It's happened before but usually not to this extent. Dozens, maybe hundreds, of web sites, big (such as Wash Post) and small, published today an AP dispatch on a college football upset, often under the title "UCLA Stuns Oregon." Score: 21-20. Late TD pass decided it. One problem: It never happened. AP had sent out some dummy copy. Here's a full rundown at Deadspin. AP by now has retracted but much too late, of course. They sent out on wire, "The Associated Press has withdrawn its story slugged UCLA-Oregon. The story was prepared as a test story during a training session and was moved inadvertently to the wire. It was not meant for publication."
And it was such a good one: "Bob Jones threw three touchdown passes, including the game-winner with 10 seconds left." Why, he might have gotten a university named after him!
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