Quote:
Originally Posted by CaptainYooh
This is incorrect. A speculation by an analyst or commentator is OK as long as they are framed as thoughts. Rumours that are aired publicly as rumours, must have a valid source. If challenged legally, someone spreading a speculation represented as a rumour could be sued and would have to name their source to the court. As we all know, a few posters on this forum have been sued by Brian Burke for spreading false reputation-damaging rumours. These posters were only forum users. Imagine a publicly-known figure spreading false unsubstantiated rumors that might hurt billion-dollar corporations.
|
Not really valid for sports trade rumors.
Burke sued people for defamation. IIRC they were spreading a rumor that he was fired as Toronto GM because he had an affair and knocked up a female sports anchor.
You would have to go a long way in court to prove that a false rumor of a player wanting out of a city caused damages to said player. I don't think the legal liability is there. Otherwise Sportsnet and TSN would have their lawyers vet everything their insiders put out there.