New York Yankees legend Reggie Jackson, known as "Mr. October" for his heroics in the clutch, has become the latest sports figure to be duped by artificial intelligence. The 79-year-old Hall of Famer shared a video on social media that was anything but real.
The video in question shows a woman leaving her seat at a soccer match, stepping onto the pitch, and firing a shot from outside the box. It was clearly generated by AI, but Jackson apparently didn't notice. He posted it with the caption, "Wtf awesome."
Jackson, who played for the Athletics, Orioles, Yankees, and Angels during his career, is no stranger to the spotlight. He owns a .262 batting average with 563 home runs and 1,702 RBI, and he famously hit three homers in a World Series clincher for the Yankees. But this time, the attention came for all the wrong reasons.
Fans were quick to pile on. Max Mannis of Jomboy Media tweeted, "The man hit three homers on three swings in a World Series clincher for the Yankees but can't figure out that this video is AI." Another fan wrote, "My dad gets to tell me how he was alive to see Reggie Jackson hit 3 homers in a World Series game but now my image of him is falling for AI bait."
The mocking didn't stop there. "My generation has to watch Mr. October post AI slop," one user commented. Bracco Sportsbook added, "This guy won 5 World Series championships, 2 World Series MVPs, a 1973 AL MVP award, and 14 All-Star selections but can't figure out this video is AI."
Jackson hasn't responded to any of the backlash. It's a reminder that even legends can be fooled by the digital age. This isn't the first time a sports figure has fallen for online trickery—recently, Reggie Miller sparked outrage with a comment that was taken out of context. And in a world where Deion Sanders paid tribute to Braves legend Bobby Cox, it's clear that sports icons remain in the spotlight for both their achievements and their missteps.
Hopefully, this is the last time Jackson gets tricked by AI-generated videos. But given the rapid advance of technology, it might not be the last time a sports star falls for a digital fake.
