Fake Sports Story in GQ

It was Ali Larter (can't you tell I'm an Esquire subscriber?)...mmm...Ali Larter....Ali Larter in a whipped-cream bikini...

 

GQ did a great hoax story, I think in 2004, on Bush being AWOL from the national guard back in the day and how he eventually came into power, etc.

Edit: It was in August of 2004, but I can't find a link anywhere.

 

I suppose the giveaway is when it talks about two players the 13-year-old GM picked for his team: George Frey and James Plimpton.

As for why this story is in there, who knows. Could it have something to do with Richard Gere's new movie, "The Hoax"? The article follows the Gere interview.

 

I just finished Rick Reilly's new book and I was reminded that while I really like his stuff, I get annoyed when he does these kinds of stories and other "psuedo-news" things.

The "Wyoming State Ghosts" story about the all-White starting five is in there. Again, don't like the approach, but the fact that people really believed it is more bizarre.

 

I got taken in not long ago by NPR. They ran a piece on a NY politician promoting a measure to allow only 4 different kinds of cell phone ring tones. Each one sounded worse than the previous tone. It was an attempt to alleviate ring tone noise pollution.

I fell for it, hook, line and sinker. I even told people about how stupid this politician must be to think such lunacy would fly.

A week later, I just happened to be in the car at the same time (a Sunday morning) and they came clean on the hoax.

Dicking around readers (or listeners), even on April Fool's Day, is a great way to lose credibility. I am now on a self-imposed NPR ban.

We don't like to be duped. It makes us feel stupid. Why don't media companies understand that basic point?

 

You just can't make this stuff up ... BUT WE CAN!