A popular sports website was told to stick to sports — and staff members revolted.

Deadspin, a sister site to Gizmodo and Jezebel, is the latest blog run by G/O Media involved in an escalating conflict with its new owner, Great Hill Partners, a private equity firm based in Boston.

[Update: How Deadspin imploded.]

When a memo circulated to Deadspin staff on Monday about the site’s editorial direction was met with derision, management shot back. The site’s interim editor in chief, Barry Petchesky, who had worked there for 10 years, tweeted Tuesday that he had been fired for “not sticking to sports.”

It comes less than two months after the site’s previous editor in chief resigned.

“Sports touches on nearly every aspect of life — from politics to business to pop culture and more,” Paul Maidment, G/O Media’s editorial director, said in an emailed statement Tuesday, referring to the memo he had written.

“We believe that Deadspin reporters and editors should go after every conceivable story, as long as it has something to do with sports,” he added. “We are sorry that some on the Deadspin staff don’t agree with that editorial direction and refuse to work within that incredibly broad mandate.”