I Am Officially Retiring From Barstool Smokeshows

Today I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the Earth.

For the past 29 months, I have had the honor and privilege of running Barstool Smokeshows. My debut came on Wednesday, September 21st, 2016. Millions of kids grow up chasing this dream, and here I was living it out. I remember logging into the account for the first time. Gaz had given me all the account info and instructions. Just like that, a whole new world was unlocked.

My reign has lasted 881 days. This was my first ever post on the account. A brilliant pun.

You’ll never forget your first.

I know they say that when you dream, you’ll eventually wake up. Well, for some reason, I’ve never had to wake up. Because I’ve been living my dream every single day.

You never quite know when the game is going to tap you on the shoulder and say, “It’s time.” Well, that day has come. It actually came at my year-end review meeting when Dave said this was basically a waste of time since I’m now busy with other content stuff.

To be honest, he’s right. The time had come. My heart hasn’t been in it like it once was. I always said to myself that when this started to feel like a job, it would be time to move forward. But it doesn’t make saying goodbye any easier. I knew for awhile that I’d be giving up the account, but you can’t prepare yourself for the emotions that will hit you when the day actually comes.

I’ve experienced so many highlights in my career. Barstool Halloween 2016. Barstool Halloween 2017. The Barstool Booty Challenge. Spring Break Snapchat takeovers. Tailgate takeovers. Smokeshow Santas. Raising money for breast cancer through “Saturdays Are For The Boobs.” 4th Of July Patriotic Smokes, and much more. Then of course there have been the lowlights. There’s the Barstool Halloween Contest of 2018. But we don’t talk about that.

What will I miss most? I’m not sure, to be honest. I’ll miss it all. I’ll miss the creepy guys DMing the account thinking I’m one of the smokeshows. I’ll miss girls asking to be posted to make their ex-boyfriend jealous, like I was supposed to give a shit. I’ll miss girls submitting a pic, getting posted, and then 11 minutes later asking me to delete it. I’ll miss sending girls free merch and then having to hound them to actually take pictures we can post. I’ll miss the feeling of knowing I just launched a career. I’ll miss deleting any mean comments asking the girls how much they hate their fathers. I’ll miss it all. I’ll fucking miss it all, man.

Time for the thank yous. Thank you to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. You graced me with the natural ability and talent that has allowed me to play this game for so long. Thank you to Peter Chernin, Erika Nardini, and Dave Portnoy for all your support. Thank you to Gaz for giving me this job and teaching me everything you know. Having a veteran mentor like you in the clubhouse is the reason I was able to have the career that I did. Thank you to the all the girls I’ve posted. It’s been a pleasure watching your careers grow. I hope you’ll remember me fondly. To the girls I’ve blacklisted for various reasons, all deserved, maybe this can be a new start for you.

And most of all, thank you to the fans. Without you guys, none of this is possible. You have embraced me, loved me, respected me and have ALWAYS been there for me. This can be a tough, invasive, critical and demanding environment. You have high expectations and are anxious to see them met. I hope I delivered.

The account is now in the hands of Kyle. He is a behind-the-scenes social media manager, but he’s perfect for the job. He didn’t even have to interview.

He previously did DMV smokes for Nate. I know I can trust him. Kyle, if you’re reading this, enjoy every second of this journey. You never know when the moment’s coming where the game passes you by. It came for Gaz. It came for me. It will come for you. Enjoy it while it lasts.

Now you may be wondering if I have to give up the name Tommy “Smokes.” Never. It will always be a part of who I am. While my playing days are over, I’ll still be involved as a special advisor to the franchise. I’ve seen so much in my days and that knowledge is an invaluable resource. Plus, I will still be helping with merch pushes and posting the local smokes on the website that Kyle will find. But the bulk of it, the Instagram, is gone.

For the past 881 days, this account has been a huge part of my life. From my first days as an intern, to Alarmingly Stupid, to the March Madness rise, to college graduation, to Vape God, to everything in between, it’s always been a part of me. 3-6 posts a day every single day. Tiresome? Yes. Cumbersome? Yes. Menial? Yes. But worth it? Absolutely….. Absolutely.

Logging off now and forever,

Tommy Smokes