Two really rich guys are arguing over Saudi Arabian money.
Tom Brady recently announced that he is kind of coming out of retirement to play flag football in March 2026 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Brady made the announcement alongside a Saudi Arabian sports promoter and royal adviser.
“Anybody who’s like this was normal — it wasn’t — it was weird,” said Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy on Monday’s edition of “Wake Up Barstool.”
Dave Portnoy Says Brady Receiving $75 Million
Portnoy questions if Brady can be bought.
He said that Brady is receiving $75 million to participate in the Fanatic Flag Football Classic on March 21.
“$75 million he got paid to do this,” Portnoy said. “The fastest growing game in the world, flag football. Question obviously is, how much for each of you?” Portnoy asked of his two guests, current Fox NFL analyst Greg Olsen and former NFL head coach Jon Gruden.
Tom Brady Claps Back at Portnoy
On Monday afternoon, Brady went on social media to challenge Portnoy’s claim of a $75 million payout.
“Are we just picking numbers out of a hat and reporting them?” Brady wrote. “While we’re breaking news… Elvis is doing the halftime show, and babe Ruth is gonna sign some autographs for fans. Also I heard Dave prefers floppy pizza. Who cares about facts right?”
Five minutes later, Portnoy responded, saying he had invited Brady onto the show to discuss the matter.
“That’s the number I was told. Let the record show we did ask you to come on ‘Wake Up Barstool’ to discuss. The door is always open,” Portnoy wrote, adding in another post, “By the way wouldn’t that be a compliment to Tom Brady? Nobody would turn down 75 million. What do we think the real number is then? I feel like I trusted the people who told me but either way I’d rather the number in public be higher rather than lower.”
This also comes just days after Barstool star Dave “Big Cat” Katz revealed that he and Portnoy had turned down $10 million to attend a boxing match in Saudi Arabia, though they would have accepted $15 million. That revelation likely influenced Portnoy’s question to Olsen and Gruden, reflecting his view that everyone has a price.
Portnoy Questions Doing Business with Saudi Arabia
In addition to Brady, the tournament will feature Rob Gronkowski, Christian McCaffrey, Saquon Barkley, CeeDee Lamb, Sauce Gardner, Myles Garrett, Brock Bowers, Maxx Crosby, Tyreek Hill, and Odell Beckham Jr. On the sidelines, Raiders’ Pete Carroll and Broncos’ Sean Payton will join 49ers’ Kyle Shanahan as head coaches.
It’s also worth noting that the $75 million figure Portnoy mentioned is small is size compared to what Saudi Arabia is paying other athletes. Several LIV Golf players have secured contracts worth hundreds of millions, and soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo recently signed a two-year, $700 million deal with Saudi club Al Nassr.
Portnoy’s line of questioning suggests he sees a moral issue in doing business with Saudi Arabia. The Middle Eastern nation has increasingly expanded into the U.S. market in recent years, particularly in boxing and golf. However, as ESPN reports, Saudi Arabia has long used sports and high-profile athletes to bolster its global image.
Human rights organizations have criticized the country’s rulers for a persistent record of repressing dissent.
Most notably, in 2018, Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi, a critic of the Saudi leadership, was killed and dismembered inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul by individuals with close ties to senior Saudi officials, according to U.S. authorities.