Online search traffic for Tom Brady becoming Michigan’s next head football coach absolutely blew up Tuesday, October 28, and it was all thanks to a meme account that completely faked the story. Yeah, you heard that right, a *fake* story had everyone scrambling, and it’s wild how easily it happened.
The “Shane Tuttle” Story That Got Everyone Scrambling
This whole mess started when a meme account, going by the name “Shane Tuttle” and posing as a college football reporter, dropped a bombshell post. Tuttle claimed Tom Brady’s private plane had touched down in Ann Arbor, and he was “rumored to meet with Michigan President Domenico Grasso” about taking the coaching job. People went nuts, sharing it like wildfire. The problem? None of it, not a single word, was true. And honestly, it wouldn’t have taken much digging to figure it out. Just peek at Tuttle’s bio: “Everything I do is Satire | College Sports Podcaster | Ex-Husband | Proud Montana State alum | Not impersonating and not affiliated with NCAA.” It’s literally right there, staring everyone in the face.
Michigan’s Reality vs. The Internet Hoax
Here’s the kicker: Michigan isn’t even looking for a new head coach right now! Their first-year coach, Kyle Whittingham, has them sitting at a perfectly respectable 4-3 with five games still to go. It hasn’t been all sunshine and rainbows, sure, but they’re not in the market for a coaching change. Plus, Michigan’s defense is apparently dominant, led by some “genius” coordinator. So, the entire premise of Brady coming in to save the day was just, well, completely baseless on all fronts.
The Blue Checkmark Problem Is Only Getting Worse
So, how does a clearly satirical account fool so many people? Tuttle’s got a system. He’s built a following by dropping timely rumors, often with a “too crazy to be true” twist, just as stories are starting to bubble up. Before the Brady-Michigan stunt, he claimed ESPN College GameDay co-host Pat McAfee would stop taking his shirt off on the show and would instead take his *pants* off. It’s ridiculous, but it gets attention. And unfortunately, in today’s social media landscape, that little “blue checkmark” on X, which used to mean a verified, legitimate account but now can just be bought by anyone, seriously helps these hoaxes take hold. It gives a fake story a veneer of credibility that it absolutely doesn’t deserve.
It’s a wild world out there, folks. Next time a rumor this unbelievable drops, especially if it’s from a seemingly random “reporter” with a paid checkmark, maybe take a breath. Because as the ‘Coach Brady’ saga proves, sometimes the biggest headlines are nothing more than the biggest, most obvious hoaxes.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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