Update on the Oklahoma Hoax

About a month ago, James Conradt thought it would be a really cool idea to manufacture an elaborate hoax against two Oklahoma football players. He crafted a quality fake -- complete with the graphic look of the Daily Oklahoman, the newspaper of record for OU sports and the state of Oklahoma.

Immediately, all sides pounced on Mr. Conradt, who claimed he was really, really sorry and shucks, it was just a joke.

No one is laughing. Not college athletics. Not the media. Not the internet intelligencia.

Conradt now faces a 10-count lawsuit from the Oklahoman's corporate owners.

Tony Barnhardt at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution provided nice perspective, a good update and a quality payoff quote:

Here’s why this case is important. Because of the freedom of the Internet, some people are lulled into believing there are no rules and no accountability. Some people believe there is one set of rules for sports fans and one set of for everybody else. This case will prove that is not true and that is why I expect the Daily Oklahoman and their lawyers to make an example of this guy.

Tony is dead on. I've said here, I've said on B&B, I respect the opinion of fans, and their right to scream and yell all they want. I'd like to see a little more transparency from fans -- have the respect to put your name on your opinion -- but accusing a college student of cocaine usage is, well, criminal.

If Conradt was a "regular" journalist, he'd be on the docket for liable in a heartbeat. What all those defenders of the "satire" are missing is they are citizen journalists when they do this kind of reporting, and the rules apply to them just the same as Tony Barnhardt.