Kirk Minihane says Dave Portnoy dodges political debates with anyone who might challenge him. Moreover, the Barstool Sports host believes that reluctance ended The Unnamed Show last year.
What We Know: Portnoy launched The Unnamed Show in January 2024 alongside Minihane and former NHL player Ryan Whitney, but ended the program last November. However, Minihane stepped away from Barstool in November 2025, citing mental health concerns. He has since returned to The Kirk Minihane Show. Meanwhile, Portnoy has made frequent appearances on Fox News to discuss political matters. He also confirmed earlier this year the reasoning behind the show’s cancelation. Those Fox News appearances led to Minihane discussing the end of The Unnamed Show as rooted in Portnoy’s desire to avoid political discussion on Barstool programming because of clip culture online.
What They Said: (All quotes via The Kirk Minihane Show):
Kirk Minihane says Dave Portnoy won’t talk politics with anyone who could challenge him on topics: “I think Dave’s [Portnoy] a big p***y about it because he won’t go on anybody who challenges him. He’ll go on Fox News and get his d*** sucked. But he goes one by one with Kirk Minihane, and he melts. He literally said it to me. He said I can’t do The Unnamed Show anymore, because I can’t handle you.”
Kirk Minihane on Dave Portnoy talking politics on FOX News: “We got a boss [Dave Portnoy] who’s like, ‘I don’t want to do The Unnamed Show anymore because I don’t want to talk politics. And I’m [on] fu****g Fox News talking on every fu****g political show in the world. Idiot.”
What Remains Unclear: First, it remains unclear whether Portnoy will respond to Minihane’s claims. Additionally, no official reason for the show’s end has surfaced despite Portnoy and Minihane discussing the topic. It is also unknown whether The Unnamed Show could ever return as it was one of Barstool’s most popular podcasts.
What It Means: Ultimately, the remarks reignite a potential feud between two of Barstool’s most prominent personalities. Beyond that, Minihane is openly questioning whether his boss can handle political pushback. As a result, Portnoy’s Fox News appearances could face added scrutiny because of Minihane’s public criticism of them. Still, the pair has clashed publicly many times before. They could do it again.
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