Dave Portnoy, the Barstool Sports founder known for his unusual antics, revealed he was 'weirdly' approached for a government gig at the Department of Commerce—but it seems the government ghosted him after the call.

In a twist that could only happen to a man who once turned a pizza review into a national pastime, Portnoy's oddball government offer came from Secretary Howard Lutnick. The inadvertent invite would have required Portnoy to abandon his Barstool throne, but after a mysterious radio silence from the government, it appears his social media antics may remain safely outside the confines of federal bureaucracy.

Portnoy's adventurous foray into the political arena was, as he put it, 'weird.' This statement could be interpreted in many ways, especially when coming from someone who garners attention for rating pizzas with the same seriousness that diplomats treat international treaties. He described the phone call that attempted to lure him into the government as bizarre, perhaps comparing it to finding pineapple on a pizza—or worse yet, anchovies.

In a world where former presidents find themselves on social media platforms discussing everything from foreign policy to the merits of various hairstyles, an offer from the government to a media mogul isn't entirely unheard of. However, the offer was not backed up by any follow-up communications, which leaves one to wonder if the Department of Commerce misplaced Portnoy's email or simply decided that their government needed fewer pizza aficionados in office.

As the founder of Barstool Sports in 2003, Portnoy has cultivated a brand that thrives on expressing opinions rather than navigating the intricacies of government protocols. His move to potentially join a governmental department would have required him to step down from his influential role at Barstool, a sacrifice that would have made him a hero—or a traitor, depending on who you ask in his pizza-loving fanbase.

Barstool itself is not without its own dramatic history. After selling a majority stake to The Chernin Group in 2016 for an amount that could likely fund a fleet of pizza delivery cars, Portnoy made a triumphant return in early 2023, acquiring it back for the hushed sum of $1. Yes, that’s right—$1. Some might say it was a bargain worthy of a clearance sale, whilst others might compare it to the value of some of the pizzas he has reviewed (which is often scathing, but at least delivered with a smile).

In the past, Portnoy hasn't shied away from controversial opinions; his outspoken support of Trump caught media attention after he famously interviewed the former president at the White House—an image accompanied by the irony of having a pizza-hating politician on the same screen with a man committed to reviewing slices with the utmost rigor. Perhaps the government thought Portnoy's loud personality might lend some flair to bureaucratic meetings, but he seems more dedicated to promoting slices rather than policies.

The Department of Commerce, typically known for handling the intricacies of trade agreements and economic data, might not be ready for someone with Portnoy's penchant for hot takes and occasionally questionable humor. He could have walked into the department and declared war on soggy pizza crusts instead of tariffs and trade imbalances, ushering in a new age of American cuisine.