National Football League
Guy behind NFL's social media trolling of Pats is a Jets fan?
National Football League

Guy behind NFL's social media trolling of Pats is a Jets fan?

Published May. 21, 2015 9:45 p.m. ET

By Jason Rowan

There are conspiracy theories and then there are conspiracy theories. One floated by CBS Boston writer Michael Hurley — while done in a relatively tongue-in-cheek manner (and well-researched) — posits that the individual behind the supposed trolling of the New England Patriots by NFL social media accounts of late just might be a New York Jets fan.

The suspicion that the social media arm of the NFL has been engaging in snarky subterfuge at the Patriots’ expense gained a lot of steam on Thursday when the following seemingly innocuous post to the league’s official Twitter account.

"Precision. Strength. Intelligence," the tweet read, along with a photo of Andrew Luck. "Head Coaches tell us what it takes to be a franchise QB."

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On the surface it appears to have nothing to do with the Patriots, but looking a little closer — and reading quite a bit into it — the first letters of Precision, Strength and Intelligence are of course PSI, which could be inferred as a shot at the Patriots and the Deflategate scandal. A reach, yes, but when taken into account along with all the other curious goings on in the NFL social media activity, a pattern arguably develops.

A week ago, a new hashtag was utilized on the NFL’s Instagram page: #WildPlayWednesdays. The moment documented was of New York Giants wide receiver David Tyree’s “Helmet Catch” in Super Bowl XLII, which of course led to the Giants upsetting the Patriots and thwarting the team’s quest for a perfect season.

A few days later, the very same Super Bowl moment, albeit featuring a photo from a different angle, was used for #SuperSaturdays.

Hurley also makes note of how the NFL Instagram page posted two separate pics of deflated footballs in the weeks leading up to Super Bowl XLIX, right in the midst of Deflategate’s initial stages.

Hurley did a little digging to determine who exactly is in charge of the NFL’s social media activity and his research determined that the man behind the purported trolling just might be Duane Munn, who apparently is the league's social media manager.

And get this: There is a Duane Munn on Twitter who, according to his activity, makes it abundantly clear he is … a Jets fan.

For what it’s worth, NFL Network spokesperson Alex Riethmiller told the Indianapolis Star’s Dana Hunsinger Benbow that the “PSI” post was “completely unintentional.”

“I’m really actually shocked that anyone would even be asking about this,” he said. “Really? Just three words.”

But that’s exactly what they would want you to believe … right?

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