It's a Pirate's Life for Dave Portnoy and Barstool Sports

It's a fall Sunday afternoon and for every hotdog eating, contact loving American this means watching NFL football. But what you might not know is that the means of keeping up with sports scores and news is expanding. And it's awesome.

Don't confuse expansion with change. You're still watching the games live on ESPN, CBS, NBC, and FOX on your television because these networks reign king and that statement will probably remain true for your grandchildren. In 2011 the NFL signed TV deals with major networks worth $27 billion. However there are alternative ways in which you can catch major sports news, big hits, crazy plays, and even snapshots of good looking cheerleaders (I told you it was awesome, all from your laptop or smartphone. And it's catching fire. This is mostly among college aged males in their 20s. There are multiple popular sports reporting/blogging sites right now such as Bleacher Report, SBnation, and Yardbarker. But the one that seems to create the most buzz while breaking the most amount of traditional rules in Barstool Sports, founded by Dave Portnoy in 2003. 

What started out as a New England influenced print publication featuring fantasy football projections (they still do that and much more)is now a site fully staffed with bloggers from all over the country reporting on not only sports news/scores but various aspects of pop culture. Portnoy, also known as El Pres, has been featured on TV and been in magazines even though he doesn't have to for people to know who he is. That's just the buzz his site has created. It's nontraditional and doesn't have many rules, creating some sparks of criticism which competitors are quick to jump on. 

All in all, I think Barstool Sports is great for you, the fan, even if more traditional forms of media don't think so. I think everyone wants as much attention as possible from the fan, because that means more money. For a true sports loving fan that wants more than just the score of a game, Barstool hits from all cylinders where others simply don't providing you with funny, accurate information and opinions with a touch of a button. From a social media standpoint they are all over it, with hundreds of thousands of followers on Twitter and Facebook. Ask most football loving 20 somethings and they are most likely familiar with the term, "Viva La Stool".

I predict Barstool Sports and others like it will only continue to grow in popularity because of its verastile nature, easiness to use, and appeal to college aged kids across America. 

If traditional major media is getting jealous, maybe they should start taking notes.