David Scott Portnoy, born on March 22, 1977, in Swampscott, Massachusetts, is the founder of Barstool Sports. He was raised there by his father Michael, a lawyer, and his mother Linda, a high school teacher. He is Jewish and attended Swampscott High School, where he played on the baseball team, won the league batting triple crown as a junior, and met future ESPN football analyst Todd McShay. His father introduced him to gambling when he was 10 years old. Portnoy enrolled at the University of Michigan, studying education (graduation uncertain).