You gotta hand it to Elon Musk. Every time you think his X platform (formerly Twitter) can prove itself as unreliable and untrustworthy as possible, it fosters an environment that allows things to sink even lower than imagined.
These days, the idea of fake reporters posting fake breaking news in order to go viral is quaint. We’ve even almost gotten used to it, and some companies are even partnering with them to drive leads.
However, familiarity breeds contempt, and as X users have seemingly accepted the notion that their feeds will be full of fake information, it now appears that “legitimate” accounts are getting in on the fake news action.
On Wednesday, the X account of sportsbook BetMGM, which boasts over 322,000 followers, posted a breaking news post that North Carolina had hired legendary NBA coach Phil Jackson to replace Hubert Davis as their men’s basketball coach. The post also drew a parallel to UNC’s football coach, Bill Belichick, who was a legendary pro coach the school hired last year.
It’s the kind of news that seems too good to be true and was destined to go viral. Of course, that’s because it was too good to be true. It was completely made up on purpose to snag engagement on a social media platform that incentivizes that sort of thing.
It’s one thing to see a fake “insider” or Ballsack Sports post something like that, but it’s another thing altogether to see what’s supposed to be a legitimate sports-adjacent account blatantly post fake information in order to go viral.
And plenty of people noticed this before BetMGM eventually deleted the post.
It’s hard not to see this as the evolution of regulated gambling companies, feeling the need to keep pace with prediction markets, which have used their unregulated status to run wild, partnering with fake insiders and pushing the boundaries of good taste.
BetMGM eventually deleted the post, given the intense negative pushback, but the fact that they felt like they could even try it says everything about the state of X and social media in general.
About Sean Keeley
Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Managing Editor for Comeback Media. Previously, he created the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician and wrote 'How To Grow An Orange: The Right Way to Brainwash Your Child Into Rooting for Syracuse.' He has also written non-Syracuse-related things for SB Nation, Curbed, and other outlets. He currently lives in Seattle where he is complaining about bagels. Send tips/comments/complaints to sean@thecomeback.com.