Mogamedogz

Does anyone else suspect that Mike Fish is the source behind the whole SB walk-through fabrication?

It was widely reported that many in the media had heard rumors of this story, but nobody other than Tomase was dumb enough to take the bait and put it to print without checking it throughly.

Something tells me that Fish is the man behind the curtain here. If he is, will Tomase have the sack to out him in attempt to save face?

patsfaninpa

Not sure if it was him. But, i'd be willing to bet it was someone at ESPN.

lorijean

Fish seems to be grasping at straws his past few columns. It is like he has so much invested in there being an actual Rams tape. At this point...nothing would surprise me.

flasox27

Then Tomase is even more stupid than previously thought. Unless Fish had seen and heard the tape, he is useless as a source.

Sicilian

Someone with a Journalism degree (not me) could probably confirm or deny this, but I would think that would break several fundamental rules of reporting. How can another journalist who has no special access to the situation be considered a viable source?

I think the only two things that likely to be Tomasse's source are Matt Walsh (a pathological liar who let the story get away from him) or Tomasse himself (turning rumors he heard into a mystery "source" to make a big splash)

otis p. driftwood

But neither of those two scenarios you suggested would break one or several fundamental rules of journalism?

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Sicilian

Sorry, probably confusing paragraph placement. I meant that if Tomasse used Fish (another journalist who had no real connection to Walsh or the Patriots) as a "source", that would have to break some rule, especially if he didn't seek out a second source to confirm it before running the story.

dhamz

Not a chance. ESPN by its own admission was pursuing the same story. The idea they gave it to someone else is laughable.

I don't think it is hard to figure this one out. The source is no one of any importance. It is whispers from guys who heard it from Walsh.

For years (according to Felger) the rumor has been out there that Walsh taped the Rams walkthrough before the Super Bowl. This likely came from Walsh making it up when bragging to others about how important he was to the Patriots. Walsh was never going to go on the record (because it wasn't true) but liked it when the Tomase's of the world called and asked him about it - again a nobody feeling important. The Herald thought they were on the verge of a Pulitzer, Tomase on the verge of being sports Bob Woodward, etc. they just needed more to run it. When the NY Times put Walsh's name in the paper the Friday ebfore the Super Bowl, the Herald and Tomase seeing their big dreams possibly going up in smoke and getting beat to their career story made the decision to run what they had - unconfirmed rumors from someone who heard it from someone who heard it from Walsh.

Patsfanin Philly

Bingo, we have a winner. In about 5 sentences, you summed it all up with the most credible hypothesis. And as with most unintended consequences, The Herald and JT never expected it to blow up the way it did, though it was pretty predictable that it would...( absent the involvement of a US Senator)

lorijean

Good analysis. I agree with you.