Barstool “Saturdays are for the Boys” merchandise.  But how are these writers doing it? 

II. First Reason- Their Voice

Dave Portnoy: Founder of Barstool Sports
Photo Courtesy of entrepreneur.com

                When you think of the major sports content producer SportsCenter, what do you think of?  Men and women gathered around a nice studio in suits and pencil skirts, laying out the details of that day’s athletic events.  Their writing is mostly dry, factual, serving the main purpose of getting the message across to their viewers as clearly and efficiently as possible. 

                As we’ve learned, this is NOT the image Portnoy and his staff want to embody when people think of Barstool.  They want you to think beer-stained Ralph Lauren button downs that are missing buttons from a night of long partying.  Worn-out Sperry boat shoes that have seen not boats, but too many dirty, sticky barroom floors covered in stale alcohol and washed away vomit.  And the lack of formality in their writing has gotten them that reputation.

                According to James E. Katz and Chih-Hui Lai in their article, “News Blogging in Cross-Cultural Contexts: A report on the Struggle for Voice,” citizen journalists and political bloggers also have to consider voice in their writing to maintain an audience.  Katz and Lai write, “Unless the mainstream media are able to successfully incorporate the more localized concerns—concerns that have been overshadowed to some degree up by the development of mass media in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries—they are likely to lose their audience.” (105).  Portnoy and the writers at Barstool have taken on a similar concept.  They have found their niche audience of makes 18-35 and have created a voice that would suit those readers.  And in doing this, they write articles about things they know these people want to hear: some examples being their infamous “Smokeshow of the day,” where they post a picture of an attractive woman to the site with a background about who she is, and have even gotten as vain as “Guess That Ass,” where readers must guess the derrière of a famous female by only seeing a picture of their lower bodies.

                This tone, style and content has angered a lot of people, mostly feminists who claim Barstool’s writing is misogynistic and offensive towards women—which it undoubtedly is.  Even radio host Howard Stern has voiced some grievances with the site, and he himself in known for being crude.  However, Portnoy does not care about the “haters.”  Portnoy said about Barstool’s content, “We're not trying to gain new readers by being crazy-outrageous. Our readers get what we do, and I don't think about what it's going to look like to the outside world. I don't really care."  Which will bring us smoothly to our next topic as to why Barstool is so successful, their readers.

III.  Stoolies—The Catalyst Behind Barstool’s Success

Barstool's infamous logo
Photo courtesy of aol.com

                Ah, yes—the Stoolies.  A rowdy bunch who find solace in sports, drinking, gambling, women, but most of all—they find solace in Barstool.  By pinpointing his audience and perfecting the voice of the site, Portnoy has developed a loyal following.  A following to the point that Barstool has become more than just a website, but a community.

                Everybody wants to be noticed.  Whether that be as intelligent, funny, caring—we all want recognition, especially from people who hold high importance in our lives.  Dave Portnoy and his staff at Barstool understand that.  Therefore, they are not afraid to interact with their readers.  Whether that be on the site or in the street, (there was once an article written by Clancy about how he saw a Stoolie on an airplane and the reader didn’t say anything to him, to which he was offended,) these guys take the time out to let their readers know that they do matter, and the readers do the same.

                However, this does not happen as conventionally as a “nice article!” or “good reporting!” comment in the comments section.  You must remember, these are mostly “Bros,” and going along with the tone of the writing, the comments are going to be written in the same kind of register.  For example, a Barstool writer could pen an article entirely about Tom Brady’s wife, Gisele, and mention in one line, one quip, about something that reminded him of a time when he had sex.  No matter how well-written the article is, there will be a chorus of Stoolies in the comments section writing, “congrats on the sex.”  This is a language that all Stoolies speak in, the language of young men that will never give you the respect you deserve.  But it’s become their theme, their own language that bounces back and forth between the readers and writers.

                I-Ping Chiang, Yi-Hsuan Chiang and Yu-Chi Lin discuss in their article, “The Antecedents and Consequences of Blogging Behavior,” the importance of bloggers interacting with their readers and what blogs readers are more likely to comment on.  In the article, they state, “Based on our findings people prefer to leave messages and make recommendations about sites that are within their realm of interest, such as the blogs of friends or people with similar interests.” (316).  They also found that interactive feedback was influential on the participating bloggers in their study in terms of social and informational reward.  These findings are essential to the Barstool blog success.

IV Conclusion

                Dave Portnoy and his band of cronies are running their blog exactly the way they want to.  Their personalized voice and connection with their audience of readers are fueling the fire of their success, even when challenged by powerhouse mainstream sites.  Barstool is anything but a part of the mainstream, but with their recent exponential success, they are belching and beer-ponging their way into it.

References:

Chiang, I-Ping; Chiang, Yi-Hsuan; Lin, Yu-Chi. “The Antecedents and Consequences of Blogging Behavior.” Social Behavior & Personality: an international journal, vol. 41, issue 2, 2013, pp. 311-317.

Katz, James; Lai, Chih-Hui. “News Blogging in Cross-Cultural Contexts: A Report on the Struggle for Voice.” Knowledge, Technology and Policy, vol. 22, issue 2, 2009, pp. 95-107.

Ankeny, Jason. “The Man Behind the ‘Bible of Bro Culture.’” Entrepreneur. November 17, 2016. Entrepreneur.com.