THE CREDIT BELONGS TO PABLO TORRE — I DARE SAY — WHILE IDIOTS ENJOY DAVE PORTNOY
On his podcast, “Pablo Torre Finds Out,” he vowed to correct wrongdoing in his Belichick reporting — and did so by pointing out problems with NFLPA executive director Lloyd Howell Jr., who resigned
Tootsie’s Cabaret is a strip club that might be visited someday by Dave Portnoy, if he hasn’t already. The south Florida joint was not reported in the news by the latest bulging member of Fox Sports, but it was set into play by Pablo Torre. Across America, kids who ache to be sports media people — heaven help them in 2025 — notice Portnoy and Barstool Sports signing deals to host “Big Noon Kickoff’’ and other TV programs.
The youngsters think he has the ideal path in a daily existence: Dominate social media, chase women, goof off, eat pizza slices and issue ratings in various cities. It’s definitely the phony way to get ahead in a kingdom partially operated by Fox Sports CEO and executive producer Eric Shanks, who signed Tom Brady to a $375 million contract — why? — and hired Portnoy to oppose ESPN on Saturday mornings during college football season.
Allow me, instead, to praise Torre, who began a series of stories that uncovered dirty business in the NFL and the players’ union. Thursday night, Lloyd Howell Jr. resigned as executive director of the Players Association after: (1) Torre connected him to a collusion case involving the league and the union; (2) ESPN reported Howell was a defendant in a sexual discrimination and retaliation lawsuit filed in 2011 by a partner at the Booz Allen firm; (3) Torre reported JC Tretter, a former union president and a chief strategy officer, urged players to fake injuries as the league was lowballing the salaries of Saquon Barkley and other running backs; and (4) ESPN reported Howell charged the union for two visits to strip clubs, including a 2023 car-service bill of $738.62 from the Fort Lauderdale airport to … Tootsie’s in Miami Gardens, which calls itself one of the world’s largest porn palaces.
“Full nude, No. 1 rated,” it claims.
Portnoy has been in worse places. Aspirants in our business should aim to be Torre, who has worked meaningfully to prove he’s a serious journalist when the professional element hardly exists these days. Weeks ago, he was way off in his reporting about Bill Belichick, claiming his girlfriend. Jordon Hudson, would be banned from the North Carolina football program. She was not banned, with the university quickly saying, “She is welcome to the Carolina football facilities. Jordon will continue to manage all activities related to Coach Belichick’s personal brand.” Torre was dead wrong and looked bad. I hammered him in a column and on a podcast.
I asked: Why would ESPN consider Torre as a replacement on “Pardon the Interruption,” hearing the network possibly might team him with Peter Schrager as successors to Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon? His podcast, “Pablo Torre Finds Out,” seemed wacko and not worth following in the media hailstorm. To his credit, however, he spoke publicly and vowed to prove he knows how to function.
On June 24, Torre uncovered collusion between Howell and NFL owners concerning Deshaun Watson’s fully guaranteed $230 million deal. Personally, it made sense for owners to remind others to avoid another all-time financial screwup. But who knew that Howell had much larger problems? As ESPN’s Don Van Natta Jr. and Kalyn Kahler reported Friday, strip clubs were part of his life. In February of this year, Howell joined two union employees in Atlanta, used two VIP rooms and made $2,426 in charges and cash withdrawals. “Player Engagement Event to support & grow our Union,” said his expense report.
Said Howell, 59: “It's clear that my leadership has become a distraction to the important work the NFLPA advances every day. For this reason, I have informed the NFLPA Executive Committee that I am stepping down as Executive Director of the NFLPA and Chairman of the Board of NFL Players effective immediately. I hope this will allow the NFLPA to maintain its focus on its player members ahead of the upcoming season.”
It’s time to give Torre props, something I never imagined I’d be doing. His original report helped ESPN to expose Howell, leaving multiple difficult questions for players as they start a new season. Torre’s podcast has nothing to do with ESPN, as he is paid by Meadowlark Media. Dan Le Batard founded the network and loves Torre. We’ll wait to see what the show reports next, and hopefully, he avoids Belichick and Hudson. Would he ever host PTI? Would Bristol ever have him? He is close to Erik Rydholm, who produces the show, but Le Batard is a frequent critic of his former network.
I’d give the tandem time. Maybe there is no future for PTI, which probably wouldn’t run what Torre breaks and would hand it to investigative reporters such as Van Natta. Wrote Pat McAfee, who is allowed to comment and played eight years in the league: “The NFLPA has been led by people who would much rather be known that they’re the heads of the NFLPA than actually work and act like they are the heads of the NFLPA. … These dudes think they’re celebrities. These dudes think they’re powerful. These dudes hire all of their friends and overpay them with the players’ money. Then these dudes flex while using and abusing all of the connections as the players and the league have worked their asses off.”
Torre’s work on Howell serves as another reminder that Shanks has no clue about life. He replaced executive Charlie Dixon, who was accused of sexual battery in two lawsuits, and brought in Portnoy — who was accused of sexual misconduct by women in 2021 and 2022.
“Dave has built a one-of-a-kind brand that connects with a new generation of sports fans — authentic, bold, and original,” Shanks said. “Their unique voice and loyal fanbase makes them a natural fit for our evolving multiplatform content strategy.”
Any comment, Charlie?
Any comment, Pablo?
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Jay Mariotti, called “without question the most impacting Chicago sportswriter of the past quarter-century,’’ writes general sports columns for Substack while appearing on some of the 1,678,498 podcasts and shows in production today. He is an accomplished columnist, TV panelist and talk/podcast host. Living in Los Angeles, he gravitated by osmosis to film projects.