Not to sound all high and mighty, but I’ve already done my part to make it clear that Eddie Johnson, the former Sonic and accused sex criminal is not to be confused with Eddie Johnson, the former Sonic, Phoenix Suns broadcaster and Hoops Hype contributor.

Sadly, some folks didn’t get the memo.  As the Geico Caveman is found of saying, “next time, do a little research.”  From the East Valley Tribune’s Jerry Brown.

Edward Arnet Johnson, the former Sixth Man of the Year with the Suns and popular broadcaster, was misidentified as the man arrested by at least three media outlets, including the Chicago Tribune and host Skip Bayless ” substituting for the vacationing Jim Rome on Rome™s nationally syndicated radio show.

œThis is why athletes have so many problems with the media, said Johnson (above), 47, who is four years younger than the Eddie Johnson who was arrested Tuesday. œThey don™t do their homework. They don™t bother to check facts before they write things or get on the radio and talk.

œI™m sitting here dumbfounded because 47 years of building a reputation is being destroyed in one morning by something I had nothing do with. I™ve been getting nasty e-mails all morning. It™s a nightmare.

Johnson was born in Chicago and attended the University of Illinois. The Chicago Tribune ran the headline œFormer NBA, Illini star accused of sexual assault above a wire story of the incident. œFast Eddie Johnson was born in Ocala, Fla., and attended Auburn University.

By Wednesday afternoon the headline was changed to œEx-NBA star Johnson accused in sex rap on the paper™s ChicagoSports.com Web site.

œThat™s my hometown paper, one of the biggest newspapers in the world. And they got it wrong, Johnson said.

Bayless, known for his rants on the ESPN2 morning show œCold Pizza, reported the story inaccurately and added his own commentary before being informed he was talking about the wrong Eddie Johnson and apologizing several minutes later.

œLike that helps, Johnson said. œBy that time, it™s a little late.