Just the facts, please

We here at The Racquetball Blog endeavor to bring you racquetball stories based on facts, and cite our sources as appropriate. Not to say that we don't give you our opinion about things from time to time and in the reporting of said facts.

But what we're saying is that we don't make stuff up.

However, dear reader, not all blogs are so scrupulous. Not a big whoop, you might think. And if blogs were just read by Molly killing time between secretarial tasks, then we'd agree. But in this day and age, dear reader, Big Media is paying attention to the blogs.

Again Big Media attention isn't a problem. Indeed, we'd like Big Media to give some attention to The Racquetball Blog. However, sometimes Big Media isn't diligent in checking out the validity of what they are reading on the blogs.

A case in point is the story of Masal Bugduv, a rising young football (that's soccer to you, Yankee) star in Moldova. Reportedly, Bugduv is a 16 year old striker, who the Times of London - no less - suggested might transfer to Arsenal, one of the 'big 4' clubs in the English Premier League. He was also reported in other Big Media outlets.

That's all well and good except for the fact that Bugduv doesn't exist. Masal Bugduv isn't even a traditional Moldovan name.

To read more about this fascinating story, see Brian Phillips article at Slate.com.

Follow the bouncing ball....