PFT acknowledges that frenzied Pats rumour mill may be driven by resentment

[workhorse]

You see a rumor mill is what PFT is. Pulling something out our ass with no legitimate confirmation the rumor exists is basically what you are doing and accusing them of.

It is funny that people are basically libeling PFT by accusing them of just making up rumors that have no source when that is exactly what they are doing about PFT. No one has a single thread of proof that Florio made up a single rumor, but they are portraying it as facts. And they are made at Florio because they are convinced he did the same thing with the Moss and Seymour rumor. I don't get it.

Well said.

 

[Deus Irae]

You see a rumor mill is what PFT is. Pulling something out our ass with no legitimate confirmation the rumor exists is basically what you are doing and accusing them of.

You see, one person making a comment is NOT a rumor, and reporting it as such doesn't change that fact. It's one person making a comment, even if they pass it off as news. Also, saying "We think..." is not a rumor. Reporting non-rumor information on the site (about Vick, for example) is not a rumor. In other words, the "rumor mill" is an amalgam of rumor, legitimate reporting, editorials and complete assertions. It is not just being used as a rumor site, and you know that full well. Therefore, you're being misleading at the very least.

It is funny that people are basically libeling PFT by accusing them of just making up rumors that have no source when that is exactly what they are doing about PFT. No one has a single thread of proof that Florio made up a single rumor, but they are portraying it as facts. And they are made at Florio because they are convinced he did the same thing with the Moss and Seymour rumor. I don't get it.

Who's libeling them?

 

[TeamPats]

Man Patriots fans are testy, Florio reports what he ehars under the stipulation it's a rumor, that is all. at no point does he say this is what is going on, he clearly states this is what I am hearing, take it as you like. He in no way has said anything like "Make no mistake about it, they hate their coach". OK that is an example of a false claim from a much more public figure.

 

[Deus Irae]

I'm a little fuzzy on the whole "Rumor mill = just pulling stuff out of our ass with no legitimate confirmation that the rumor even exists" part.

You see a rumor mill is what PFT is. Pulling something out our ass with no legitimate confirmation the rumor exists is basically what you are doing and accusing them of.

It is funny that people are basically libeling PFT by accusing them of just making up rumors that have no source when that is exactly what they are doing about PFT. No one has a single thread of proof that Florio made up a single rumor, but they are portraying it as facts. And they are made at Florio because they are convinced he did the same thing with the Moss and Seymour rumor. I don't get it.

From PFT's Rumor Mill and still on the site's front page:

DID HARRISON SUSPENSION CAUSE PATS TO YIELD ON SAMUEL?

We usually pride ourselves on being able to connect the dots when it comes to NFL stories that have no apparent linkage on the surface. We also pride ourselves in being willing to pilfer the ideas of others who have connected the dots in situations where we've yet to do so.

We've "borrowed" the present concept from a cousin who was at a family reunion on Sunday, and who is a Boston native and thus a raging fan of any of the sports teams headquartered there.

The idea is this: Last week, when the Patriots unexpectedly included into cornerback Asante Samuel's one-year, $7.79 million contract provisions allowing him to escape the use of the franchise tag in 2008, did the team make this concession because it knew that safety Rodney Harrison was going to be suspended -- and that Samuel's people soon would know, too?

The answer, we think, is "Hell, yes."

It makes a lot of sense. The Pats, already shorthanded with Samuel holding out, knew that Harrison would miss the first four weeks of the regular season. Samuel, if he had known, would have had the leverage to move the triggers that will exempt him from the use of the franchise tag in 2008 even lower.

"Rodney's situation came up last week," coach Bill Belichick said on Monday.

Once the situation "came up," the team acted quickly (we believe) to get Samuel signed -- before Samuel would realize the problem that the team now faced.

The placement of Richard Seymour on the PUP list for the start of the season, which necessarily makes him unavailable for the first six weeks of it, also might have been a factor in the team's decision to give Samuel a chance to become an unrestricted free agent in 2008. Even though Seymour is a defensive linemen, the fact that he won't be available to put heat on opposing quarterbacks will put more pressure on the secondary, since there likely will be more time for receivers to get open.

