Michigan Senate candidates Abdul El-Sayed and Mike Rogers became entangled in a social-media dispute after El-Sayed joked about the University of Michigan football program’s history of rule violations.
In a clip circulated online, El-Sayed, a Michigan graduate, asked whether the Wolverines could win a game without cheating, adding that he was speaking as a fan. Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy responded by calling El-Sayed a “terrorist.” El-Sayed later posted a clip of Portnoy sprinting and made a personal jab about his fitness.
Rogers, the Republican nominee and a former congressman, shared Portnoy’s post and wrote that Portnoy was “exactly right.” Asked by The Detroit News whether Rogers literally believed El-Sayed was a terrorist, Rogers spokeswoman Alyssa Brouillet replied that repeating Ohio State talking points “is a bridge too far.”
The exchange refers to past NCAA actions involving Michigan athletics. In August 2025, the NCAA announced financial penalties, recruiting restrictions and four additional years of probation after finding an impermissible scouting scheme involving former staffer Connor Stalions. The source also reports separate NCAA findings involving recruiting contacts, tryouts and unauthorized coaching, as well as earlier sanctions affecting the football and basketball programs.
The dispute comes amid a broader campaign debate over El-Sayed’s comments on foreign policy and Islamist organizations. The source says he has faced criticism for not directly addressing some questions about Iran and the Muslim Brotherhood, while also noting that he has publicly condemned Hamas. Those exchanges have drawn criticism from Rogers and others.
El-Sayed has also criticized football culture, including in a 2021 essay about toxic masculinity and his recollections of racist taunting in locker rooms. The online clash centers on his joke about Michigan’s football program and the personal insults that followed.
