Boston Bruins' Official Relationship With Barstool Sports is Problematic

The Boston Bruins are currently three wins away from being atop of the National Hockey League and lifting the Stanley Cup once again.

On their run, some Bruins fans have surfaced and become very public supporters of their beloved team. One of those fans is Dave Portnoy, the president of Barstool Sports, and the latest evidence of the official relationship between the two parties may not be the best look for the B's in the long run.

Barstool is serving as the sponsor for the Bruins' Game 2 rally towels that will be given out at TD Garden Wednesday night. This partnership may not play out so well with a number of fans, however.

Given Barstool's checkered reputation when it comes to issues concerning women and persons of color, the Bruins entering a partnership with the media brand may give off the impression that they -- and perhaps the NHL -- support what Portnoy stands for. Given the lack of clarification on this, some will assume the worst. And that's a self-inflicted problem for the Bruins.

The Bruins organization may realized the risk here already, as that they declined to comment on the partnership between themselves and Barstool when Deadspin asked about it. Questions included whether they were aware of the instances in which Barstool and a number of its personalities conducted coordinated harrassment campaigns against critics, who initiated the partnership, and how much Bruins communications director and noted Barstool fan Brandon McNelis influenced the decision to partner up.

One thing is for sure-- the Bruins need to contextualize their relationship with Barstool before the NHL ever feels the need to get involved. The blowback is already occurring, so time is of the essence.