By the third quarter, the Seahawks were just beating a dead horse. The Seattle Seahawks won against the Denver Broncos 43-8 last week in the Super Bowl XLVIII, and the results were far from a nail-biting finish. Call me a prophet, but I’m sure we all knew who’d be walking away with the Lombardi Trophy.

But does the score seem too aggressive and drastic of a win? Many are speculating on a rumor that says the super bowl may have been rigged. According to Huzlers.com:

“After the Seattle Seahawks victory over the Denver Broncos at the NFL’s 48th Super Bowl with a final score of 43-8, NFL officials have just discovered that the game was most likely rigged. NFL officials have just found clues that might prove the game was rigged. Officials believe the Broncos intentionally lost the championship in exchange for a large amount of money.”

Seems legit. This particular article has gained popularity via social media and email the day after the game. You may very well be here to determine its legitimacy. Well, my friends, ponder no longer the validity of this article because it is fake.

As much as Broncos fans want to believe it, the super bowl was not rigged. How do I know? Go back to the article on Huzlers.com and scroll to the bottom of the page. The site literally quotes:

“Huzlers.com is a combination of real shocking news and satire news to keep its visitors in a state of disbelief.”

The Huzler provides a satirical take on news culture, similar to The Onion. Their purpose isn’t necessarily to troll, but to make a statement via extreme sarcasm and exaggeration. Brilliant, if you ask me.

The part that concerns me is how people fail to recognize the satire and buy into their fabricated reports – then unintentionally spam news feeds everywhere.

It’s about being aware of the source’s credibility. I mean, this is a source coming from a site with an article headlining, “BREAKING NEWS: Justin Bieber Escapes Jail After Being Arrested for DUI and Illegal Racing,” in which Miley Cyrus was an accomplice.

Don’t be victim to online trolling. Double check the sources and get thy facts straight. Need help? Check out my article on “How to Troll” and never fall for troll trickery again! It’s elementary, my dear Watson.

Have you ever been bamboozled by online trolls? Any funny stories? I’d love to hear them!