USA TODAY blog goes viral with alleged Ronaldo story

As nauseating as yesterday's USA-Portugal finish was, this story about Cristiano Ronaldo might be worse.

Deadspin has it laid out here (http://deadsp.in/T3eTSg), but I'll give the quick synopsis.

USA Today's Chris Chase posted a blog saying Ronaldo's haircut honored Erik Cruz, whose brain tumor surgery he paid for. I saw the tweets yesterday, and I was skeptical, but I didn't look into it. This morning, I decided to look at it again. I also wanted more on the story.

I searched "Cristiano Ronaldo, Erik Cruz" on Google and clicked under news. Nothing reputable came up, and then the UK's The Independent also showed skepticism on this: http://ind.pn/1rpQ0MU.

Deadspin reported that the original story that Chase linked to on his blog from the Spanish newspaper Diario AS (http://bit.ly/1gn0xB1), was written in March. Wright Thompson retweeted the alleged Ronaldo story before he retweeted the Deadspin story.

Now I'm young and very naive in general, but I don't know how someone can report something like that without any other fact-checking. Also, I don't get how so many people can share stuff on Twitter like it's gospel.

I don't know what to call Chase's post. But this is highly frustrating. It's the second time something like this has happened this World Cup: http://yhoo.it/1uXGH7g

Correction: As my stupidity is pointed out below, Chase didn't say Ronaldo's haircut had anything to do with the kid. I couldn't put 2+2 together, and I'm an idiot. Sorry guys.

 

I don't know how related For the Win and USA Today are, but I imagine they're separate enough that they don't use the same editorial standards. Sometimes that bites you in the butt, sometimes not.

 

Your lead definitely piqued my interest to read further but upon doing so just don't see the big deal. I was hoping for some scandalous story of Ronaldo in a pile
with Shakira

 

So to clear things up:

USA Today wrote an article in March saying Ronaldo paid for a kid's brain surgery.
Then yesterday, a bunch of Twitter accounts made some connection between the kid's surgery and Ronaldo's new haircut.

But....are you saying that Ronaldo DIDN'T pay for the kid's surgery? Because Deadspin just seems to be complaining about the Twitter accounts, and not the original USA Today article.

 

I saw a tweet a while back that said that they believed that the tumors
were caused by too many headers.

 

Yeah. Ronaldo DID pay for the kid's surgery.

Leave the details of his stupid haircut to the gossip mags.

 

Well, Drew, you're right, and I'm an idiot.

Well this isn't embarrassing or anything.

 

(insert repeated post here).

 

(see above post. I blame this on Monday.)

 

Your original point that people should fact-check Twitter remains a good one, all other things aside.

It makes lazy reporting WAY too easy.

 

In truth the Z haircut showed Ronaldo's support of gay marriage -- Zorro the GAY Blade.

Tweet that. It will reach mainstream media somewhere, I'm sure of it.

 

Named for Ronald Reagan:

http://www.tribalfootball.com/real-madrid-star-ronaldo-i-was-named-after-ronald-reagan-255596#.U6ipfahbtQI