Wake Up Barstool is FS1’s latest attempt to capture the morning sports fan audience, and for this maiden voyage, they brought in a renowned captain—or should I say El Presidente. That man is Dave Portnoy, the fabled, famous, notorious, and notable El Presidente of the conglomerate that is Barstool Sports.
Barstool has become as synonymous with sports as ESPN or any other worldwide brand. It has overtaken the sports landscape with regular-guy commentary, down-to-earth sports talk, and hard-nosed, in-your-face opinions, products, and marketing.
To say that Portnoy is a sports marketing genius is not an exaggeration. He created a multi-pronged portfolio that has completely redefined success in the world of media, merchandising, and business. Whether you agree with his opinions and style or not. You have to admire what he has done with his brand. This cat has permeated the psyche of America. From pizza reviews to politics and now as a regular on FOX’s Big Noon Kickoff and his Wake Up Barstool show on FS1.
Barstool is a mindset that appeals to the dyed-in-the-wool, meat-and-potatoes, nitty-gritty sports fan psyche. And it works. Portnoy and crew have captured the imagination and consternation of an entire nation.
Wake Up Barstool is an extension of this theme, with headlines, guests, and a philosophy on morning sports that is unique. The Barstool brand is both spastic and iconoclastic, and Wake Up Barstool is no exception.
Staying True to the Barstool Sports Brand
T-Bob Hebert opened the September 30 edition of the show wearing his Cubs jersey and previewing the content of that day’s show. I liked this cold open and the ensuing video montage that captures the morning theme with clips of toast, bacon, orange juice, pancakes, and eggs.
This day’s edition was stacked with potential content, including a review of weekend and Monday Night Football (MNF) games and a preview of the first batch of MLB Wild Card games.
Joining Hebert were show regulars Nick Turani, Eddie Farrer, and Dan “Barstool Big Cat” Katz. The set of the program is vintage Barstool. Leather chairs, sports memorabilia on the walls, and a basic coffee table in front of four dudes talking sports. They are all dressed casually, which is what the Barstool ethos is all about—no frills, no glitz, just solid sports talk.
It is the foundation on which Portnoy has built his empire.
This particular program emanated from Chicago, with a tough and gruff Windy City mindset for sure. The quartet jumped right in, saying that the doubleheader Monday Night Football telecasts this past week, in their own words, “stunk.” Big Cat stated, “It locked you into two absolutely terrible football games.”
While the show commentary rolls on, a lower-third graphic encourages fans to jump into the conversation and send social media thoughts and comments to @wakeupbarstool. Like anything Barstool, this is a fans’ show—run by fans, produced by fans, hosted by fans, and directed toward fans.
The foursome blasted through commentary on the Dolphins versus Jets game. Going over performances and stats, and talking about the season-ending injury to Miami wide receiver Tyreek Hill.
The essence of Wake Up Barstool is getting into the mindset of what a lot of fans think. This past week, in fact, I was talking to a buddy and lamenting the fact that ABC/ESPN now feels obligated to air two Monday Night Football games. When the historic essence and allure of MNF is that it is the only game on the schedule that night. That’s what made the brand so special. Talking about this type of sports angst is what makes the Barstool brand so special today. Both of these brands broke the accepted mold of sports and took criticism.
Portnoy himself might just be the Howard Cosell of his generation, although on a greater multimedia scale. He may have as many detractors as he has fans, but you absolutely, positively are drawn to what he has to say and the programming that he and his crew create. Real sports talk is about breaking free from the mold and, in fact, establishing a whole new mold.
Wake Up Barstool is doing that in the morning sports world. Although the show has yet to draw huge ratings, it is totally worth your time and eyes.
Staying Fun With Positive Vibes Only
From the set, Hebert threw to “Junior Football Analyst” Steven Cheah. With the show emanating from Chicago, Cheah had me with his vintage powder-blue and white-pinstriped Cubs jersey a la Dave Kingman. Some of the best parts of Wake Up Barstool are when the guys get away from talking about games and just chat amongst themselves. Coming back from the first break, Farrer talked about his own recent sports journey as a Chicago sports fan. With the Bears beating the Raiders this past weekend and the Cubs in the playoffs versus San Diego.
The Wake Up Barstool set features a slogan that reads Positive Vibes Only. While the panelists definitely engage in critical sports talk, there is an overall positive vibe to the show. It’s just a cool way to ease into your sports day, hanging with four chaps who love the games as much as you do. Farrer is like that guy you strike up a conversation with at the airport bar while waiting for your flight.
The Chicago flair of this particular edition brought back happy memories of the Da Bears segment on Saturday Night Live and of the original The Sportswriters on TV program, which also had a Chicago feel.
Coming back from a break, Big Cat and Cheah presented their computer power rankings of NFL teams, headed by what they called the juggernauts of the Eagles, Bills, and Lions. Wake Up Barstool incorporates graphics and game footage into the program, and on this edition. They were also joined by FOX baseball analyst and former MLB catcher A.J. Pierzynski—a fitting Barstool guest known for his fiery and candid commentary. Pierzynski was also donning his old White Sox jersey, adding to the Chicago theme.
While the panel spent a lot of time talking about the Monday night NFL games to open the show, the Supreme Debate segment was just the opposite, as they ripped through a bevy of topics.
This was my favorite part of the show, especially the section that featured a graphic reading, “Kickers should be kept in soundproof, dark rooms with blindfolds.” It is in this segment that the trademark ribald humor of Barstool came to the forefront.
One of the debate topics was, “Who you got: Bruce Pearl versus Paul Finebaum for Alabama Senate?” The quartet also touched on Bad Bunny’s upcoming Super Bowl halftime show. Also which non-football athlete could play quarterback in the NFL. These are the types of things that sports fans talk about while hanging out in the backyard or on the porch, tipping back a couple. Such is the heart of Wake Up Barstool.
As the show wound down, the group hit on a little college football talk and showed a telling graphic detailing Penn State head coach James Franklin’s poor records versus top 5 opponents, top 10 opponents, top 25 opponents, and versus Michigan and Ohio State since 2014—stats that I did not know before watching this show.
During the discussion, a funny graphic read, “Who do you trust more? James Franklin in a big game or your dog left alone with a rotisserie chicken?”
Real talk here: if you’re looking for slick sets, perfectly coiffed commentators, cutting-edge fashion, glitter, and rhinestones, this show is not for you. However, if you want straight-up, bare-bones, all-in sports chat, get your coffee, your donut, and settle in on your couch or your office chair at 8:00 AM EST for Wake Up Barstool.
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. To stay updated, sign up for our newsletters and get the latest information delivered straight to your inbox.
John Molori is a weekly columnist for Barrett Sports Media. He has previously contributed to ESPNW, Patriots Football Weekly, Golf Content Network, Methuen Life Magazine, and wrote a syndicated Media Blitz column in the New England region, which was published by numerous outlets including The Boston Metro, Providence Journal, Lowell Sun, and the Eagle-Tribune. His career also includes fourteen years in television as a News and Sports Reporter, Host, Producer working for Continental Cablevision, MediaOne, and AT&T. He can be reached on Twitter @MoloriMedia.
