Internet. Serious business.
So yesterday a Cornhusker fan created a fake news story using The Oklahoman’s website that said OU qbs Sam Bradford and Landry Jones were arrested for selling cocaine. I saw the link posted on another site, and it took me all of two seconds to determine it was fake. I was soon joined by all those who finished high school with an acceptable gpa.
But to get a job in sports radio in Texas, you don’t have to have an acceptable high school gpa. Shit, you probably don’t even have to finish high school. Two sports stations reported the story as fact. Don’t look at me. I only listen to Tradio.
Now the guy who posted the fake article has already taken it down and apologized.
“I want to express my deepest apologies to the families,” Austinite James W. Conradt said Wednesday night. “That’s the thing I’m regretful about. I didn’t want to hurt anyone.”
But apparently the damage has already been done.

“I’m going to prosecute him to the fullest extent of the law,” said Kevin Jones, Landry’s father. “I’ve got deep enough pockets to do it.”
We can surmise that Mr. Jones is very important, that he has many leather-bound books and his apartment smells of rich mahogany.

Oklahoman publisher David Thompson is also upset. “When this was brought to our attention, we took immediate action,” he said. “Through our technology and news teams, we tracked him down and told him to cease and desist. We take this very seriously and will consider legal action.”

“Webmaster, take us to Defcon 5.”
God damn it. The only ones who fell for it were stupid people. Now we allow stupid people to decide our presidential elections. And, yeah, we allow them to decide what movies are made and what music is played on the radio. We also allow them to wear jorts and/or crocks. Where was I? Oh yeah. We can’t allow stupid people to dictate everything we do.

July 10, 2008 at 6:58 am
July 10, 2008 at 7:05 am
I am absolutely shocked that Geoff Ketchum was one of the ones that fell for this.
July 10, 2008 at 7:08 am
Who mentions this first? Mike Gundy or Mack Brown?
July 10, 2008 at 7:16 am
I missed all this action. I spent most of yesterday trying to get the saddle on my new donkey. Broke to ride my ass.
July 10, 2008 at 7:51 am
People are stupid, but it also shows people rather post first on the internet versus actually reading first. The last couple of paragraphs of that article would have ended any possible idea that it was real even for the dumbest of people.
The luckiest person in this whole affair is Matt Jones. Everyone thinks he was part of a follow-up hoax.
July 10, 2008 at 8:38 am
I think Ketch is a USDA Grade A Jumbo moron, but to his credit, he didn’t report the story on-air. In fact, he bit his tongue and said he wanted to check it out more. (That was probably at the urging of his producer, but still, they did the right thing.) After a few minutes, presumably the time it takes for a few neurons to fire in his brain, he pronounced the article a hoax.
July 10, 2008 at 8:49 am
Personally, I don’t use the interwebs, except when Bill Little invites Greg to a sleepover. Is there anything on it besides naked Vietnamese boys?
July 10, 2008 at 8:55 am
He should have just checked his own website. Literally within two minutes of it being posted, it was flagged as bogus.
July 10, 2008 at 10:23 am
Lost in this is this story will be news again the week Nebraska comes to Norman.
repeat: Nebraska comes to Norman.
I just wish Callahan was going to be there for it, too.
July 10, 2008 at 11:14 am
Maybe you could hook a brotha up and get me Charles Thompson’s cell phone?
July 10, 2008 at 1:05 pm
Per the online University of Texas directory, Conradt works for UT. I sure hope he didn’t pull this at work. OMG LOL
July 10, 2008 at 3:33 pm
What a maroon.
July 10, 2008 at 6:53 pm
Mack feels vindicated about the worldwide web thingy.
July 17, 2008 at 12:05 am
You sure he didn’t mean to say matt jones ?