‘He will not be back next year’: Dave Portnoy reveals the Internet Invitational star who will be banned in 2027
The dust has finally settled on the 2026 Internet Invitational. On Friday afternoon, 24 hours after the finale went live, Barstool Sports head honcho Dave Portnoy took to X to make a big announcement:
Salim “The Dream” Sirur will not be part of the field in 2027.
“Salim’s a nice kid and I hope he gets the help he needs,” said Portnoy with an uncharacteristic glimmer of empathy, “but my god he f—ing ruined it [the final match] … It’s selfish to every mother—er there to do what he did. He will NOT be back next year. If he is, I’m OUT.”
Yes, you read that right. Portnoy, who made it clear this year that he does not have veto power over the final invitees, will walk away from Internet Invitational (Barstool Sports? Planet Earth?) if Salim doesn’t serve at least a one-year suspension after getting blackout drunk and tanking the $4-million-dollar final.
According to Portnoy, not everyone in the Internet Invitational group chat, featuring members of the Barstool and Bob Does Sports brass, agree. Some believe Salim should return immediately for a villain and/or redemption arc. Portnoy, meanwhile, would prefer a “three-to-five-year suspension,” but seems willing to settle for a one-year ban, at least for the time being.
Despite his hardline stance on the Nelk influencer, Portnoy says there are no impending punishments for other competitors such as Wesley Bryan, Sam Heung-Min and Big John, who all had controversies of their own during and after the tournament.
“I don’t give a f—k about any of that,” Portnoy said. “I do appreciate them all coming to the tournament because I don’t think the tournament works without having great golfers and all sorts of personalities from across the globe.”