PHILADEPLHIA, PA (Headline News USA) (Copyright © 2025) – Dave Portnoy, of Barstool Sports, has pulled away from a Philadelphia bar which faced public backlash due to an antisemitic sign placed outside the venue during the weekend. Community members together with religious leaders and national observers strongly denounced the incident which local authorities now investigate.

NBC10 Philadelphia reported that Barstool Sansom Street located in Center City displayed the sign on May 4 Saturday. The social media platform quickly spread an image of a sidewalk chalkboard displaying the antisemitic message “I hate Jews.”

The display of offensive content provoked Jewish advocacy organizations including the ADL to condemn the incident and led the Philadelphia Police Department to start an investigation. The Philadelphia Police Department confirmed to NBC10 that they are actively conducting an assessment of the situation.

The incident started after the picture spread across the internet and Portnoy took immediate action. The founder used his social media platforms to distribute a video which strongly condemned the incident while explaining that the Barstool Sports company lacks operational influence over the Sansom Street bar because it licenses their name.

“We are not partners with them. The company does not own that location. The company does not manage this facility. The business uses our name through a licensing agreement. Portnoy stated in the video that “I’m finding out who wrote that.” I need to identify their identity. I need to learn all about the process that led to this incident. I want to verify that such incidents will not repeat themselves in the future.

During his interview with FOX 29 Philadelphia Portnoy clarified his position by declaring his distaste for anyone who finds such content amusing. The barstool Sports organization will take legal and contractual action after finding the person responsible for the incident.

The bar has not issued any public statements during Monday morning. At present the person who wrote the message along with the process of its placement on the sidewalk board remains unknown to the public.

The Philadelphia chapter of the ADL condemned the sign as a dangerous hateful message that should not exist in the city. Through their X platform statement the organization declared “This is not a joke. This is hate speech. We expect a full accounting and firm consequences for those involved.”

The city officials have displayed their worries about the situation. Councilmember Isaiah Thomas expressed his opposition to antisemitism within Philadelphia through his Twitter post. Full stop. The situation is abhorrent and demands the strongest possible condemnation.

Antisemitic incidents continue to grow across the United States during this period. The ADL documented a new national high of antisemitic occurrences during 2023 which included various forms of harassment and vandalism and physical assaults. The city of Philadelphia has experienced numerous prominent incidents that received media attention throughout recent years.

Business owners along with their brand licensors maintain complete control over the content displayed in their public business spaces especially when hate speech appears. Communications attorney Lila Morgan stated that business owners maintain complete authority over public-facing commercial spaces including the need to monitor hate speech displays even if their business operates independently.

Mr. Portnoy remains actively engaged in the situation because the parent brand needs to protect its values and reputation from any misrepresentation or damage. The reason Mr. Portnoy maintains such a strong public position regarding the situation.

Barstool Sansom Street represents a sports bar which launched as part of the Barstool brand network during late 2022. The business combines Barstool’s aggressive sports media approach with standard bar and restaurant services to attract mostly young male sports enthusiasts.

The company has faced criticism because of its brand identity. The sports media company Barstool has received criticism about its marketing approaches as well as comments from personalities including Portnoy which were deemed inflammatory. Many observers view his immediate response as a proper action because of the situation.

The sign’s message deeply saddened Rabbi Daniel Levitt who directs the Jewish Center of Philadelphia. Mr. Portnoy receives credit for his powerful statement which excludes any attempt to defend himself.

The investigation regarding the sign’s source remains active according to the Philadelphia Police Department. The investigation continues by authorities who examine surveillance footage while collecting statements from witnesses. People who have information about the incident should contact the department’s bias crimes unit.

Image Credit: Photo of Dave Portnoy by U.S. Embassy Jerusalem is licensed under CC BY 2.0.