"Actually" this theory doesn't make any sense once you consider the fact that the racist statements that ended his career were on this tape. He went through his long public career without making racist statements despite harboring racist beliefs, so he knew what impact such statements would have. If he had known he was being taped for publicity, it would have made no sense for him to make what he would know to be public racist statements.

The judge didn't allow the evidence be heard likely because there was no evidence (conjecture). It's the standard desperation you get from someone losing a case or appealing a loss.

>Actually the judge wouldn't let Gawker present evidence from the FBI that both Hogan and the woman knew they were being taped.

Why? That seems like an important piece of evidence.

I used to listen to Bubba the Love Sponge--the guy who's house the tape was made in--back during that timeframe (before I knew what kind of a horrible person he apparently is).

On an almost daily basis Bubba talked on air about he had cameras all over his house and taped everything. I find it very hard to believe that me--a random radio listener--knew that he taped everything in his house, but supposedly his best friend Hulk Hogan was oblivious.

Cynically, because it was a small-town judge from Hogan's home town who resented NYC-based Gawker. This Politico article spells much of it out:

http://www.politico.com/media/story/2016/03/jury-awards-hulk...