I call shens!
Looks like they are holding the snake up close towards the camera.. using a long stick?  It's an optical illusion, just like that Camel Spider pic a while back. While there's no doubt it's a large snake, I just don't think it's an 8 footer.
Found this online:
"June 21 pm We have the answer to your 8 foot long and 60  pound snake picture. Just got his in from Bill Truman: that snake picture is about 12 to 15 years old and used to be in the Mullins feed store at Dixie. I had it for years and finally got rid of it. Every once in awhile I hear about it or see the pic and just grin and go on as some thinks its something new and have a big story to tell about it. Everytime you hear about it it gets bigger and the story gets wilder and it gets closer to home as to where it was caught. Jack Mullins may still have the picture around the store somewhere but its been along time since it showed up around here "