Patriots blogger burns bridges

Dumbass. I say we take him up on it and torture him for a bit and see if he changes his mind.

 

Having edited many a legally tricky story, and having had many a piece altered by careful lawyers, I can say definitively:

--If Tommy has no hard evidence of the sex tape, this is libelous.

--Corey Dillon may have a case for slander.

Of course, to win you have to go through the discovery process, which Belichick, Dillon and the Pats might not want to do. (Not least because the sex-tape allegation might be true.) But given the scurrilous nature of the statements about him, Dillon, at least, would have little to lose. I can see plaintiffs' attorneys making mincemeat of Tommy on the stand; they can establish that, even if Dillon is a supreme asshole, there is no basis for the statement that "he will end up in jail," and no chapter-and-verse (such as, criminal incidents hushed up) to back up the statement, and no opportunity for Dillon to respond.

Probably, the Pats "wouldn't want to dignify" these assertions, but if my reputation is impugned like that, I consider suing pregame for an amount that will shut it down.

 

How is calling Dillon an asshole libelous? That's an opinion.

 

Calling someone an asshole is not libelous/slanderous, though if this were real journalism you might want some evidence.

But saying he will end up in jail is at least arguably slanderous. That's not an opinion. You're labeling him a criminal. That goes way beyond any assessment of personality.

 

I don't see what the big deal is.

That looks a lot like what I'll write when I leave SportsJournalists.com.