Should The Pat McAfee Show and ESPN be held liable for participating in an internet rumor?

[Bamabuzzard]

Link

Many of you may have seen this story circulating on the internet of an Ole Miss student having a sexual affair with her boyfriend's dad. Apparently, the rumor spread to the point of being mentioned on ESPN's The Pat McAfee Show. The student is now coming out, saying the rumor was purely fabricated and there's no truth to it. However, she states the spreading of the rumor has caused material damage to her life and ESPN and Pat McAfee putting it on their show took it from already being out of control to exponentially worse. I've attached the article with the girl's interview. I'd like to get the board's thoughts on this.

 

[cbi1972]

Why would this be a story for ESPN even if it were true?

 

[Crimson1967]

Why would this be a story for ESPN even if it were true?

If it was true they were still consensual adults so while creepy, I don’t see why it would be the subject for his show.

That said, I don’t know what his liability would be from a legal sense. Is he considered a journalist or an entertainer? Where exactly was this rumor first published?

This is the first I have heard of this story. If this leads to the end of McAfee’s tenure with ESPN, that would be a good thing and make Gameday watchable again this fall.

 

[CrimsonJazz]

Was talking about this a bad idea? Yeah, probably, but I don't see liability here. McAfee didn't use names. He needs to stick to sports and stop trying to be TMZ.

 

[crimsonaudio]

If they're going to traffic in lies in an attempt to make money, they should be held liable.

 

[selmaborntidefan]

Link

Many of you may have seen this story circulating on the internet of an Ole Miss student having a sexual affair with her boyfriend's dad. Apparently, the rumor spread to the point of being mentioned on ESPN's The Pat McAfee Show. The student is now coming out, saying the rumor was purely fabricated and there's no truth to it. However, she states the spreading of the rumor has caused material damage to her life and ESPN and Pat McAfee putting it on their show took it from already being out of control to exponentially worse. I've attached the article with the girl's interview. I'd like to get the board's thoughts on this.

Meh, she better be ready. Lawsuits like this have a way of backfiring and people discovering SOMEONE or SOMETHING else that's more embarrassing than Internet rumor. And this is also one of those things that sounds like "well, McAfee is the big name and has the money, so there."

I saw the internet rumor when it broke. I didn't pay much attention in the sense that I didn't know who she was before the rumor and honestly couldn't pick her out of a lineup now.

Having said that, this is where responsibility comes for those with a big microphone like McAfee, too.

 

[bamaga]

I saw the story circulating long before McAfee made his comments. He didn’t fabricate the story, he just relayed what was rumored. I’m curious why the girl never commented before it wound up on ENTERTAINMENT & sports PROGRAMMING NETWORK. The cynic in me says maybe that was the intent, for someone with money to pick up the story for this very reason.

 

[Padreruf]

YES

 

[4Q Basket Case]

Traffic in salacious gossip, on a public forum, with literally tens of millions of people in its audience, about people who aren’t public figures (there’s a legal definition of that), and you’re treading on thin, thin ice.

Even if it is a public figure, e.g. “Governor XYZ is having an affair with his son’s wife,”, you better be right.

I was initially unimpressed with McAfee. Thought he was an aging blowhard jock-bro. Then he began to grow on me. Now this.

Whether the original rumor is true or false, I think I was right the first time.

 

[Its On A Slab]

Was talking about this a bad idea? Yeah, probably, but I don't see liability here. McAfee didn't use names. He needs to stick to sports and stop trying to be TMZ.

Well, he did insinuate that the Dad involved was none other than future NFL 1st rounder, Jaxson Dart's Dad.

As far as I know, he has never retracted that. I know it pales in comparison to this young lady's predicament, but it still shows what a dirtbag he is.

 

[Bamabuzzard]

From a legal standpoint I don't know what rights this girl has when it comes to the internet rumor stuff and the spreading thereof. But I do know, as some have mentioned, when a big outfit like ESPN starts using it as material on their platform it is viewed (even in the eyes of the law) much differently than the average individual. The girl's lawyer even said as much. I will be following this to see if anything comes of it. My guess, the girl will get a decent size settlement from ESPN to just go away.

 

[cdub55]

I saw the story circulating long before McAfee made his comments. He didn’t fabricate the story, he just relayed what was rumored. I’m curious why the girl never commented before it wound up on ENTERTAINMENT & sports PROGRAMMING NETWORK. The cynic in me says maybe that was the intent, for someone with money to pick up the story for this very reason.

