By John Ulrich

My friend Earl Hayden is facing his own medical issues at home in Kentucky and is unable to travel while his son, 2006 MotoGP World Champion Nicky Hayden, lies in a hospital in Italy, mother Rose Hayden and brother Tommy Hayden at his side.

I spoke to Earl this morning, and adding to the family’s pain has been a cascade of FAKE NEWS posted all over the internet, including by alleged professional news organizations that should know better.

Earl told me the following:

The family HAS NOT issued a statement that Nicky is dead. 

Nicky IS NOT dead, although he is on life support.

Nicky was riding his bicycle alone, NOT in a group of 14 riders.

Doctors DID NOT perform surgery on Nicky.

Nicky WAS NEVER in an induced coma.

Yes, people want to know what is happening with Nicky, a great motorcycle racer, person and humanitarian. But making things up or failing to do even the most basic due diligence or fact checking, and posting FAKE NEWS for commercial purposes?

Have the guilty news organizations even considered the effect their FAKE NEWS has on the family and friends and true fans of Nicky and his family?

To paraphrase a famous quote from the 1950s related to manufactured facts, “Have you no shame?”