Adam “Smitty” Smith spent more than a year away from the public spotlight. During that time, he focused on self-reflection, personal growth, therapy and overcoming the challenges surrounding his very public departure from Barstool Sports. For more than 15 years, Smith had been a regular Barstool personality, blogging daily and producing content to meet the relentless demands of social media.
Following his departure, however, Smith wanted to return to his roots in Philadelphia. It was where he grew up, played football and began his sports media journey. When he felt ready to return, an opportunity emerged. This time, it wasn’t in the national spotlight he had grown accustomed to. Instead, it offered a chance to reconnect with the community he had grown to love.
“It was a lot of right place, right time,” Smith said of his new role with 97.5 The Fanatic. “I always had it in the back of my mind that I would love to be doing something local again. Once you have family, you focus on what’s more important to you. It’s about happiness and stability. So, once this opportunity opened at 97.5 The Fanatic, I was very active in pursuing it.”
Opportunity Knocks
Following John Kincade’s departure from The Fanatic’s morning show, Smith applied for the opening. He already had longstanding relationships with several personalities at the Philadelphia-based sports radio station, including Andrew Salciunas, who would remain in mornings after Kincade’s exit.
While exploring opportunities to return to the local market, Smith said he spoke with both The Fanatic and its crosstown rival, Sportsradio 94WIP. Although nothing materialized with WIP, the morning opening at The Fanatic gave him an opportunity to explore a potential fit.
“Once I sat down with Scott Masteller [program director of 97.5 The Fanatic], it became a really good fit,” Smith said. “Scott saw something in me, and I love Scott’s experience over time in sports radio. I’m not classically trained [in radio]. So, learning from him in this role was something I was looking forward to in broadening my horizons in media.”
Smith didn’t land the full-time morning role he had hoped to secure. Instead, the station moved Jon Marks from middays to mornings. However, Masteller found a way to bring Smith aboard as a weekly contributor to the morning show. His experience at Barstool Sports also gave him valuable insight into how the station could strengthen its digital strategy.
In the months between Barstool Sports and The Fanatic, Smith considered launching his own independent platform. After evaluating the resources and time such an endeavor would require, however, he shifted his focus toward finding greater stability, comfort and the collaborative environment he felt he needed.
“I started looking for spots around Philadelphia that I knew where I would fit in and grow. 97.5 The Fanatic, it’s a perfect fit because I see a lot of potential in what they’re building right now beyond radio,” Smith said. “Let’s be honest. Radio isn’t the future. So, I’m excited to be a part of this team and help them build beyond radio. There’s a lot of similarities in house with The Fanatic to what the feeling of the early Barstool Days were like in 2013.”
The Long Road Back
Smith’s journey back to sports media wasn’t easy. In October 2024, he experienced a public mental health moment during an episode of The Unnamed Show, featuring Kirk Minihane, Ryan Whitney and Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy.
Following the episode, Smith sought help for what he described as deep depression that he had been dealing with “for years.” He said the condition triggered a manic episode and a state of psychosis. At one point, he recalled, he even forgot how to make oatmeal one morning.
At Barstool Sports’ urging, Smith stepped away to seek treatment. During his recovery, he also shut down his social media accounts at the recommendation of his doctors.
“It was a long recovery. For me and my family’s sake, I wasn’t even going to tip my toe in the water till I was absolutely ready to come back,” Smith said. “It hurt drastically to not be a part of a Philadelphia Eagles Super Bowl run. It was extraordinarily difficult to be away from the public presence of that moment. But it was absolutely necessary. I’m thankful for that period of time to heal myself and get back.”
Smith said the recovery process gave him a new outlook on everything from sports and work to life in general. As he considered his next steps, he even contemplated returning to school to become a teacher or football coach at a local high school.
His experience at Barstool Sports also opened the door to social media consulting. Meanwhile, Smith volunteered with Bringing Hope Home, a Philadelphia-area charity that helps cancer patients meet their financial needs.
Still, Smith admitted that he sometimes worried about spending too much time away from the sports media industry.
“Time was suspended for me content wise. I thought I could come back and pick up where I left off. Obviously, that wasn’t reality, but I’m not regretting coming back the way I did,” Smith said. “I had to be away till I was mentally capable of coming back. But I knew in the Barstool world, when I didn’t come back for the Super Bowl [LIX] involving the Eagles, I kind of knew that was it unfortunately.”
Barstool Sports Departure
When reflecting on his departure from Barstool Sports, Smith said he was surprised when the company informed him that he wouldn’t be returning after completing his recovery.
“It was a surprise, because that’s not what I was told when everything went down. I was told to get help, get ready, and come back. That there would be a discussion of a contract extension when I came back. There was none of that,” Smith explained. “I reached out to Dave [Portnoy] in September [2025] when I got the clearance, which was the second I was ready. I put together a way that I could return both blogging and addressing the situation with a video to sort of make light of what happened. My intention was to humanize and humorize what I went through. But I understand how what happened with Barstool could put them in a precarious situation. I don’t fault Dave or Barstool for that. But that was quite a shock after 15 years to [receive that] via text message.”
Smith said the experience is now behind him as he focuses on moving forward. He doesn’t actively avoid Barstool content, but he no longer seeks it out. Looking back on his time working for Portnoy, Smith said he views his tenure as two distinct experiences with two different versions of the Barstool founder.
He described the earlier version of Portnoy as an older brother who was welcoming, encouraging and willing to help him grow. At times, the two played off each other through a wrestling-style kayfabe approach to generate engagement and interest.
“Dave [Portnoy] does and thinks what he wants. Once the company got bigger, the direct communication wasn’t there as much with him. He surrounds himself with who he wants, and they tell him what they want to tell him. It’s difficult, especially the later years, to get a read or any sort of communication,” Smith explained. “But I’ll always be grateful to Dave. He’s a star and built something so unique and original… Credit to him for always being on top of the game and always evolving.”
Now, Smith is entering a new chapter. He’s not trying to recreate what he had at Barstool Sports. Instead, he wants to take the lessons, experiences and perspective he gained over 15 years and apply them to a venture with a different kind of potential.
At 97.5 The Fanatic, Smith sees an opportunity to help a Philadelphia institution grow beyond the radio dial, strengthen its digital presence and connect with audiences in new ways. His goal isn’t simply to find his place in sports media again. He wants to help build something other radio stations can study and emulate as they consider the future of the industry.
After spending years helping Barstool Sports evolve into a digital powerhouse, Smith is ready to put those lessons to work in his hometown.
“I love being a part of the team atmosphere at The Fanatic. Hopefully I can help everyone there. But I also see the value in becoming a name again in the traditional sense. While branching out to other things that I have planned coming up,” Smith said, hinting at a new project in the new year. “I’m hoping to see The Fanatic platform reach new heights, but I’m also going to use that platform to extenuate what I’m hoping to build as well.”
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