Former Jets defensive end Matt Finkes apologized for posting about a false report which claimed former Wisconsin Badgers football coach and athletic director Barry Alvarez died Monday.
Finkes, a sixth-round pick out of Ohio State in the 1997 NFL Draft, posted and then deleted a message that read in “RIP Barry,” with a photo of Alvarez.
Barry Alvarez in 2022. Getty Images“Football lost a legend today,” Finkes wrote, according to screengrabs. “Barry was a pillar of the sport & a great guy. Never forget him coaching me in the East West Shrine game & coming back to the hotel & seeing him & my dad at the bar having scotch & telling stories till the wee hours. RIP Barry @badgerfootball.”
Matt Finkes’ initial post. @MattFinkes/XAfter the post sparked rumors of Alvarez’s death, his daughter, Dawn Thomas, as well as Jim Polzin and Colten Bartholomew from The Wisconsin State Journal, confirmed the former coach is indeed alive.
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University of Wisconsin athletic director Chris McIntosh spoke with Alvarez via phone Monday, according to the reporters.
Finkes, who has more than 18,300 followers on X, said in an apology post that he did not do his research.
“Apologize for the earlier tweet about @BadgerFootball Barry Alvarez,” Finkes wrote. “There was a post this morning from a reliable source. I did not research further. Happy Barry is still rocking!!”
Alvarez’s daughter, Dawn, replied to the post and wrote: “I would know I had dinner with him last night!”
It’s unclear how exactly the rumor started, and Finkes did not disclose the source he received the wrong information from.
Matt Finkes. X / @MattFinkesSome fans weren’t happy after the rumor mill caused a frenzy on social media.
“A lot of Ohio State fans with blue checkmarks still spreading the rumor that Barry Alvarez passed away even after confirmation that he is alive and well,” one person wrote on X. “Don’t know which of those two facts is the least surprising…”
Finkes played for the Buckeyes from 1993-96 and played for the Jets in 1997.
Matt Finkes from his college days with Ohio State. X / @MattFinkesAlvarez retired in 2021 after 32 years of service at the University of Wisconsin — where he served as head football coach for 16 seasons (1990-2005) and director of athletics from 2004-21.
He successfully handled both roles in 2004 and 2005.
Alvarez led the Badgers to three Big Ten titles and three Rose Bowl victories, and was voted into the state of Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame and the Rose Bowl Hall of Fame in 2009, the College Football Hall of Fame and UW Athletics Hall of Fame in 2010 and the Orange Bowl Hall of Fame in 2016.
