Manti Te’o's Story Is Crazy

38 Comments

1. 1
   SquareHead
   Posted January 17, 2013 at 5:06 pm

   Nads, I was shocked when I started reading about this yesterday. ND is my team and Manti is my fav player. I have decided not to speculate on this one until the whole story is out. I really don’t think he would be in on this type of hoax, he seems like a guy of great faith and integrity, but really, what the hell do I really know about him! I am gonna be really bummed if he was in on it. Go Irish!

2. 2
   Considerthis
   Posted January 17, 2013 at 6:00 pm

   This whole Notre Dame situation seems to have stolen a page from the Brady Bunch playbook. Anybody remember George Glass?

   Who would have thought Jan Brady and Manti Te’o would have the same issues facing them??

3. 3
   Nads
   Posted January 17, 2013 at 6:02 pm

   considerthis- I just tweeted that! so funny! SOOOO George Glass! We share a brain!

4. 4
   Escapee
   Posted January 17, 2013 at 6:04 pm

   Manti and his dad were both in on it. Dad told reporters how they met (in person), traveled to visit each other, etc. Meanwhile, Manti told three different reporters, 3 different dates of her supposed death.

   Victim my ass.

5. 5
   Parisi LaRoe
   Posted January 17, 2013 at 6:06 pm

   He is such a liar. I don’t care but this is stupid to try to get votes for a Heisman. