A Barstool Sports employee who was fired in May after repeating a racial slur while singing along to a rap song was re-hired by Barstool founder Dave Portnoy, he announced Wednesday.
Ben Mintz announced he was hired at Brick Watch Co., Portnoy’s new watch company, in a brief Twitter video. He wrote in a tweet that he was “grateful” for his family, friends, and “Stoolies” for helping him through “this hellacious month.” Mintz also praised Portnoy’s “loyalty.”
ANNOUNCEMINTZ
On my 40th birthday, I am being Re-hired by @stoolpresidente as the 1st employee of @BrickWatchCo!!!
I am so grateful to my family, friends & the Stoolies for getting me through this hellacious month. And I will NEVER forget Dave’s loyalty here!
Just When I… pic.twitter.com/HjD2dYieX8
— Mintzy (@DestroyerMintzy) May 31, 2023
Barstool and its parent company, Penn National, fired Mintz in a decision Portnoy publicly bemoaned at the time. “There is just no way anyone can look at that clip and think the punishment fits the crime. It makes my skin crawl, thinking a guy would lose their job on an innocent mistake,” Portnoy said.
Despite his public defense of Mintz, Portnoy conceded his firing to higher-ups, citing Penn’s status in a heavily regulated gambling industry.
Mintz, who changed his Twitter handle from @BarstoolMintzy to @DestroyerMintzy, revealed the incident affected him deeply.
“It’s been really hard on me, I’ve kept an upbeat face, but anyone that knows my character knows that me having to look online and see nothing but my name with a racial slur everywhere I go, that’s not easy on me, that’s not what I’m about,” Mintz said. (RELATED: Mississippi News Anchor Removed From Broadcast For Using Snoop Dogg Phrase)
He also revealed the comical moment that Portnoy offered him the job. “Dave called me to ask me about this job and here’s what Dave Portnoy said to me. He said ‘Mintzy, I got an idea. I want to hire you to be the first employee for Brick Watch, you’re not the smartest guy I ever hired that’s for sure, but you have a great heart and you’re a man of the people.'”
“It’s nice to know…” Mintz said, visibly emotional. “We live in a crazy world and crazy times, but there’s still some grace in this world.”
Portnoy later revealed Mintz is already hard at work trying to sell the watches, but doesn’t know where to buy them.
Quick update. My Brick watch salesman doesn’t know where to buy Brick Watches. pic.twitter.com/n74qsTqPkq
— Dave Portnoy (@stoolpresidente) May 31, 2023