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Barstool Sports CEO Erika Nardini Criticized for Supporting Women's Hockey League...

Barstool Sports CEO Erika Nardini gets criticized for supporting NWHL.

Sash

The past few days, the internet has been insane because of fucking GameStop.

With all the GameStop madness, I saw this video Dave Portnoy posted yesterday on my Twitter timeline.

So apparently, what happened was Barstool Sports CEO, Erika Nardini, has been catching some heat because she passionately follows a women's hockey league called the NWHL. It appears players and reporters that cover the league are upset that the NWHL has any affiliation with Barstool.

With the criticism Nardini received, her podcast Token CEO posted this video. It compiles a bunch of tweets that criticized NWHL's affiliation with Barstool. Of course, this got a lot of drama because anything Barstool puts out enrages the masses.

NWHL Commissioner, Tyler Tumminia came out with this statement:

On behalf of the NWHL, I would like to respond to the video posted last night by a media platform about the NWHL, investment, fan engagement and coverage. As Commissioner, my top priority is to protect, promote and reinforce the values of the NWHL and its players. First and foremost, we must remain inclusive and empowering for women. The success of our movement hinges on respect, opportunity, and a strong sense of connectedness across our players, teams, staff, fans, partners and avid supporters. Let’s keep the focus on our athletes and build on the momentum created in the first few exciting days here in Lake Placid. There is no circumstance where it would be acceptable to call out many of the reporters, staff members and fans who have given so much to women’s hockey, especially knowing that these people could be targeted or harassed on social media. In this world of social media, I’m concerned about the impact of the video and the aftermath of it on members of the NWHL family. Together, we will do everything we can to work through it with open communication and transparency.

This whole thing seems a little crazy to me. Has Barstool had their fair share of controversy? Of course, every media company has. After doing some research, the NWHL is broadcasted on NBC. Should they back out of NBC because of their troubled history with sexual assault?

Also, if you're a league that's trying to grow, wouldn't you want the CEO of the fastest growing media company on your side? She's giving the league free publicity and bringing in a new audience. It's a moronic move in my opinion to alienate someone that can bring so much to your league. Especially when you're a league that's trying to grow.

I guess the point I'm trying to make is just because Portnoy said something a few years ago doesn't mean it reflects the whole company. Do Matt Lauer's past actions represent NBC as a whole? Of course not. I don't agree with everything Barstool does, but at the end of the day, I look at them as a comedy site. I don't take anything they do seriously. People go there to see Big Cat interview Patrick Mahomes and ask questions like how many gallons of ketchup he can buy with his new contract.

So I guess we're at a point where we criticize women supporting women. How upside-down did our society get in the past few years to get to this point?

NWHLBarstool SportsErika NardiniSportsEntertainment