In recent times, it was reported that top draft prospect Vernon Hargreaves failed a combine drug test – except he didn’t.
NBC, a major sports news outlet, was a victim to a fake sports news account. Twitter accounts disguised as renowned sports reporters, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network and ESPN’s Adam Schefter, falsely claimed that the Florida Gators cornerback had failed a drug test back in February.
The accusation spread like wildfire, and NBC Sports took them to be legitimate.
And in all fairness, the tweets did look pretty legit. Without close examination, you can’t say that this tweet doesn’t look like a genuine update from Ian Rapoport:
https://twitter.com/RapShect/status/721717772472856576
Once Pro Football Talk realized they had been fooled by the fake accounts, they released this statement:
“I apologize for the error. In moving quickly to rectify what I thought was an erroneous observation that there had been no leaks yet of any failed Scouting Combine drug tests, I fell for deliberately false tweets that had been made to look legitimate. The fact that there were two of them from different reporters caused me to erroneously assume the tweets were legitimate. They weren’t.
“So, one more time: Florida cornerback Vernon Hargreaves did not fail his Scouting Combine drug test. Any tweets or reports indicating otherwise are erroneous.”
The incident serves as a reminder that even the most established of sports authors must be cautious when using content from social media in today’s world.
Can’t get enough of Campus Sports? Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to stay updated with the latest news and exclusive giveaways!
*Featured Photo (above) credit to USA TODAY Sports
