Dave Portnoy has strongly criticized USA Today columnist Nancy Armour after her controversial column about Caitlin Clark sparked widespread backlash.
Armour referenced Emmett Till while arguing Clark should consider how her actions affect other WNBA players.
“It shouldn’t need reminding this country has an awful history of Black people being harmed, even killed, in the name of ‘defending’ white women,” Armour wrote. “The WNBA’s All-Star Game this weekend is in Chicago, Emmett Till’s hometown… While it’s incumbent on the WNBA to do more to protect its players, there also should be an expectation on Clark to recognize the wider consequences of her actions.”
Portnoy called the comparison outrageous.
“Congrats to USA Today’s Nancy Armour! She has written the dumbest [paragraph] not only of my lifetime but in the history of sports… Nancy Armour should be out in a straight jacket and locked up. We can’t have these types of smooth brains roaming freely in society,” he wrote on X.
Armour later apologized for invoking Till but defended her overall message.
“In my recent column, I made an inartful comparison with the murder of Emmett Till… I obviously did not provide enough context for that. However, this point stands… Players have been abused online and have reported receiving death threats. That has to be taken more seriously… I sincerely regret that my lack of appropriate context is overshadowing that important conversation.”
USA Today stood behind the piece as opinion, saying it had been updated for clarity.
Portnoy later renewed his criticism after Armour made her X account private.
“Nothing screams coward like saying something utterly insane and being private so you can live in your little echo chamber pretending reality doesn’t exist Fire this lady,” he said. “Fire the editor who posted it. Fire the USA Today for crimes against humanity.”
The debate comes shortly after NBA commissioner Adam Silver said Clark had become “a bit of a political football,” calling the situation “incredibly unfair” to the Fever star.
Dave Portnoy goes scorched earth on USA Today columnist over controversial Caitlin Clark take: ‘Fire this lady’ https://t.co/0Y9wTwBoET pic.twitter.com/WIVtiAVyjp
— California Post (@californiapost) July 23, 2026
