Suitman Peter Nelson Out At HBO, Dave Portnoy Declares Victory
Peter Nelson is officially out at HBO, and Barstool Sports boss Dave Portnoy has already declared victory.
On Monday afternoon, news emerged that Nelson, also known as Suitman, was leaving HBO on “his own terms.” The move is said to be part of a larger restructuring in which AT&T, the parent company of HBO, is de-prioritizing its ‘Sports’ division.
This was met with laughter and glee from Portnoy, who has considered Nelson a personal enemy due to his efforts to separate the Call Her Daddy podcast from the Barstool brand.
RIP SUITMAN https://t.co/yeXaStRda3 pic.twitter.com/1gm7YQix8g
— Dave Portnoy (@stoolpresidente) August 10, 2020
Don’t say I didn’t try to warn him #suitman pic.twitter.com/JnnT8aOMbK
— Dave Portnoy (@stoolpresidente) August 10, 2020
Nelson was ultimately unsuccessful in accomplishing that feat, and in many people’s eyes cost Sofia Franklyn a pretty cushy gig.
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Suitman Peter Nelson Leaving HBO Was Inevitable
In many ways, Nelson departing HBO was something that was going to happen sooner rather than later no matter what.
HBO opted to get rid of its boxing content last year and has been very lazy to make new sports-related content. Although its documentaries are some of the best in the business, they are produced too infrequently and marketed too poorly to make sort of meaningful financial dent.
The lack of boxing, the infrequency of the documentaries, and the absence of any forward momentum as it pertains to sports made Nelson something of a useless figure with diminishing power in his old post.
As such, this most recent move should not come as much of a shock.
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Twitter Is Having Itself A Field Day
Due to Nelson’s well-documented feud with Portnoy, Twitter had itself a good time at his expense late Monday. Jokes about both him and Franklyn rolled out in droves, with many wondering what would come next for the pair.
This is to mean so I can’t post it https://t.co/RMhT7e8vR9
— Dave Portnoy (@stoolpresidente) August 10, 2020
To be clear, it seems like Nelson is fairly well-liked in the industry and has connections that will permit him to land comfortably somewhere else. But until he gets a job more high-profile than the one he is currently leaving, he will probably continue to be the butt of a lot of jokes.
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Portnoy Plans To Pop A Bottle
Portnoy has developed an interesting tradition over the last few years. When his enemies fall, he pops a bottle with their name on it to celebrate the occasion.
A bottle with Nelson’s name has already been prepared.
Put this on ice for when I get home tomorrow #suitman pic.twitter.com/QCaK10Q2Lt
— Dave Portnoy (@stoolpresidente) August 10, 2020
According to Portnoy, it will ultimately be popped on Tuesday. Given the Barstool head honcho’s propensity for mocking his foes on camera and with the whole world watching, the event will likely be televised.
While Nelson’s next steps are uncertain, Portnoy is having the time of his life. His pivot to stock trading is a viral hit, and in a time when sports is recording record low ratings, he is thriving.
Moreover, Penn Stock has completely rebounded from its COVID lows, increasing Portnoy’s net worth to more than $200 million according to some estimates.
A lot of people have been waiting to see Portnoy fall so that they could pop bottles of their own. But if recent history is any indication, those folks are going to need to keep their bottles on ice for a long, long time.
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A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
