Fox Cancels All NFL Games Until Players Respect the Flag-Fiction!
Summary of eRumor:
Until NFL players stop protesting during the National Anthem, Fox has canceled all NFL game broadcasts.
The Truth:
A self-described fake news website is behind false reports that Fox canceled all NFL game broadcasts until players respect the flag.
The rumor started with a false report appearing under the headline, “BREAKING: Fox Sports Cancels ALL NFL Broadcasts,” at Last Line of Defense, a website that describes its content as satire and fiction. The report, which was shared nearly 12,000 times within 24 hours of publication, begins:
The NFL may refuse to listen when Donald Trump says that until players stop disrespecting our national anthem, our veterans, and our flag, team owners should fire people, but Fox Sports is helping him send the message.
Pointing out that “NFL attendance and ratings are WAY DOWN” because Americans “love our country” and have been avoiding them ever since Colin Kaepernick and his friends have been kneeling during the National Anthem, Trump suggested Americans as a whole boycott games.
This is just the latest fictional report about NFL National Anthem protests that followed President Trump calling on NFL owners to fire the “sons of bitches” that kneel during the National Anthem in protest of social injustices.
We also investigated a false report that the NFL rulebook requires players to stand for the National Anthem and a false report that the Pittsburgh Steelers were fined $1 million each for refusing to stand on the sideline for the National Anthem before the team’s September 24th game in Chicago.
Last Line of Defense has proven to be an especially deceptive fake news website. The website frequently roots its fictional stories (like Fox canceling all NFL broadcasts) in accurate and timely reports (like Trump calling on NFL owners to fire protesters). Given that the website describes itself as “satirical fiction,” however, stories that appear there should not be considered trustworthy.