This is the front page of today's Boston Herald, and when a newspaper issues a front-page apology, you know it seriously screwed up. And when newspapers seriously screw up, sometimes they get sued. But while there's a lot of speculation that New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft will sue the Herald over its February 2 story claiming the team videotaped the St. Louis Rams' last practice before the 2002 Super Bowl, such a lawsuit would be a bad idea. David Scott of Boston Sports Media Watch explains:
we'd have to guess that the Herald is begging The Krafts for such action. Nothing sells papers or draws web traffic like a good lawyers-on-lawyers scrum involving a media entity and a professional sports franchise. Even if it would be costly for Pat Purcell to fend off the Krafts, the resulting documents from discovery and the potential depth into which Spygate could be dissected should be more than enough for the Patriots to talk tough now and slink away quietly, shortly.That's exactly right. It's extremely difficult for public figures like Kraft to win libel lawsuits against newspapers, and even if they do win, they often find that so many embarrassing details come out over the course of the lawsuit that they regret filing it in the first place. The Patriots should accept the Herald's apology and move on.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
5-14-2008 @ 7:57AM
karleen.trigueiro said...
BOSTON HAROLD GET YOUR FACTS STRAIGHT BEFORE YOU OPEN YOUR BIG SORRY A*S MOUTH.. I WILL NEVER READ YOUR PAPER AGAIN..... SHAME ON YOU
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5-14-2008 @ 8:07AM
joe wallace said...
When you report spygate allegations there are a hundred posts, and when you say the allegations are false, you get one. But, yeah, we Pats fans are just imagining that it's about jealousy and hatred. LOL.
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5-14-2008 @ 8:57AM
E said...
Why sue? - Pats fans will boycott the paper and its not good for wrapping fish, so bye bye Purcell!
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5-14-2008 @ 12:49PM
Sportz Assassin said...
Maybe through this lawsuit, we'll find out that either the Patriots or the Boston Herald has been sleeping with Mindy McCready since she was 15.
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5-14-2008 @ 11:29PM
Lazlo said...
Why would Kraft sue. There is documentation to show his team has cheated and was fined for it. On what basis would he win. Roger Goodell would be the Herald's star witness. Slink away pats.
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