The Story Of The Laughable "Brett Favre On Dancing With The Stars" Rumor

by Christopher Gates on Feb 11, 2011 12:51 PM CST in Minnesota Vikings

By now, you've probably heard at least a mention of the rumor that former Vikings' quarterback Brett Favre was going to appear on the upcoming season of the hit television show Dancing With the Stars. If that sounds like a stupid rumor, it's probably because that's exactly what it is. . .both stupid and a rumor.

Dan Shanoff has a rundown of how the entire thing got to the point that it did. Here's the story.

-On Monday, former Arizona Cardinals/New York Giants/St. Louis Rams quarterback Kurt Warner was being interviewed by an AOL entertainment gossip columnist, presumably because Warner made an appearance on DWtS himself. When he was asked which football player he would like to see on the show, he said, "Hey, why not Brett Favre?" Keep in mind. . .this wasn't a rumor or even speculation. This was just a WAG by someone with no actual connection to the show outside of being a former contestant.

-On Wednesday, Bleacher Report mentions the Warner quote. Mentions, mind you. . .doesn't say that it's a rumor or anything like that. Just mentions what Warner said.

-This gets picked up by KCCI in Des Moines, Iowa. They say that Bleacher Report was reporting a rumor that Favre was going to be on the show. . .when, to Bleacher Report's credit (and we don't give them a lot of credit here, so that's pretty important), they said no such thing.

-Well, the folks at USA Today pick up on the KCCI story, and report that the rumor of Favre being on Dancing With the Stars is "bubbling up." From what, I don't know.

-From there, it gets picked up by Mike Florio and the gang from Pro Football Talk, citing "numerous media sources, including USA Today." Well, "including" USA Today, "numerous media sources," in this case, is approximately two.

So, basically, Kurt Warner's one-time, off-the-cuff opinion statement to an internet gossip journalist turned into "OMG BRETT FAVRE IS GOING TO BE ON DANCING WITH THE STARS" in the span of about 48 hours.

Why? Two reasons.

1) Fact checking is hard
2) It's Brett Favre

And people wonder why, exactly, it is that the media obsesses over #4. . .because, largely, he's still a hot topic of conversation.

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just goes to show

how much integrity there is in reporting these days. this whole thing is laughable. no way Favre would ever do this. yes the media is obsessed with #4 and always will be. he is one of the few athletes that moves the needle. mere mention of his name and ratings, clicks, readership go sky high.

by FlFan on Feb 11, 2011 1:01 PM CST reply actions

geez…these guys in the media really have NO respect now. They will post ANYTHING just to be able to say they were the first when it actually is true one out of every 20 times they do it. Sick.

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by TrevorR on Feb 11, 2011 1:40 PM CST reply actions

I hate reality TV

But I would actually tune in for the one episode of watching Brett Favre hobble around the dance floor and creepily ogle the hot dancer he’s paired up with. Then, just before he takes out his cell phone and starts fiddling with his fly, I’d find something I’d rather spend my time on…like cleaning my bathroom…or getting a prostate exam…

by Cobra312004 on Feb 11, 2011 1:42 PM CST reply actions

incredible. you believe

the cell phone accusations because the media never reports things that aren’t true? give it up.
this was about money and nothing more.

by FlFan on Feb 11, 2011 1:48 PM CST up reply actions

On a simi-related note

A few weeks ago, Scott Van Pelt said that he thought Brett Favre might be playing for the Arizona Cardinals next year. So, alert the media;

BRETT FAVRE IS PLAYING FOR THE ARIZONA CARDINALS !

Oh yeah, Scott Van Pelt is the media.

Time you enjoy wasting, was not wasted. - John Lennon

by JethroBoViking on Feb 11, 2011 2:23 PM CST reply actions

even more ridiculous

then him doing dancing with the stars. remember the days when the media reported something and it had at least a chance of being true? i’m shocked these people actually get paid.

by FlFan on Feb 11, 2011 2:31 PM CST up reply actions

Brett who again?

That name rings a bell but exactly who is Brett Favre again?

by HammeroftheGods on Feb 11, 2011 3:07 PM CST reply actions

Chris, hate to do it, but I gotta bust you out(can't have anyone thinking the DM's full of gossip starting morons)

Was it WCCI or was it the TV station KCCI in Des Moines? That station’s not ringing a bell, but there’s a WCCI in Illinois, but covers the Dubuque, IA metro area. Just curious.

by DM_Purp on Feb 11, 2011 3:21 PM CST reply actions

It was, indeed, KCCI

My bad. . .and thank you for pointing out the error.

It’s been fixed.

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by Christopher Gates on Feb 11, 2011 3:29 PM CST up reply actions

Eh, I'm not a huge KCCI fan anyways. I prefer WHO

so I guess some people in DM are gossip starting morons. Embarassing.

by DM_Purp on Feb 11, 2011 3:37 PM CST up reply actions

You know

I was going to ask what the heck you were talking about, because I thought you were putting DN there for the site instead of DM (for Des Moines).

Man, my reading comprehension skills are falling off the face of the earth.

SBNation Minnesota - For the greatest sports fans in the world.
The Daily Norseman - The greatest Vikings' site on the Internet!

by Christopher Gates on Feb 11, 2011 3:47 PM CST up reply actions

Someday... I want to create an internet rumor...

I BELIEVE...

by ArizonaVikingsFan on Feb 11, 2011 3:37 PM CST reply actions

I heard they clocked Newton at a 4.19 forty

I heard it from tons of people

by DM_Purp on Feb 11, 2011 3:40 PM CST up reply actions

DUDE

Does Bleacher Report know?

Maybe they’ll tell Mel Kiper.

Al Davis has probably already drafted Newton. In the pre-draft second round.

by Arif Hasan on Feb 11, 2011 11:32 PM CST up reply actions

Here's the trickle that started the flood.

Why even post this KCCI? There’s literally NOTHING there. They weren’t exactly lieing about anything, but they kind of exageratted the “rumored” part in there. If they had said “bleacherreport.com stated Kurt Warner thinks Favre should do it” they would be ok, but this is a whorish job out of them. I guess Warner is the Iowa connection as to why they would even think of posting this.

by DM_Purp on Feb 11, 2011 3:46 PM CST reply actions

But why let that get in the way of a good burn?

-Jim Rome (today, after a hilarious burn on this very topic)

by KC Viking on Feb 11, 2011 5:04 PM CST reply actions

Brett Favre loves that spotlight methinks

and give him a few years – I predict he’ll be doing this or something similar. Shoot if he did do DWTS, I know I’d watch it.

by abba7 on Feb 12, 2011 1:57 AM CST reply actions

this is hilarous.

brett has said and done nothing since the week after the end of the season when he said he thought the packers would win. yet every day the media finds a way to get him into the news. just how does that translate into brett loving the spotlight? There is no way, no how he would ever do anything like this. this is no different then the RE agent who claimed he bought a condo in his building. just someone trying to capitlize off his name. leave the man alone.

by FlFan on Feb 12, 2011 6:53 AM CST up reply actions

I'm a Favre fan.

But he doesn’t like the spotlight? Please.

by abba7 on Feb 15, 2011 3:10 AM CST up reply actions

He may not ever even consider being on DWtS, but...

If Brett Favre was on the show they would probably have a record setting audience—such is the Favre Factor. And who among us wouldn’t be at least a little curious to see him on the ballroom?

Life being what it is, one dreams of revenge.
- Paul Gauguin

by Skol Girl on Feb 12, 2011 11:51 PM CST reply actions