"I think he's achieved escape velocity" - When Joe Rogan commented on Dave Portnoy's rise to fame

When Joe Rogan hosted Andrew Schulz on episode #1846 of the JRE podcast, the comedic duo got onto the topic of celebrities who are unstoppable despite controversies. That discussion led to Dave Portnoy being mentioned by the UFC color commentator.

Rogan used the term "escape velocity," which is usually a phrase used in science to describe an object being so far away that gravity cannot pull it back in. Rogan went on to suggest that despite any controversy, the media would struggle to effect Portnoy's growth:

"I think he's [Portnoy] achieved escape velocity. Certain people have achieved escape velocity, like, you can't put that genie back in the bottle. Good luck, you can't catch it."

Watch Rogan speak about Dave Portnoy here:

Joe Rogan went on to suggest that the more the media criticizes somebody like Portnoy, the more it would actually aid the celebrity due to their fanbase beginning to root for their hero instead of simply supporting their work or craft.

In 2021 and February 2022, Dave Portnoy was the focal point of a two Business Insider exposes regarding alleged sexual misconduct. The businessman later denied parts of the article and called the allegations echoed by Business Insider as a "hit piece" against his character.

Portnoy has since sued Business Insider over the stories written about him regarding the claims of alleged sexual misconduct.

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Joe Rogan discusses Brittney Griner controversy with JRE guest Andrew Schulz

In February, basketball player Brittney Griner was detained by Russian police at a Moscow airport after vape cartridges containing cannabis oil were found in her luggage. All cannabis products are illegal in Russia, which has led to Griner pleading guilty to drug-related charges.

Given the current conflict between Russia and Ukraine, the United States has claimed that the basketball player is being wrongfully detained by Russia. This caused Joe Rogan to comment on the situation on his podcast alongside guest Andrew Schulz.

On episode #1846 of the JRE podcast, Rogan pointed out that America has also arrested people for marijuana-related offenses:

"She's [Brittney Griner] already been over there for months. But here's what's important: People are freaking out about this, right? They're freaking out. 'Russia needs to let her go.' We have people in America right now locked up for marijuana, and they've been locked up for f***ing years – for years and years and years."

Watch the podcast clip here:

Rogan continued his rant by suggesting that because some prisoners aren't good at "throwing a ball into a net," perhaps that makes them less important to the general public and why no changes within America have happened yet.