What happens when you lack the facts to fatten a story? You go and get them:
Herald Hun: Bomber star Merrett suffers stroke
well known for his fierce, hard attack on the ball and his dashing moustache. He struck fear into the hearts of opposition players over a long career.
He is considered by many as the greatest Brisbane Bear in the club's short history. He used his height and kicking abilities to spearhead the club as their leading goalkicker for many seasons before Alastair Lynch proved a suitable replacement.
Well known for his fierce, hard attack on the ball and his dashing moustache, he struck fear into the hearts of opposition players over a long career. He is considered by many as the greatest Brisbane Bear in the club's short history.
he was able to use his height and kicking abilities to spearhead the club as their leading goalkicker for many seasons before Alastair Lynch proved a suitable replacement.
Surely you mix it up, cover your tracks, not just cut and paste. I'm tipping the "greatest Brisbane Bear" gave it away. (Right, Biggy?) And the "dashing moustache" lacks oomph under a picture of Merrett without a moustache.
There is a chance Wikipedia cut and paste Sue-ellen Hinde, not the other way around. Pending...
Posted by: Tony | 02/01/2011 at 05:31 PM
Looking at the article history on Wikipedia, the phrase "dashing moustache" was in the first version of the article in 2005. The "greatest Brisbane Bear" phrase appears in around 2006.
Posted by: Alex L | 02/01/2011 at 05:54 PM
Thanks Alex. And according to this the Wiki article has not been changed since 14:41, 27 May 2006.
Posted by: Tony | 02/01/2011 at 06:00 PM
Speaking of journalistic shenanigans.
Yesterday I noticed an irregularity - to employ a polite and nebulous term - at one of the newspapers, so I wrote a comment hinting that I knew what had happened.
The comment was not published, but a short time later I received a friendly email asking me not to say anything.
Since I am also a friendly cove I replied "no worries" but pointed out that I am not the only person who would have seen the blooper.
Posted by: Tony | 02/02/2011 at 09:22 AM
Shenanigans is an underrated word. Overrated Irish themed pub though. In fact instead of calling a newspaper The Chronicle, The Daily whatever...there should be one just called Shenanigans. It would show integrity as to the true mission.
Posted by: RT | 02/02/2011 at 10:51 AM
Surely you mix it up, cover your tracks, not just cut and paste.
That's what I don't get. She didn't even bother to change a word.
Posted by: Big Ramifications | 02/02/2011 at 12:25 PM
Journos are so used to just cutting and pasting PR blurbs that they don't know any other way.
Posted by: Francis Xavier Holden | 02/02/2011 at 03:30 PM
Turn "press release" into "article" in just 8 clicks!
Posted by: Tony | 02/02/2011 at 07:51 PM
Shenanigans. Obscure?
Shenanigans.
Posted by: Big Ramifications | 02/02/2011 at 08:21 PM
Had to laugh. Accidentally typed after grog into Google image search and this came up as #3.
after grog fuelled bat attack > after grog blog
Posted by: Big Ramifications | 02/03/2011 at 05:47 PM
I hope the boyfrom Kanivais okay. He was a great player for the Bombers who came up the hard way - and the Dons should have hung onto him. And yes,I know this post is about slack journalism, not footy per se.
Posted by: Lad Litter | 02/05/2011 at 08:54 AM
He was certainly a top player for the Bombrés, and I hope he gets well soon, but he is certainly not "the greatest Brisbane Bear in the club's short history".
Unless they mean Brisbane Bears, as in 1987 to 1996.
Posted by: Tony | 02/05/2011 at 07:41 PM
"He suffered a stroke from an abnormal heartbeat, which caused a blood clot on the brain" -- can anybody clarify the physiology of this phenomenon???
Posted by: Professor Rosseforp | 02/06/2011 at 10:56 AM
Maybe it is the circulatory equivalent of plumbing's water hammer.
Posted by: Tony | 02/06/2011 at 01:41 PM
For want of a better place to stick this Google News partial front page screen grab... What does this look like at first glance?
Someone playing funny buggers at Google or Reuters or am I reading too much into it?
Posted by: Big Ramifications | 02/07/2011 at 10:07 PM
Biggers, it looks like Obama with an Afro -- is that what you thought?
Posted by: Professor Rosseforp | 02/12/2011 at 12:37 PM
Or maybe Obama after he read a few books by T. Lobsang Rampa?
Posted by: Professor Rosseforp | 02/12/2011 at 12:38 PM
Thomas Becket? (Minus the sword in the head, of course.)
Posted by: Tony | 02/12/2011 at 07:16 PM
First guess was correct, Prof.
Remember the last time Hayley's Comet was about to come past these shores? Most of the world was excitedly counting down the days and it turned out to be an ABSOLUTE FARKING WET SQUIB. It was a tiny smudge that you could barely see.
And a few boffins wrote letters to newspapers saying the best way to see it was not to look directly at it.
Something to do with the rods and cones of our eyes and rods see in black and white and are better suited for night vision and they are all situated on the perimeter of our eye.
Initially I didn't look directly at the pic of Obama [probably because I started reading the words first, and wasn't looking at the purdy pictures] and out the corner of my eye it looked like Obama with a dirty great big black 'fro. Then when I looked directly at the pic to check it was a completely different story.
Funnily, that's when I got the same "religious icon" vibe as you.
Thomas Becket? (Minus the sword in the head, of course.)
I was always fond of the depictions of St Michael standing on the head of the devil. There's a heap out there. I remember as a wee lad of five or so being in possession of the footy card version of St Michael, and that was his "player profile" pic. It intrigued me so.
Posted by: Big Ramifications | 02/13/2011 at 03:52 AM
My immediate thought was religion, not hair dressing. A tribute to my Anglican upbringing.
Posted by: Tony | 02/13/2011 at 01:25 PM
ATTENTION BIG TONE.
Posted by: Big Ramifications | 02/22/2011 at 09:12 PM
Good sign, Biggers, but what is it about standover men nowadays being unable to spell -- or worse, foolishly aping "gangsta" spelling deliberately.
This would not be a good look if Tony was anticipating a rent inspection from the real estate agent ...
Posted by: Professor Rosseforp | 02/24/2011 at 09:05 AM
Those drug gangsters obviously did "classics" and were, quite naturally, referring to UR, the Mesopotamian city.
Posted by: Tony | 02/24/2011 at 10:56 AM
I hadn't considered that possibility Tony. 4,200 years is a fair while to hold out on drug debts. I imagine there would be some interest to be paid.
Posted by: Professor Rosseforp | 02/24/2011 at 04:37 PM
The Monuments of Merv Ur, the Mesopotamian city
Posted by: Big Ramifications | 02/24/2011 at 06:49 PM