On Rumors And The Louisville Media Conspiracy

I was going to make a quick joke about this at the beginning of tonight's news and notes post and move on, but since it's quickly become the topic of the day, I feel like it needs to be addressed.

At some point on Friday, a rumor (which spawned several variations) began to circulate about a Louisville basketball player (or two Louisville basketball players depending on the story you heard) being kicked off the team for a transgression. I went through the proper channels after hearing this and was told flat out that the main circulating rumor was not true. On my end, that's where the story concludes.

Matt Jones of Kentucky Sports Radio apparently heard the same or a similar rumor (where from and what variations I'm not sure), and made vague references to it throughout the weekend, eventually promising to talk about it on his radio show on Monday. The story he told this morning and then again this afternoon on his website is that Kevin Ware did something to get himself kicked off the Louisville basketball team. Jones also said that he spoke with U of L SID Kenny Klein, who told him that Ware is currently still a member of the team. On his end, that should be where the story ends.

Instead, Matt penned a post on KSR in which he ripped Louisville media members and fan sites for "slurping on the Louisville lollipop" and not wanting to investigate into anything that might paint the Cardinals in a negative light. He went on to say that this story - which he had appeared to confirm was a non-story two paragraphs prior - was not actually about Ware, but rather "yet another example of a Louisville media setting in which members investigate nothing and are essentially cogs in the UL propaganda machine."

My question is this: Given the very few apparent facts here, what is he hoping to see reported?

If I'm going to pen a post discrediting every rumor I see a Kentucky or Louisville fan tweeting or posting about, then I'm legitimately not going to accomplish anything else this sports season. Hell, even discrediting the variations of this single rumor - someone tested positive for steroids, all the players are doing heroin, Louisville's banner is coming down, Ware was involved in the death of that dude from "Glee" - would be a week's worth of work. In such a world, the Card Chronicle "untrue rumors" section would be the only thing on the front page for the next nine months.

Unless multiple people just blatantly lied to me, there was no story here. If Matt, or someone else at KSR knows otherwise, then I'm not sure why those facts aren't posted on their website.

Since we're speculating, though, here's what appears to have happened: Everyone heard the same rumor, Matt chose to stir the pot (something he freely admits that he does), he drummed up a bunch of attention, and when he figured out that the reveal was going to be a bit of a disappointment, he chose keep people riled up by attacking others and continuing to perpetuate this U of L media conspiracy.

I don't act as a reporter on this website, and I've never claimed to. That said, the few times I've investigated a story and learned that something was true beyond the shadow of a doubt, I've reported it. Had multiple folks with direct knowledge confirmed to me that Kevin Ware's leg-break was actually an elaborate hoax perfectly executed by the brass at U of L (who are actually all aliens) in an attempt to generate revenue and attract additional support for the Cardinal basketball program, you would have read about it on the site.

As far as this whole U of L media conspiracy theory is concerned, here are a few things I know (confirmed by multiple sources with direct knowledge of the situation): Tom Jurich uses the Internet less than you, me and anyone else reading this post. If someone thinks that a story or post is worth his time, they print it out for him to read because he uses the Internet so infrequently. Jurich doesn't text, he doesn't have an account on Card Chronicle, and he's never lost a second of sleep over what someone on a message board has said about him. That last one is unconfirmed, but I'm working on it.

I can't speak for anyone else who covers sports in this area, but Tom Jurich has never told me what to write. Rick Pitino has never told me what to write. Charlie Strong has never told me what to write.

That might not be as interesting or attention-grabbing as if any of those people had involved themselves in the inner-workings of this site, but it's the truth. Plus if they had, everyone would already know it by the 100% decrease in talk of pantslessness.