Sprint Nextel’s (S) rough patch is turning into a highway from hell. The exit of CEO Gary Forsee, questions about its plans for a WiMAX network and its aborted partnership with Clearwire (CLWR) have provided fertile ground for all sorts of rumors. Rich Tehrani reports on one such rumor: Google buying Sprint, then spinning out the phone business.

Ludicrous? Maybe. Maybe not. I don’t have first-hand knowledge as to whether or not this rumor is even remotely true, but there is one way it could all make sense.

[via gigaom]