ProFootballTalk's "handshake" scoop destroys their credibility

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

http://www.profootballtalk.com/rumormill.htm

POSTED 8:12 p.m. EDT; UPDATED 8:37 p.m. EDT, October 28, 2007
GIBBS DISSES BELICHICK?

Multiple readers (including a league insider) tell us that, at the conclusion of a 52-7 thrashing of the Redskins by the New England Patriots, Washington coach Joe Gibbs ran off of the field without shaking the hand of Pats coach Bill Belichick.

Later ProFootballTalk retracted this report when they found visual evidence to the contrary.

So here is my question. Who is this "league insider"? How could this guy be a credible source, and further, how many "league insiders" do they cite, if this detective couldn't get a story right that happened in front of thousands of people?

PFT used plenty of "league insiders" in their conspiracy theories about the Patriots and their spy tactics. I want to apply to be a league insider as well, because apparently all you need to do is proclaim yourself as one. Then I can just watch network coverage, read a few message boards, and talk to my cousin who was also watching the game on television.

 

[NEPat]

Clearly they just make up half the stuff they post, and attibute it to "sources" to make it look credible. Always read that site with a grain of salt.

I think it's funny they had to throw in "league insider" on that post. What could a league insider possibly tell us about a postgame handshake?? That he was watching the game on TV like the rest of us?

 

[bpeter17]

the guy who runs it is a lawyer named Mike Florio.

here is an article about it:

http://www.slate.com/id/2172695/pagenum/all/

 

[Seymour93]

They lost all their credibility with the "Moss is going to get cut" rumors.

 

[grapedog]

It was a rumor...they are a rumor website...and you may not have seen it here, but most forums blew up with a "Gibbs dissed Belicheck by not shaking his hand" thread after the game was over.

 

[Bella*chick]

Since it wasn't true, I feel bad for Gibbs that he'll be asked about this (probably more than once). I mean, the game was bad enough for him, but the way they filmed the postgame, it DID look like he dissed him.

I like Coach Gibbs. He is a good person and was a great football coach in his day. I do admit to feeling a teensy bit bad for him as he stood on the sideline looking a bit like a confused owl.

 

[NEPat]

It was a rumor...they are a rumor website...and you may not have seen it here, but most forums blew up with a "Gibbs dissed Belicheck by not shaking his hand" thread after the game was over.

When they throw in 'league insider', they are trying to make their report more plausible. They obviously just made up the insider part.

And it's true, it's a rumor/gossip site, but I bet they like to think of themseves as more credible then that, when they're really not.

 

[shmessy]

Unbelievable. Watching it live on TV at the time, I turned to my wife and said, "Well that Fox Director should lose his job immediately"

Why? Simply because he had the camera following BB for the first 10 seconds of him walking out to midfield, as he approaches where Gibbs would be, the Fox Diector cuts to a shot of Brady and Brunell chatting for a good 5-6 seconds. Only after that, he cuts back to shots of BB looking around and Gibbs running off the field.

I don't think this was on purpose. It probably was just lousy directing. I know I (and most folks who are into each team) were interested to see the dynamic afyter the game between Gibbs and BB. For the Director to be so clueless as to follow BB for 10 seconds, then decide to cut away just as he was reaching midfield is beyond stupid. It was incompetent.

The fact that Florio didn't see what was patently obvious to anyone with even a layman's understanding of Television Directing (which I BARELY have, never having worked in the industry) is classic.

The fact that Deion Sanders didn't understand is to be expected.

 

[questionman]

When they throw in 'league insider', they are trying to make their report more plausible. They obviously just made up the insider part.

And it's true, it's a rumor/gossip site, but I bet they like to think of themseves as more credible then that, when they're really not.

I thought Deion said it on TV.

 

[bpeter17]

why aren't you guys piling on the NFL network, they said the same thing.