Barstool employee Jonathan Stanko died on Monday, Jan. 6, following his battle with cancer. He was 32 years old.
Dave Portnoy, CEO and founder of Barstool Sports, announced the news of Stanko's death in a tribute shared on X“Really sad news from the world of Barstool. We lost Jonathan Stanko to cancer yesterday morning,” he began his post, shared on Tuesday, Jan. 7.
“He was 32 years old and leaves behind a wife. He worked in our NY offices for close to 4 years and was well liked by literally everybody he worked with. (Very rare at Barstool),” he continued of Stanko, who worked as a production technician for the company since May 2021.
“It's the 1st time we've had to deal with something this heavy in the 20 years of Barstool. A cruel reminder not to take a day for granted because tomorrow isn't promised to anybody. #stankostrong,” Portnoy concluded.
Jonathan Stanko/Instagram
In May 2024, Stanko wrote in a blog post that he was diagnosed with Stage 4 Adenocarcinoma gastric cancer in April. “In a span of two weeks, everything has changed. It's impossible to quantify. It's impossible to feel,” he wrote at the time.
Stanko gave a timeline of his health challenges and explained what he had learned from the doctors at Sloan, noting that the cancer he had was “not curable” and something he'd have to monitor for “the rest of my life.”
“There is also a hard truth,” he continued to write. “With what the doctors have been able to see thus far, if I do not respond to the Chemotherapy well, then they say 14 months. That'd be how long I can sustain.”
A friend and former coworker of Stanko, Steve Kultzow, first posted about his death on X on Jan. 7.
“It was an honor being best friends for 14 years. I couldn't have asked for a better friend, roommate and coworker. I wouldn't be where I am today without you. Thank you for everything,” he wrote.
Slaven Vlasic/Getty
Other Barstool employees, in addition to Portnoy, paid tribute to Stanko in response to Kultzow's message on X.
“Truly heartbreaking and so incredibly unfair. Stanko was the best and an important part of everything we do at Barstool. An incredible talent and great friend to everyone. We'll miss him dearly. Rest in Peace and f–k Cancer,” wrote personality Dan “Big Cat” Katz on X,
Producer Connor Griffin penned a heartfelt note that praised Stanko's “work ethic and kindness.” He wrote, “Him offering to run the entire Mintzy 10K while lugging a full-size camera really opened my eyes to just how much of a warrior he was. Truly one of Barstool's best. He'll be missed.”
According to Stanko's LinkedIn profile, he is a graduate of Iona University where he earned a master's degree in mass communications and media studies. He worked in the school's athletic department before starting at Barstool Sports.