Evolution of a rumor

For anyone who lives in a big market or Toronto, it's inevitable to drown in a torrent of trade talk when it comes to professional sports. At the Jays game on Sunday, the blue birds were getting pounded by the Tigers in a very ugly 6th inning. Trying to move onto a more positive note, we discussed the Raptors' upcoming #1 pick. My buddy Matt was all like "Did you hear about JO for Charlie V and the pick?" which I could only answer with "Nah, just about the CV for Magloire and Mo Williams deal," It seems the ROY runner-up is ripe for picking.


"Did you hear?"

All the talk around Villanueva reminds me of a vacation a few years ago in Florida. Vince Carter, the defending dunk champ and the Raptors were coming off their most successful campaign to date. Turning on the TV and tuning into Sportscenter and BOOM! ESPN drops a bomb; rumors that the Raps were exploring trading VC. It was then revealed to be from the Toronto Sun, the Toronto version of the New York Post, so I dismissed it. Just about anything counts as news in that paper, a couple weeks ago the front page headline was "INTERNET VIRGIN NOT SO INNOCENT..." (no joke, that's what it was)

"No way!! And what do you mean I'm talking into a Sega Genesis?"

Anyhow, it took about 4 years and many disappointing seasons before Toronto Basketball Judas was moved. Toronto is an easy target because it's in Canada and the belief is that you can poach just about anyone from Canada if they aren't playing hockey. After all it's cold and snowy, taxes are high and they show curling on TV all the time. It's so bad in Canada it nearly drove Stevie Franchise to tears. Places like New York and LA are also frequently rumour hotspots although in reverse fashion where they attract just about anyone. By my measure the Lakers should be stacked with Yao, Kobe, Nowitzki, Sam Cassell by now.

How do these rumors come about? In real life, you usually hear about your neighbor's infidelities from some chirpy housewife at a dinner party. As children we just make crap up and yell it out in the playground, "JESSE EATS BOOGERS!" or something to that effect. We don't ask who or what sources led to this information, frankly half the time we dismiss it like the aforementioned report. The media is different though, we hold them to a higher standard. However, a journalist will never reveal the source of their scoop, leading to more anonymous informers than your local crime stoppers hotline. Of course some of the leaks are intentional, teams trying to get the other interested in a the possibility of a deal. It's tough to say it's dishonest, but it would seem to just be a case of schoolyard rumour syndrome.

The whole problem is reporting on rumors in the first place. Since they're rumors, they don't have to be backed up by any real substance besides some friend of a second cousin of a guy who picks up golf balls at a driving range which some GM plays at. It's almost Enquirer-esque. That actually gives me a good idea. I think I'll publish a weekly magazine of transaction rumors. I won't really call around the league. I'll just buy copies of Us weekly, People magazine, and the National Enquirer and use their stories and headlines but replace certain words. For example, replace "Brad Pitt" with "New York Knicks", "Angelina Jolie" with just about any other team, and "Baby Shiloh" with any given superstar on that team like KG. Now we'll try with the NFL, "Britney Spears" with "Washington Redskins", "Kevin Federline" with a given lucrative free agent, and "money sponge" well, we can keep that one...

I'm so on to something...