Deadspin Apologizes For Gardner Football Story: ‘We Fucked Up’

Rep. Cory Gardner, R-Colo., who is challenging Sen. Mark Udall, D-Colo., for his Senate seat, speaks to reporters after meeting with the House Republican caucus on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, June 24, 2014. ... Rep. Cory Gardner, R-Colo., who is challenging Sen. Mark Udall, D-Colo., for his Senate seat, speaks to reporters after meeting with the House Republican caucus on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, June 24, 2014. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) MORE LESS
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Deadspin published Thursday afternoon an extended apology for its story released Wednesday that falsely accused Colorado GOP Senate nominee Cory Gardner of lying about his high school football career.

The post, authored by Deadspin editor Tommy Craggs, repeated what Craggs had told the Washington Post’s Erik Wemple earlier in the day: Deadspin’s primary source for the story had “unsaid” what he had previously told Deadspin reporter Dave McKenna about whether Gardner played high school football.

“We fucked up,” Craggs wrote. “After the story was published, the main source we’d relied on reversed himself on a key point, and the central thrust of the report turns out to have been wrong. For that we’re sorry and embarrassed.”

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Notable Replies

  1. What is this?..How many stories can you milk out of this dead Deadspin thing today? And what the fuck is Deadspin anyway, and why should I care? Is it really that consequential? OK, they fucked up. Gardner was indeed a fathead football jock in Jr. High School. BFD. Oh, and Deadspin plans on eating some shit too. Great reporting. So they goofed. It could be worse for them…Gardner could have been on the cheerleading team instead like Shrub was, giving him the Shrub-like bump in the polls.

    Someone apparently won’t be happy until Deadspin has done some self-flagellation in public I see.

  2. The main problem with TPM headlines is there has not been enough Fuck in them lately. I’m glad to see this is being addressed.

  3. Avatar for meri meri says:

    WHAT THE FUCK, TPM? WHERE ARE THE * TO PROTECT MY EYES?

    <come on!>

  4. Avatar for imkmu3 imkmu3 says:

    Someone at Deadspin said Fuck, and it made for a click baity TPMZ headline. No content. No point. No reason for being, save for clicks.

  5. I’ve not heard a better description of modern journalism.

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