for those of you calling it poor journalism, I don't really understand why. There are hundreds of stories reported daily in the US that are based on anonymous sources...hell, even the Watergate scandal was an anonymous source. If Hines is sitting in a bar and talking with some of you about what he heard, you'd probably ask him why he's not following up on it...you'd want to know more. Not sure I fault him for writing the story but have a bigger issue with the chicken **** sources who can't be named. Unless of course Hines is making all of it up...which seems a bit far fetched to me.
Unfortunately, there is probably some truth in what was written...but I really question why it's even a big deal at this point. Too much time spent on the past vs what we have to look forward to.
Then he should blog it, or put it on facebook, or 4chan or some other NON-journalistic outlet. He passed on rumor and gossip without fact-checking and that does not rise to the level of "journalism".