RayClay
Hall of Fame Poster
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- Nov 14, 2005
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Yep.
Brandt saying "I could see Texans trying to trade w Patriots for Mallett"
turns into a made up line of "According to NFL insider Gil Brandt, the Texans are reportedly trying to pull off a trade with the Patriots"
which turns into a headline of "Blockbuster Deal Between Houston Texans, New England Patriots Could Happen"
which ends up on the patsfans.com message board as "Fresh Rumor - Mallet to Houston for their 2nd round pick."
A little assumption, or misunderstanding, or journalistic "excitement" at each step takes us from Brandt "being able to see it" to a "Fresh Rumor".
That's pretty much what a rumor is in NFL journalism. In fact, because it's a prediction by a veteran writer, it's probably more valid than most "rumors." Most are made up out of nothing by the columnists to get page hits.