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Remember that story about legendary former Sooner coach Barry Switzer dropping bye Donald Trump’s New York City Trump Tower offices?
Yeah, turns out he completely made that up.
In a Politico story about what it takes to get a meeting with America’s next President, Josh Dawsey reported that Switzer made up the account.
Apparently, Switzer stopped into Trump Tower while shopping with his wife and daughter, bought a coffee from Starbucks upstairs, and left—after messing with a group of reporters asking what he was doing there.
“Donald plans to run with the ball. And I know a lot about rushing the football. So that’s why I’m here,” Switzer said to a group of reporters in the lobby.
In an interview with Dawsey, Switzer confessed to making the whole thing up:
“I told the reporters I had a great visit, and that we were going to make the wishbone great again," Switzer told Dawsey. "I told them I was going to be Secretary of Offense and that Trump knew how to run the ball down the field. Then I went back to my hotel and laughed my ass off.”
It was pretty obviously a joke, but it didn’t matter; the media ran with it.
I mean, seriously, look at this troll face:
Had great interview with @realDonaldTrump being his Secretary of Offense! He plans to run the ball! Said I'm his guy! pic.twitter.com/F2g1jNxJGD
— Barry Switzer (@Barry_Switzer) December 7, 2016
Well played, Barry: you’re bringing the ‘fake news’ phenomenon to another stratosphere.