Journalist Ben Volin busted for using phony source in Mac Jones report?
Nov 18, 2021; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones (10) during a timeout against the Atlanta Falcons in the second half at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
New England Patriots reporter Ben Volin shared some interesting information on Wednesday about Mac Jones’ supposed frustration with the team, but he was a bit vague about the source. Is that because the veteran journalist was duped by a random person on social media?
Volin was a guest on WEEI’s “The Greg Hill Show” when he shared a scoop that he knew would generate headlines. He said he has been told by “someone who would know” that Jones has an “attitude problem” and that issues exist between the Patriots and their former first-round pick. Volin revealed that he got the information from someone who sent him a direct message.
“Someone reached out in my DMs and said, ‘Mac, yeah, his attitude problem is obvious in the building and everyone knows it,’” the reporter said. “Take that for what it’s worth.”
Volin said the information was not shared by someone who covers the Patriots. He also said he would not classify it as a report, but he seemed fairly confident in the source. You can hear more of his comments here.
It sounds like Volin may have been taken for a ride. Shortly after he made the comments on the air, Barstool Sports published a story explaining how one of their followers claims to have tricked Volin. This person told Barstool that he sent Volin a direct message on Wednesday morning with a completely fabricated story about Jones. He shared what he says is a screenshot of the exchange. It appears to match up with what Volin told WEEI.
Yeah I did. I made it up to see if he was really this stupid and I cannot believe he ran with it. pic.twitter.com/uMK8UjCCkH
— Nolan (@nolanc79) October 19, 2022
Did Volin take information from a totally unverified source and share it on the air? It seems quite possible.
Volin may have already heard that Jones is frustrated with the Patriots. Jones is recovering from an ankle injury, and rookie Bailey Zappe has played well in his place. There has been talk that Zappe could supplant Jones even when Jones is fully recovered. Bill Belichick did not exactly deny that, so perhaps Jones feels his coach is putting him in a bad spot.
The alleged direct message probably is not the first piece of information Volin received indicating there is animosity between Jones and the Patriots. It does, however, sound like the one he referenced during his radio interview.
