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False Reports, Rumors Put Crosby, Roethlisberger In Social Media Spotlight

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- It rushed south out of Canada like a cold front over Penguins' fans. Sidney Crosby, arrested in Ottawa, could it be true?

"Absolutely not. It's ridiculous," said Dee Rizzo, Crosby's agent.

But what about the details, a traffic stop in a rented Porsche.

"To know Sidney Crosby, if he's going to rent a car, it's going to be an SUV or a truck; he's not going to rent a sports car," says Rizzo.

Fingerprinting and a mug shot reported the credible Ottawa Sun. All posted and tweeted, and suddenly, the story goes viral, everybody quoting the Sun.

"The social media thing is just crazy," Rizzo said.

But in this case, the police chief in Ottawa took to social media, aka Twitter, to stop the madness with his own tweet saying it wasn't true and, "We have not had any dealings with Mr. Crosby."

There's a good reason for that.

"Sidney is in Vail, Colorado," said Rizzo. "He's been there since Sunday."

And as suddenly as it came, the Ottawa Sun pulled the story and issued a retraction.

Crosby wasn't the only local superstar twitterized Wednesday.

There was a post that the St. Louis Rams want Ben Roethlisberger and it could happen around the trade deadline. The posting was repeatedly lampooned in tweets.

"That's the world in which we live, that people can make up whatever they want and say whatever they want, and it's unfortunate," the Steelers' quarterback said in the locker room.

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Ottawa Police: Report Of Crosby's Arrest False (9/3/14)
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