So to anyone who thinks that the Pats merely went soft in dealing with Samuel, the truth likely is that the team recognized that it soon would be in a bind, and worked out a fair deal before the definition of "fair" changed.

Now, explain to me how that's a rumor and not the site pulling something out of its ass.

 

[RayClay]

HEY GUYS. What part of "RUMOR MILL" don't you understand?

The problem you're having is we do understand what a rumor mill is.

 

[Hoodie]

And can someone explain to me why the Harrison/Samuel rumor is important? I read that yesterday and thought, "who cares?" and also probably not since rumors of Samuels return preceeded the Harrsion story by weeks.

 

[primetime]

Now, explain to me how that's a rumor and not the site pulling something out of its ass.

It's an editorial piece making a logical connection that, in some ways, makes alot of sense. It may or may not be true, but nowhere does he say "this is an absolute truth." You should know the difference between opinion/editorial pieces and fact-based reports.

 

[Deus Irae]

It's an editorial piece making a logical connection that, in some ways, makes alot of sense. It may or may not be true, but nowhere does he say "this is an absolute truth." You should know the difference between opinion/editorial pieces and fact-based reports.

Please read my posts before responding to them. I asked for an explanation of how that's a rumor. I don't believe that it is one. It's the site pulling a theory out of its ass.

Notice the earlier post I'd made:

I'm a little fuzzy on the whole "Rumor mill = just pulling stuff out of our ass with no legitimate confirmation that the rumor even exists" part.

In this case, the site even admitted it was coming up with this on its own. I'm sorry.... that they "borrowed the present concept" from a cousin.

 

[PatsFan37]

It is funny that people are basically libeling PFT by accusing them of just making up rumors that have no source when that is exactly what they are doing about PFT.

I'm still trying to get my head around how you libel a rumor mill.

Maybe by accusing them of reporting only the verified truth.

 

[Rob0729]

From PFT's Rumor Mill and still on the site's front page:






Now, explain to me how that's a rumor and not the site pulling something out of its ass.

Ummm.... Read the article again. They do not portray this as anything but speculation. Florio made it perfectly clear that it was speculation. He didn't say there was a rumor that Harrison's suspension affected negotiations with Samuel or that they heard it anywhere.

If anything, this is further evidence that you are libeling the guy. When Florio speculates he appears to acknowledge that he does. When he hears rumors he puts them in as rumors. You have yet to show a single thread of evidence that Florio makes up rumors and providing pretty positive proof that he clarifies when he speculates vs. when he actually hears a rumor.

 

[Rob0729]

I'm still trying to get my head around how you libel a rumor mill.

Maybe by accusing them of reporting only the verified truth.

If you accuse someone of making up rumors when they claim to have sources, you are libeling them. How is that not clear?

 

[Rob0729]

And can someone explain to me why the Harrison/Samuel rumor is important? I read that yesterday and thought, "who cares?" and also probably not since rumors of Samuels return preceeded the Harrsion story by weeks.

It isn't important because there was never a Harrison/Samuel rumor to begin with, only speculation on Florio's part as he clearly said in his column.

 

[RayClay]

If you accuse someone of making up rumors when they claim to have sources, you are libeling them. How is that not clear?

You should really reread that and edit it, lest i reply with four LOL smilies.

 

[Deus Irae]

Ummm.... Read the article again. They do not portray this as anything but speculation. Florio made it perfectly clear that it was speculation. He didn't say there was a rumor that Harrison's suspension affected negotiations with Samuel or that they heard it anywhere.

No kidding? Could the fact that it's NOT a rumor, and is just blatant speculation on the part of the site, despite being on the rumor mill page be my point? He's pulling the entire post out of his ass and placing it on the rumor mill page.

If anything, this is further evidence that you are libeling the guy. When Florio speculates he appears to acknowledge that he does. When he hears rumors he puts them in as rumors. You have yet to show a single thread of evidence that Florio makes up rumors and providing pretty positive proof that he clarifies when he speculates vs. when he actually hears a rumor.

