'Shark Tank' judge Kevin O'Leary called a product 'poopoo on a stick' but he was proven wrong

Not only did the co-creators of FlingGolf get a $300,000 deal, they proved Mr Wonderful wrong.

PUBLISHED AUG 5, 2025

Screenshots showing Kevin O'Leary and the co-founders of FlingGolf (Cover image source: YouTube/Sony Pictures Television)

There are times when "Shark Tank" investors miss out on great deals by misjudging the potential of unconventional products. Among them, the most ruthless criticism comes from Kevin O'Leary. When creators of "FlingGolf," John Pruellage and Alex Van Allen, arrived on the show, Mr Wonderful called their product "poopu on a stick." Nevertheless, they still left the Tank with a $300,000 deal from guest shark Daniel Lubetzky and went on to prove O'Leary wrong by getting their own tournament on ESPN!

Screenshot showing the co-founders of FlingGolf (Image source: YouTube/Sony Pictures Television)

They sought $300,000 for 10% equity in their company. Starting their pitch, they explained to the Sharks that over 1,800 golf courses had closed in the last decade, with falling interest from the younger generation, which finds the sport to be too expensive and complicated. Thus, to get the young blood back on the turf, they created a new and exciting sport, 'FlingGolf', which is a hybrid of lacrosse and golf.

They invited the Sharks to give it a try, and Lubetzky sportingly stood up. They explained that instead of hitting the ball with clubs, in FlingGolf, players fling the ball using a single club across the turf to different holes or catch areas.

Screenshot showing Lubetzky trying out FlingGolf (Image source: YouTube/Sony Pictures Television)

After the demo, the Sharks got straight down to business by sharing their opinion on the sport. Robert Herjavec first called the sport a mix-up, and O'Leary chimed in by saying there wasn't a single chance that golf country clubs would allow them to play this on their turf. "The golf Gods would strike you dead with that thing," he said.

The entrepreneurs shared that Fling Golf made $142,000 in sales in the previous year, and they had done $142,000 in just six months in the current year. They further added that they put $1.5 million of their own money and raised another $500,000, leaving the Sharks in shock.

Screenshot showing O'Leary talking to the entrepreneurs (Image source: YouTube/Sony Pictures Television)

With everything laid out, the Sharks started making moves with Mark Cuban dropping out. Lori Greiner followed his lead, and O'Leary chose to take the explosive way out. "I didn't think it was poopu on a stick until I heard the sales. Now I think it's poopu on a stick, so, nom absolutely not, I'm out," he said.

On the other hand, both Herjavec and Lubetzky seemed interested in making a deal. Lubetzky made the first offer of $300,000, but he wanted a third of the company. When Herjavec matched his offer, the entrepreneurs countered with 20% equity instead. Lubetzky then lowered his ask to 25% and gave the entrepreneurs an ultimatum of five seconds. The founders accepted the deal in the last second and walked away with Lubetzky's support.

FlingGold shared an update where they explained how "Shark Tank" helped them grow. "So when we got a call from ESPN a few months after our Shark Tank airing asking if they could partner with us on a FlingGolf tournament, we didn't hesitate," the company wrote.