In a recent interview, Ian Rapoport said he still has anger about falling for David Njoku’s April Fool’s Day prank. He says the story is dumb because it was only an April Fool and not anything more serious.
We’ve all been in that situation. Something strange has been discovered on the internet. We’ve liked it, retweeted it, and eagerly shared it with our social media followers. Then we realize we’ve been duped when we glance at the calendar and see April 1st, also known as April Fool’s Day. That’s precisely what happened to NFL sports media celebrity Ian Rapoport after he fell for Cleveland Browns tight end David Njoku’s April Fools’ Day tweet, and he’s still pissed.
TE for the Cleveland Browns Ian Rapoport was well-served by David Njoku.
Phony press releases, fake trade requests, and fake transactions have become an April Fool’s Day tradition for athletes and sports organizations.
This year, retired wide receiver Julian Edelman tweeted that he is coming back to reunite with former teammate Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Buffalo Bills announced a new alternate uniform with a logo made up of chicken wings. And LeBron James wrote on social media, “I’m out for the season officially. See ya’ll in the fall.”
That final one was perhaps more prophetic than James intended.
One of the best/most realistic April Fool’s Day pranks was when Cleveland Browns TE David Njoku tweeted, “Good Morning all, I have instructed my agent @malkikawa to seek a trade. I want my fans to know first…”
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, a leading NFL news source, soon retweeted the post to his followers, confirming the trade request.
Then he saw the calendar’s date.
Rapoport informed Pat McAfee that April Fool’s Day is his least favorite holiday.
Ian Rapoport discovered he’d been duped by a classic April Fool’s Day hoax only minutes after his initial retweet went out. “Deleted my initial tweet,” he promptly replied in another retweet. April Fools isn’t funny anymore.”
Then, the insider followed that up with some real news. “Here is a real update, amidst this April Fool’s joke: The #Browns and TE David Njoku are in active talks on an extension, sources say, and there is confidence it can get done by the July 15 deadline,” Rapoport tweeted, before writing, “Now back to ignoring everything (besides this) online today.”
Rapoport, too, was taken in by the humor for a moment.
Later that day, the insider appeared on the Pat McAfee Show, where he expressed his dissatisfaction with the situation. He said to the host,
[April Fool’s Day] is something I despise. And I’m sure some people find it amusing, but I’m not sure what type of take this is given most people think it’s ridiculous. But it’s a blunder! With all due respect to Julian Edelman, what’s so amusing about tweeting, “I’m signing with the Bucs,”? … [David Njoku] really asked for a trade. It was just a few of years ago, so it’s not completely out of the question.
April Fool’s Day pranks, according to Ian Rapoport
Rapoport did provide one positive lining to the incident after raging against April Fool’s Day pranks. Njoku has started following him on Twitter.
What is Ian Rapoport’s background?
Cindy Ord/Getty Images | Ian Rapoport SiriusXM is a satellite radio station.
Fans of the NFL are well-versed on the game’s major newsmakers. Pro football fans are familiar with the names Ian Rapoport, Adam Schefter, Jay Glazer, and Jason La Canfora. But how much do we know about these characters?
Rapoport was born in Boston and raised in Chappaqua, New York, which is located in Westchester County, roughly a half-hour north of New York City, according to Westchester Magazine. He gave himself two years after graduating from Columbia University to attempt to make it as a football writer before enrolling in law school.
He worked as a college football reporter for the Jackson-Clarion Ledger, where he covered the Mississippi State Bulldogs, and later for The Birmingham News, where he covered the Alabama Crimson Tide. Starting in 2009, he worked for the Boston Herald, where he covered the New England Patriots during the franchise’s prime.
That final job led him to NFL Network, where he has established himself as one of the game’s most well-connected insiders.
Rapoport currently resides in Rye, New York, with his wife, Leah, and their two boys, close to where he grew up.
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