That’s because he wasn’t reviewing a restaurant or pizzeria. He was critiquing the pie from a family grieving the loss of a loved one to fulfill a Rensselaer County man’s wish.
Derek Murphy, of Troy, died in May at 23 years old after a lifelong battle with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.
The degenerative disorder slowly strips away the sufferer’s strength and bodily control and ultimately kills its victims, according to the Mayo Clinic. Despite fighting a losing battle, Derek lived a full life.
One of his last wishes was to speak to Portnoy since he was a longtime fan of the sports site and its founder. In a January Facetime call, Murphy asked Portnoy to review his father’s pizza next time he’s in the area.
Portnoy made good on his promise in a video he posted on Tuesday, Sept. 10.
As heartwarming as it may be, Portnoy worried about being too harsh in a review, but Derek’s family insisted.
“Derek would have wanted the truth,” his dad said.
Portnoy scored the homemade pie a 5.8, which seemed to put a chill in the room for a moment, but Derek’s family quickly accepted the score. Barstool’s El Presidente added that it was good enough to eat it every day.