Overview
- The Hall emailed reporters on Saturday claiming the 80-year-old Lions great had died, then rescinded the message and issued an apology after failing to independently verify it.
- Barney’s son and sister told journalists he is alive and under full-time care, with caretakers providing a same-day photo and voice confirmation.
- The initial alert cited “media sources associated with the Detroit Lions,” a sourcing the Hall later walked back in its follow-up statement.
- NFL.com and other major outlets published obituaries within minutes of the email, then removed or updated their pieces once the family’s confirmation became public.
- Barney’s son said false death rumors have circulated about his father in recent months, sharpening scrutiny of verification practices at the Hall and in newsrooms.