You Come at the King (Mook), You Best Not Miss

When I originally decided to write this blog, I wanted to unload the clip on Austin. I admire Mook and the hard work he puts in, and I’d prefer to see Austin pick on someone his own size (metaphorically and literally). And unfortunately for myself, I am a crazy bitch who loves to insert herself and fight on behalf of those who are too kind to fight for themselves. I have also been a firm believer that I never want my content to revolve around throwing coworkers under the bus, but I feel as though I have no choice but to come to Mook’s defense. And honestly, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t see this whole kerfuffle as the perfect opportunity to voice my opinion on something that has nothing to do with me. And after I took some time to think, I decided to broach the topic with a little more grace than I had originally intended.

First and foremost, I am genuinely confused as to why anyone would pride themselves on being an asshole to employees. It’s one thing to have a mood or an attitude, but it's another story to act like an asshole in damn near every conversation you have. Growing up, I was lucky enough to be raised by a lawyer mom (need to give credit to the queen) and a business-owning dad. Whenever I was around my dad’s employees, they were constantly singing his praises. And I know what you’re probably thinking, “of fucking course they would kiss ass.” But it was always abundantly clear to me that these individuals genuinely loved and respected my dad, and were willing to work hard for someone that they felt equally respected them. Coming from this background, it genuinely shocks me that someone who may eventually become head honcho of a company operates by essentially stating, “I am a dick to employees of the company and it works for now and everyone has to deal with it.” Not only do I think that’s a shitty way to look at a business, but I think it’s an equally shitty way to look at life. 

I can’t speak to how Austin handles the business side of things, as I have truthfully never had the pleasure of dealing with him in that manner. However, I can absolutely speak to my personal experiences with him that seem to reflect his overall demeanor towards employees. Austin is not nice. He has never been nice. And as far as I’m aware, Austin will tell you this himself. I vividly remember my first interaction with Austin, due to how much I disliked him on a personal level. I was sitting upstairs and the only other people around were Caitlyn Walker and Austin. As I walked downstairs, I asked if Caitlyn wanted to join, and as any kind person would, I also invited the only other person around. In response, Austin said something along the lines of “Why would I do that? We are not friends.” I genuinely thought it was a bit. With time, I came to realize it was not a bit, but his actual personality. I won’t get into specifics, but I believe Austin is someone that is only nice to people when he thinks they have something to offer him in return. Not only have I seen it, but I’ve experienced it. The nicest Austin has ever been to me was when he wanted my approval on a certain situation. And let me clarify, I am not hiding some crazy story, it is just simply an irrelevant and long situation to explain. However, I felt it was important to mention because the switch up when he wanted my approval was almost night and day.

And now, onto Austin’s gripe with Mook. First of all, what the fuck? I haven’t spoken to Mook much about the behind the scenes, but I do know that Mook works his ass off. He edits, he comes up with ideas, he posts and I think Austin knows all of this. Sas has said as much:

Honestly, I think Austin is taking heat online and subconsciously attempts to redirect the hate towards Mook. Austin is obviously entitled to feel frustrated or pissed off with the Bush boys, and I’m sure a lot of it is justified. But with that being said, the way he has handled everything regarding Bush has been nothing short of ridiculous. Direct messaging a non-Barstool employee and talking shit about a fellow employee is not only rude, but unprofessional. And as everyone knows, Barstool was built on professionalism and class. In the same breath, I find it equally as ridiculous that Austin is going on podcasts talking about Mook being a “bad guy” talking poorly about other employees behind their backs. At first, I gave Austin the benefit of the doubt and assumed he felt the need to throw someone else under the bus, in order to take the heat off of himself. However, it has become clear to me that Austin might just seriously enjoy talking shit on Mook, purely for the love of the game. And as it relates to Mook supposedly talking poorly behind peoples' backs? I am yet to find someone within the company who isn't guilty of this exact thing. Obviously, Austin should lay down the law where he feels it is necessary, but there is absolutely a way to do that without trampling on employees and actively feeding hate towards them. 

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But I’ll end it on this note- I think Austin is a very funny guy and I’ve seen that he has the ability to treat people with kindness and respect. I think he is exceptionally hard-working. But I also think he is too stuck in his ways to admit that treating employees like dog shit isn’t the greatest way to go about business or life. I respect Austin as a fellow employee, and I can only hope that he eventually sees that he would probably find even more success if he changed his tune and decided to mutually respect the people he works alongside of. I don’t think Austin is a bad guy by any stretch of the imagination, nor do I think he is the biggest asshole on planet Earth. I just simply think that Austin would greatly benefit from a change in tune.