The Making of El Presidente

Dave Portnoy: Cancel Me If You Can traces Portnoy’s path from distributing a free sports newspaper around Boston to building Barstool Sports into a sprawling digital media company.

He revisits the risks, business deals, public feuds and internal conflicts that shaped the brand, including its sales, corporate partnerships and eventual return to his ownership. Portnoy also recounts his rise as an internet personality, the success of his One Bite pizza reviews and his role in developing some of Barstool’s biggest personalities.

His book is a firsthand account of an unconventional media career driven by instinct and an appetite for attention.

Portnoy in His Own Words

Portnoy delivers the story in the blunt, confrontational voice that has defined his public persona. The book moves quickly through major milestones, controversies and fractured relationships, presenting each episode firmly from his perspective. Its direct storytelling, behind-the-scenes details and familiar humor give longtime Barstool followers an accessible account of events they have watched unfold for years.

The self-assured tone leaves limited room for reflection, making the book feel equally like an entrepreneurial memoir, a defense of Portnoy’s decisions and a final word for his critics. Its immediate commercial success reflects the size and loyalty of the audience surrounding Barstool Sports.