Twitter is a great source for breaking news, especially long-term developing news such as the MLB trade deadline. Even for stories that are just a “one tweet and one” kind of deal. But every trade deadline there are fake accounts just trying to cause a ruckus. And those fake accounts get the better of some people.
However, I’ve never quite seen a situation where a member of the media got tricked out of his own Twitter account. Yet, that’s exactly what happened to Jim Bowden from ESPN. The former Reds and Nationals GM literally got tricked out of his account during a series of odd events.
It all started when a fake Joel Sherman (from the New York Post) account tweeted that Marlon Byrd was going to the Yankees in a trade. It got retweeted because people are idiots and are quick to assume that account was the real Joel Sherman.
Along comes Jim Bowden, who seems to confirm the news.
A half hour later, Bowden’s Twitter handle changed to @JimBowdiv, and it had that just-signed-up newbie egg for a thumbnail. Nowhere does the handle mention ESPN or XM, like his old one.
What’s interesting is that when he changed it, it left his old “official” handle wide open for the taking. Someone claimed it. And that someone has a sense of humor.
I messed up. #confirmed
— JIM BOWDEN (@JimBowdenESPNxm) July 31, 2014
My twitter handle only exists due to Jim Bowden's negligence that has followed him throughout everything he's done in baseball. #goodnight
— JIM BOWDEN (@JimBowdenESPNxm) July 31, 2014
@JimBowdiv sorry about your rough day, Ralph. Let me know if you want to talk. I'm here for you.
— JIM BOWDEN (@JimBowdenESPNxm) July 31, 2014
They also changed his “Jim Bowden” name on his actual account to “Ralph.”
— Paul Boyé (@paul_boye) July 31, 2014
Now I don’t know what’s in the water here (which is actually really bad joke considering the current news), but the FOX affiliate in Tampa, Fox 13, has a really bad sense of humor when it comes to their expressions for David Price being traded to the Detroit Tigers this afternoon. They tweeted (and later deleted) this tweet.
Later, the Detroit FOX affiliate replied.
.@MyFoxTampaBay pic.twitter.com/XpPPHCjBAN
— FOX 2 News | WJBK (@FOX2News) July 31, 2014
And later, FOX 13 replied again, with an apology including a meme that signifies a spit in the face. Gotta wonder if they’re even sorry.
We apologize, #Detroit. We wish David the best of luck no matter where he is! pic.twitter.com/ykhopLHTwX
— FOX 13 Tampa Bay (@MyFoxTampaBay) July 31, 2014
The winner perhaps, would be Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports. He saw an account posing as him and retweeted it, telling his loyal followers to report it. It got suspended. And he broke the David Price news.
This is a fake. Block him. RT @Ken_Rosenthal_: Sources: #Tigers close to finalizing deal with #Rays involving David Price and Ben Zobrist.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) July 31, 2014
Source: #Tigers get Price.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) July 31, 2014
