Just in case there is still any confusion: The two items detailed in yesterday’s post were both April Fool’s pranks. The Lowell Spinners will NOT be giving away Yankee bobbleheads this season, and suspended University of Oregon quarterback Jeremiah Masoli will NOT be suiting up for the Eugene Emeralds.

If you were fooled by either of these stories, then take solace in the fact that you are not alone.

The Emeralds’ Masoli prank ignited no small amount of controversy. The team sent its press release out at 10:40 p.m. on March 31st, and all three local newscasts reported the story on their 11 p.m. broadcasts.

This triumvirate of tricked televisors are less than pleased. KEZI currently has a story up on their website with the blunt headline of “Eugene Emeralds Lie About Masoli Playing For the Ems.” From the corresponding story, written by an irrationally furious Michelle Dapper (who goes on to refer to herself in the third  person):

“For obvious reasons, we here at KEZI were skeptical, so KEZI sports director Michelle Dapper called and asked it was an April Fool’s joke. The PR spokesperson said no….When we asked the team’s general manager on Thursday why they would lie about an April Fool’s joke when called on it, he said ‘If we had told the truth, it wouldn’t have gotten any play.'”

KMTR took a far more jovial tone, remarking that the Ems’ joke “Swung for the fences and hit a home run.” Meanwhile, the local Register Guard newspaper has written up a thorough postmortem on Masoli-gate, which includes the ominous quote:

“It’s a major breach of trust between local media and a professional
sports team,” KVAL news director Jenny Kuglin said. “I think it will
affect how we treat information we receive from the Ems in the future.”
 
Regardless of how one feels about the appropriateness of the joke, such reactions might make other teams think twice before pulling such stunts. But for my money, the wisest (and funniest) reaction came from University of Oregon coach Chip Kelly, who could not have cared less about the Emeralds’ shenanigans:

The above video is part of an entertaining article on the matter that also includes an interview with Ems director of media relations Onalee Carson. Check it out HERE. 

The Spinners got their share of attention as well, thanks to the announcement that the notoriously anti-Yankee ballclub would be giving away a series of New York-themed bobbleheads.

Spinners media relations director Jon Boswell had to deal with a large number of aggravated and/or confused fans, writing the following in an email:

“We’ll do just about anything to steal some thunder from our full-season brethren on the eves of their opening days. I received a few angry responses, including one anonymous gentleman who left a voicemail simply stating ‘Bucky bleeping Dent…Take your head out of your bleeping [posterior].'”

Boswell went on write that “aside from the mixed results on Facebook, including one
fan who couldn’t understand why we would select Yankee ‘scrubs who had caused so much pain and suffering to Red Sox fans’…most people found the humor in the promotion.“

One entity that found humor in the promotion was the mighty Associated Press, who picked up the story and distributed it nationally. This marks the second time this offseason that the Spinners haven’t gotten play via the AP, showing that the club is well ahead of the curve when it comes to cracking the mystical code that determines what Minor League items get coverage and which don’t.

Regardless, now that April Fool’s is out of the way we can all once again concentrate on serious news. You know, the things that really matter, like pickle dogs, 63-year-old players, and scantily-clad bobbleheads. And thank goodness for that.

benjamin.hill@mlb.com
twitter.com/bensbiz