The internet is a dangerous place if you haven't noticed. People are ruthless and trying to take them on is almost impossible. Any comment or defense will be attacked and many people choose silence over jumping in the mud with the pigs. I highly doubt this young lady was sitting idly by and waiting for the right person to talk trash about her so she could bring litigation to the party. We live in a time where drama, "tea", rumor, etc are insatiable to so many. People don't have anything better to do but to try to ruin others to make themselves and their own miserable lives look halfway decent. Unless you have ever experienced it or seen it up close, it is hard to fathom. As someone who was a "public figure" for almost a decade, I have seen things wrote about me that you just can't make up. Truth be damned...lets get this SOB is where we are as a society. It truly is a sad reality.

 

[Crimson1967]

The internet is a dangerous place if you haven't noticed. People are ruthless and trying to take them on is almost impossible. Any comment or defense will be attacked and many people choose silence over jumping in the mud with the pigs. I highly doubt this young lady was sitting idly by and waiting for the right person to talk trash about her so she could bring litigation to the party. We live in a time where drama, "tea", rumor, etc are insatiable to so many. People don't have anything better to do but to try to ruin others to make themselves and their own miserable lives look halfway decent. Unless you have ever experienced it or seen it up close, it is hard to fathom. As someone who was a "public figure" for almost a decade, I have seen things wrote about me that you just can't make up. Truth be damned...lets get this SOB is where we are as a society. It truly is a sad reality.

If you’d rather not say I understand but what kind of public figure were you? Pro athlete? Elected official? Not asking for your name or where you live, just curious to what you did. Just saying you were mayor of your town would satisfy my curiosity. Again, no problem or offense if you decline to answer.

 

[cdub55]

If you’d rather not say I understand but what kind of public figure were you? Pro athlete? Elected official? Not asking for your name or where you live, just curious to what you did. Just saying you were mayor of your town would satisfy my curiosity. Again, no problem or offense if you decline to answer.

Head Football Coach (High School)...the guy that everyone has an opinion on

 

[Bamabuzzard]

Head Football Coach (High School)...the guy that everyone has an opinion on

You have to have broad shoulders to have that job.

 

[cdub55]

You have to have broad shoulders to have that job.

I could write a book on some of the things I have heard, seen, or experienced.

Just for S&G's, here is a good one. I once received a phone call from a co-worker on a day I had took off because my infant daughter was running a bad fever and my wife had to be at work that day. The co-worker asked me if I was ok and that they had heard I had been fired. I asked them why and they said it was because I had got into a fight with another teacher. That teacher just so happened to be off work that day as well. The rumor spread throughout the town and people were on social media discussing it. Mind you, NONE OF IT WAS TRUE. I called the other teacher and we both got a good laugh out of it. That one is a little silly but it goes to show you how people don't have anything better to do than to try to stir things up. Some of my other stories aren't so cutesy. Death threats, malicious lies, etc.

 

[Its On A Slab]

Head Football Coach (High School)...the guy that everyone has an opinion on

But inquiring minds want to know, do you run the Shallow Cross?

I didn't even know what that was until I heard Jason Isbell's "Speedtrap Town" song.

"Those 5A bastards run a shallow cross.
It's a boy's last dream and a man's first loss."

 

[cdub55]

But inquiring minds want to know, do you run the Shallow Cross?

I didn't even know what that was until I heard Jason Isbell's "Speedtrap Town" song.

"Those 5A bastards run a shallow cross.
It's a boy's last dream and a man's first loss."

We have definitely ran it more than a few times...

Funny story, I was in college and I visited a small biker bar in North Alabama a few times. I watched a documentary on the Drive By Truckers years later and didn't realize that I was playing pool with Jason and I never had a clue who he was until then. In that little bar he was just one of us and liked to drink, and a lot of it...

 

[Con]

Head Football Coach (High School)...the guy that everyone has an opinion on

Isn't that the truth! I bet they could do your job better than you could too.

 

[Its On A Slab]

We have definitely ran it more than a few times...

Funny story, I was in college and I visited a small biker bar in North Alabama a few times. I watched a documentary on the Drive By Truckers years later and didn't realize that I was playing pool with Jason and I never had a clue who he was until then. In that little bar he was just one of us and liked to drink, and a lot of it...

Wow. Great story. I know he has owned up to his excess. Good on anyone for realizing that they are out of control.

He's probably the Dylan of our age. The man can write a song that punches you in the gut.