You need to use the dictionary, because you clearly don't understand what libel is.

 

[RayClay]

And can someone explain to me why the Harrison/Samuel rumor is important? I read that yesterday and thought, "who cares?" and also probably not since rumors of Samuels return preceeded the Harrsion story by weeks.

It's important because it proves they make stuff up out of whole cloth.

Their column is, at least partially, fiction.

 

[Rob0729]

No kidding? Could the fact that it's NOT a rumor, and is just blatant speculation on the part of the site, despite being on the rumor mill page be my point? He's pulling the entire post out of his ass and placing it on the rumor mill page.




You need to use the dictionary, because you clearly don't understand what libel is.

Of course I understand libel. You are the one who clearly doesn't understand it. Here are the definitions:

1. Law. a. defamation by written or printed words, pictures, or in any form other than by spoken words or gestures.
b. the act or crime of publishing it.
c. a formal written declaration or statement, as one containing the allegations of a plaintiff or the grounds of a charge.

2. anything that is defamatory or that maliciously or damagingly misrepresents.
–verb (used with object) 3. to publish a libel against.
4. to misrepresent damagingly.
5. to institute suit against by a libel, as in an admiralty court.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/libel

Unless you can prove that they make up rumors that they attribute to sources, you clearly fall into category 2.

We finally agree on something. You, me, and Mike Florio and the rest of the PFT agree that there isn't a rumor that Harrison affected Samuel deal. The great thing is that none of us including Florio and PFT ever claimed there was a rumor.

Just because you can't come to grips with the fact that Florio seems to do a very good job of clarifying what is speculation on his part and what are rumors he has heard, doesn't mean you can libel the guy and accuse him of making up rumors that he attributes to unnamed sources. Florio is a lawyer by trade. I am sure he is pretty careful not to make up rumors and attribute them to others. He knows the legal troubles he can get in for that.

 

[primetime]

Please read my posts before responding to them. I asked for an explanation of how that's a rumor. I don't believe that it is one. It's the site pulling a theory out of its ass.

It never says it's a rumor (in fact, as pointed out, he says he borrowed it from his Pats fan cousin... not from "league sources"). I did read your posts; you seem to be senselessly attacking the site because not everything it reports comes true. That's the nature of rumor mills. It's entertaining, at least, and some of his editorial/opinion pieces are very well done, and the actual reporting is significantly better than most major sports news sites; the fact it's on the rumor mill page simply condenses it all into one page. It's better than having a zillion pages, one for news, one for rumors, and one for editorial pieces. It isn't that hard to click to scroll down.

On the other hand, yeah, that's not libel. Libel would be if he was writing "Florio is a pedophile" or something like that, something harmful and misrepresentative to the person with zero basis for the statement (hopefully Rich Cimini doesn't take that quote and run with it).

 

[patsox23]

For what it's worth, setting aside semantics, I think Florio's speculation about WHY the Patriots suddenly gave in, somewhat, to Samuel's camp is easily the MOST plausible explanation for the change in heart.

Do you guys have a better theory?

 

[primetime]

For what it's worth, setting aside semantics, I think Florio's speculation about WHY the Patriots suddenly gave in, somewhat, to Samuel's camp is easily the MOST plausible explanation for the change in heart.

Do you guys have a better theory?

No. I agree that the concessions to Samuel on the no franchise next year definitely had something to do with knowledge of Rodney's suspension.

 

[Rob0729]

It's important because it proves they make stuff up out of whole cloth.

Their column is, at least partially, fiction.

Except you are missing that Florio never said there was a rumor. He stated clearly that he was speculating. It doesn't prove they make stuff up. He speculates just like Mike Reiss and John Tomase does on his blog.

How does a article that he clearly and multiple times states is speculation on his part prove that he makes stuff up?

If I speculate that it is sunny today because Global Warming has reduced the average rain fall in this area, that isn't making things up out of whole cloth. I could be wrong with my theory, but it is me making a guess based on actually truths and connecting the dots. If I portray that as speculation, why is that malicious?

That is exactly what Florio did with the Harrison/Samuel thing. He speculated and listed it as speculation.