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Is Elon Musk Really Considering Buying NY Jets to Prevent Colin Kaerpernick from Joining the Team? Exploring Viral Rumor
Exploring the viral rumor claiming Elon Musk plans to buy the NY Jets to block Colin Kaepernick's potential return to the NFL team.
In the ever-dynamic world of professional sports, sensational rumors often take the field alongside on-the-field action.
One such speculative whisper causing a stir alleges that tech mogul Elon Musk is considering purchasing the New York Jets franchise solely to prevent the return of former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick. Let's examine the credibility of this viral claim.
Where did the ‘Elon Musk Buying the NY Jets’ Rumor Originate?
The rumor originated from a satirical article published in September 2023 on the SpaceXMania website, filed under the "Satire" category. The piece quipped that during a Twitter Spaces conversation, Musk announced his intention to buy the Jets.
Responding to a question from a user about his thoughts on Kaepernick potentially joining the New York Jets, Musk allegedly replied, "I'm seriously considering buying the Jets to ensure that doesn't happen."
However, SpaceXMania clearly disclaims that its satirical stories "are not meant to be taken seriously" and "are often entirely made up."
Colin Kaepernick's Real NFL Aspirations
Despite the fictional nature of the initial claim, Kaepernick did express a desire in 2023 to return to the NFL via the Jets after retiring in 2016 following backlash over his kneeling protests against racial injustice and police brutality.
However, as of this report, the veteran quarterback remains unsigned by any team, let alone the Jets.
“I just spoke with Colin Kaepernick, who tells me his agent has reached out to the #Jets about his desire to make an NFL return. Kaepernick remains on the West Coast working out.” says Jordan Schultz an NFL insider reporter on X, which is then retweeted by Colin Kaepernick himself.
Elon Musk has not publicly stated any interest in purchasing the New York Jets franchise from the Johnson family that has owned the team since 2000.
The viral rumor spreading without its satirical context likely led many to take the unfounded speculation about blocking Kaepernick's return as credible.
Rumor Spreads Via Spam Links
The erroneous claim gained new traction in mid-May 2024 when spam links on Facebook pages revived and misleadingly presented the satirical story as fact.
With no indication of its originally satirical intent, many sharing the links appeared to genuinely believe Musk aimed to buy the Jets to keep Kaepernick off the team's roster.
While Kaepernick has aimed to resume his NFL career after his 2016 retirement in protest of racial injustice, the notion of Musk purchasing a franchise only to bar him appears an unfounded satirical claim mistaken as genuine by many spreading it recently without context.
ALSO READ: THROWBACK: When Elon Musk wished to make K-pop group BTS the co-CEO of Twitter
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