Gordon Ramsay’s Entire Staff Takes a Knee, Refuses to Serve NFL Team-Fiction!
Summary of eRumor:
Gordon Ramsay refused to serve members of the Miami Dolphins, instructing his restaurant staff to take a knee, because of NFL player protests during the National Anthem.
The Truth:
False reports that Gordon Ramsay refused to serve members of the Miami Dolphins came from a website that admits it presents “fiction as fact” and cites sources that don’t exist.
The rumor started with a fabricated report appearing at Last Line of Defense under the headline, “Gordon RamsayHas His Entire Staff Take A Knee-Refuses To Serve Miami Dolphins Players,” on October 1, 2017. The post, which had been shared on social media nearly 150,000 times within days, reports:
Four Miami Dolphins showed up at Gordon Ramsay’s Soho Social Gastropub for a bite to eat after their horrible performance and disrespect for our flag and our country. Linebackers Malcolm Warner and Clyde Vargus along with right guard Jefferson Michaels and left tackle Mutombo Toki Del Fuego were seated at a corner booth.
Ramsay walked over and introduced himself, telling them that he had followed all of the drama on TV, and invited them to join him at the pass for “something special.” LLOD correspondent Cynthia Luwhoe, who was enjoying a French Dip at the time, reported in on what happened next:
However, Last Line of Defense is a well-known (and self-described) purveyor of fabricated news. The website’s disclaimer clearly spells that out:
DISCLAIMER: America’s Last Line of Defense is a satirical publication that may sometimes appear to be telling the truth. We assure you that’s not the case. We present fiction as fact and our sources don’t actually exist. Names that represent actual people and places are purely coincidental and all images should be considered altered and do not in any way depict reality.
The claim that Gordon Ramsay had his staff take a knee is just the latest in a long line of rumors about the fallout from NFL National Anthem protests. Others include a false rumor that Budweiser has pulled NFL ads and a true rumor that Checks-into-Cash CEO Allan Jones said his companies would pull support for NFL broadcasts.