Barstool's Chicago office has apparently declared war on an empty lot. What started as a simple backyard cleanup turned into a multi-day saga this week, with Dante the Don cast as the reluctant foreman of a crew shoveling dirt, raking gravel, and loading a dump trailer behind a graffiti-covered wall. Naturally, the internet got a play-by-play.
“Waiting for loads” - @DanteTheDon Big yard work day at the Chicago office is already on pause
The bit writes itself: a guy nicknamed after a mob boss gets stuck doing manual labor, and the office camera crew is there for every second of it. There was a legit "strategy" session over how to clear dead grass, a warning that anyone using tools without gloves was headed for blister city, and even a cameo from Mintzy pouring drinks right on schedule for the occasion. Somewhere in the mix, Big Cat weighed in on a batch of dirt Dante reportedly bought that came with weeds attached, calling it "perfectly fine prison dirt" and shrugging off the online criticism. Yes, prison dirt is now a real phrase in the Barstool lexicon, and no, nobody has fully explained it.
Backyard Update Day 2 from Dante
That the project has stretched into multiple "Backyard Update" installments tells you this isn't a one-afternoon favor, it's a full-blown office initiative with its own running storyline. Fans are already invested, too. Kelly Keegs said she's ready to fly out herself once the project reaches "the flower planting phase," which suggests the yard work saga has legs well beyond this week.
Meanwhile, the New York-Chicago office rivalry that's been simmering all week didn't take a day off just because Chicago was busy digging. But the real running joke of the week has nothing to do with dirt at all, it's Dante's memory. Chicago's own crew clowned him for asking the same question twice within seconds, proof that between the shoveling and the small talk, something isn't quite sticking.
@VivaLaStool @anus @nickturani @kbnoswag @RUDOLPHJUNDA @barstoolsports @DanteTheDon Dante is such a gem. He literally did the same exact thing again just now because you told him the name of the band and he asked what band it was 10 seconds later 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Then, almost as a reward for surviving the week, came a genuine piece of Barstool archaeology: the first-ever text exchange between Nicky Clicky and Dante the Don, dug up and shared for the first time. It's the kind of relic that only means anything if you've been following these two characters, but for the office faithful it landed as a small piece of lore, a origin story for a friendship that's since become a recurring bit.
Nicky Clicky’s first text exchange with Dante the Don:
None of this is life-or-death content, it's office culture at its most Barstool: a guy doing yard work, a rival office trolling from a distance, and a running joke about a bad memory that somehow becomes the week's biggest storyline. But that's the appeal. Keep an eye on whether "Backyard Update Day 3" shows up, and whether Dante can make it through a conversation without needing the recap.