You know you’ve hit the big time when the celebrity stalkers at TMZ.com start tracking your every move.  Not that there was any doubt that Heisman-winning Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel had already hit the big time.

TMZ.com reported yesterday that the 20-year-old was photographed at a pair of post-Cotton Bowl celebrations at Avenu Lounge in Dallas.  One of those photos showed him with fireworks shooting out of his mouth.  In his hand was a bottle of Dom Perignon.

Gasp!

Well, folks at the club say they didn’t see Johnny Football consume any alcohol and he didn’t open a bar tab, either.  In addition, his parents were on hand.

So there’s really nothing to this story at all other than a really great photo that’s now seen the light of day.  (Unless a fire marshal has a problem with a club allowing someone to shoot off sparks inside the building.)

I really hate what we in the media have become.

It used to be the facts mattered more than speed.  Twitter and the internet killed that.  Now we all just race to post crap the fastest.  And that’s what I’m doing here.  I’m posting what I believe to be crap because someone else threw it out there and if we don’t mention it on this site, I’ll get emails and texts about it all night long.

So stand by for a bizarre one…

The website SportsByBrooks.com tweeted the following this afternoon:

That was followed by responses from a pair of Arkansas beatwriters:

And…

File this under “I” for “I have to see it to believe it.”

If it’s true, I’ll tip my cap to SportsByBrooks.com, the TMZ of sports coverage.  If it’s not true, it won’t matter ’cause that site will have gotten a blue-million eyeballs.  They’ve been wrong on tons of stories over the years, but when they do hit on something, it’s pageviews and spotlights.

Welcome to the media in 2012.

Update: LSU sports information director Michael Bonnette: ”We’ve seen the tweet by Sports by Brooks and we’re not going to comment on rumors or bits of information,” Bonnette said. “It has been brought to Les’ attention and he didn’t have anything to say.”

Evening Update: Source tells New Orleans Time Picayune – “They’ve made a serious offer” - reportedly 5 years, $27.5 million

Last Thursday, the TMZ of sports websites — SportsByBrooks.com — caused quite a stir with a series of tweets.  In them, the site claimed that NCAA president Mark Emmert had sent his representatives to talk with LSU officials about returning to the school (read from the bottom up):

Emmert responded by saying, “That’s complete nonsense.”  On Friday, LSU board of supervisors athletic council chairman Stanley Jacobs said Emmert — who served as the school’s chancellor from 1999 through 2004 — is “not coming back to LSU.”  Jacobs added: “He’s making, I believe, 1.8 million as head of the NCAA, probably one of the most prestigious positions in the country.”

Taking note of the fact that an LSU rep knew Emmert’s salary, SportsByBrooks simply doubled down yesterday in response (again, from the bottom up):

While Emmert and Jacobs were pretty definitive in their statements, SportsByBrooks.com clearly isn’t backing down from the story.  However, it’s important to remember that SportsByBrooks also never backed away from its many Cam Newton and Trent Richardson stories which, in the end, led to zero NCAA sanctions against Auburn or Alabama respectively.

Stay tuned…

With the best talent, coaching, fans, and facilities in the country SEC football has never been in a more enviable position. It’s minted the ultimate blueprint for success for college football, but for a variety of childish reasons fans of rival programs (I’m mostly pointing at you Alabama and Auburn fans) have inadvertently teamed up with “information sharers” to send up an incredibly toxic cloud of volatility into our southern skies the past 18 months. As the cloud grows in size after each information sharer chokes every SEC college football website with yet another “I got you story!” it’s only a matter of time until the NCAA starts dumping on everyone. Read the rest of this entry »

TMZ.com is an entertainment gossip site first and foremost. 

That said, TMZ reported this afternoon that the FBI investigation into Cam Newton’s recruitment “now involves a guy who gave more than $1 million to Auburn University… and was recently arrested in a bribery sting.”

The website reports:


“According to sources connected to the probe… FBI agents looking into the Newton recruiting controversy are also asking about Milton McGregor — a dog track owner arrested last month for allegedly bribing Alabama politicians to vote pro gambling.

“We’re told agents asked someone connected to the Newton case if he was familiar with McGregor or the bribery scandal. 

“It’s unclear what, if any, direct connection McGregor has to Newton.”


McGregor gave a million dollar donation to Auburn for it’s new basketball arena in 2008.  His attorneys have asked a federal judge to throw out all 17 of the charges made against him in the bribery case.  McGregor is accused of vote-buying.

As always, stay tuned…