FanPost

How Information Becomes Disinformation

Here's a piece of Berman's latest blog post:

One reason the Knicks badly wanted Bargnani is they are putting Amar’e Stoudemire on a minutes restriction next season. Woodson confirmed a Post report it’s a definite and said they are resting him most of summer. The Post reported after the trade Stoudemire may be on a 20-minute minutes limit and be held out of playing some back-to-backs.

"The main thing with Amar’e, he needed rest,’’ Woodson said. "Last summer, he put in a lot of time. He had some bad luck - I call it. Because he worked his ass off last summer. This summer we’re resting him and making a push to get him ready for vet camp. Then we’re going to have to monitor him through vet camp and through the season to make sure he’s there every night for us to play.’’

"Right now, as it stands, he’s going to be on some restrictions. What those restrictions will be, I don’t know yet.’’


Berman says Woodson confirmed his report that Stoudemire would have a 20 minute limit and would not play back to backs. He even uses the word "definite".

But if you look at what Woodson actually says, he DOES NOT confirm the 20 minute number, or the back to back thing. He merely says that Amar'e will be on SOME restrictions and that he "Doesn't know what those restrictions will be yet".

It's your typical self-aggrandizing stuff from Berman, in which he mixes in his own speculation and/or beliefs with quotes to make it sound as if Berman's beliefs came out of Woodson's mouth.

You know what though, a bunch of other journalists and bloggers were quick to tweet "Woodson confirms Amar'e will be on minutes restriction".

But Woodson only said that Amar'e will be on some sort of restrictions. He also said they're forcing him to rest this summer instead of him doing his normal routine. He didn't put a number on the restriction, or a timeframe on it.

OK, back to your regularly scheduled program.