Dave Portnoy reacts to Avery Johnson's dad, brother altercation: 'Better than fighting random people'

Mark Johnson and Anthony Johnson, the father and brother of Kansas State QB Avery Johnson, got into a physical altercation with each other on Saturday in Dublin, Ireland following the 24-21 loss for No. 17 K-State to No. 22 Iowa State. Still, at least the family was fighting amongst themselves rather than against other people, says Dave Portnoy.

Portnoy, the owner of Barstool Sports and soon-to-be analyst on ‘Big Noon Kickoff’, reacted with a tweet to the altercation between the Johnsons. He said he didn’t have a problem with the father and son fighting it out rather than fighting other fans, per se.

“I have zero problem with families fighting each other after losing a big game,” Portnoy posted on social media. “Better to fight each other than random people.”

Following the three-point international conference loss on Saturday, video circulated that seemingly showed Mark and Anthony Johnson’s apparent altercation with one another. There’s been no explanation as to the cause for the confrontation but, in the end, neither were arrested and they’ve since released a joint statement addressing the issue, which was shared earlier today by On3’s Pete Nakos.

That came after the loss where Johnson had a fine outing in his season debut for his second year as the Wildcats’ starter. He went 21/30 (70%) when passing for 273 yards and two touchdowns, with both scores being on long completions in the fourth quarter, while also rushing for 21 yards, including a 10-yard score to give him three in total yesterday in Ireland. Still, it wasn’t enough for K-State as, with some sloppier play, they lost Farmageddon for the fifth time in the past six years going back to 2020, falling to 0-1 both overall and in conference play after that Top-25 matchup to start the season in the Big 12.

Father, brother of Avery Johnson release statement after fight in Dublin

Mark and Anthony Johnson, the father and brother of Avery Johnson, released a statement following their public brawl on Saturday. It was reported Mark and Anthony got into a physical confrontation in Dublin and was allegedly caught on camera.

“We sincerely apologize for our actions following yesterday’s football game in Ireland,” the statement read, via On3’s Pete Nakos. “Senseless bickering escalated into an unnecessary fight. We have resolved our differences and take full responsibility for our actions.

“We have apologized to our immediate and extended family, and now extend our apologies to Kansas State University, its alumni, and fans. We regret this incident, have learned from it, and are committed to ensuring it doesn’t happen again. Please accept our deepest apologies.”

“GoPowercat.com has confirmed that there was a postgame confrontation at Aviva Stadium involving Mark Johnson, father of Kansas State quarterback Avery Johnson, and another man believed to be Mr. Johnson’s eldest son,” Fitzgerald wrote. “According to witnesses, the conflict turned physical. According to one source, no arrests were made stemming from this incident. There is reportedly video of the disagreement and at least one eye witness is tied to Kansas State athletics.”