Why Vindog Quit His Job To Join Barstool Sports

It was November 12th, at 4:49 pm, a Thursday. I received a notification on Twitter- "Dave Portnoy followed you." A minute later I got a direct message, it's from Dave. And in that moment, my life took a very bizarre turn.

I met with Dave on Black Friday in the comfortable lobby of Liberty Hotel in Boston, where I told him tales of my early days winning eBay auctions in the closing seconds, the eBay equivalent to the NBA's buzzer-beater. Michael Jordan's got nothing on me. 

At the time, I was in my seventh year as a Plumbing Instructor at a local High School, in a shop I designed and built. In May of 2015, a month short of my 58th birthday, I was awarded the "Rookie of the Year," making me the oldest ROY - Eva! I was going to work there a few more years and then retire...

At first, I thought I was too old to reboot, but then my youngest son pointed out that Colonel Sanders was 62 when he first franchised his special recipe Kentucky Fried Chicken. Colonel Sanders had given me indigestion in the past, but now he was giving me the inspiration I needed. Thank you, Colonel!

I've tried to provide my three kids with original proverbs they can live by, and it was time to listen to my own advice. "Some people stand knee-deep in shit for so long they don't even smell it" - Yes, it was time for a change. Working for Barstool Sports would provide me with the opportunity to do things I had dreamed of my entire life, so I was unable to say no. I accepted Dave Portnoy's offer, and I gave my 30-day notice. 

In addition to being a plumber and teacher, I'm also a seasoned blogger, and I've been in some very spirited "blog wars" with sports writers from local newspapers, sometimes into the wee hours. I didn't know it then, but it was preparing me for the "meme wars" I'd later have on Facebook. The response to my older blog posts “Another Day at the Beach to Please You-Know-Who" and "The Time I Unnowingly Became A Funeral Crasher" has been great, and I look forward to writing new blogs and reposting more of the vintage ones. 

I'm no one-trick pony. I've produced videos where I've plunged sinks, pitched tools, popped out of a dumpster and then almost got crushed by it, built a 20.5 lb. eggplant parmesan for Super Bowl Sunday (a personal best), and recently I launched some ballistic memes at the angry sports writer, Dan Shaughnessy. He dissed me six years ago, and I haven't forgotten...

What do I like most about becoming a full-time Barstool employee? The endless possibilities! And now, when people get up to go to the bathroom, they don't have to ask for my permission first.

Buckle up, Stoolies, we're going for a ride!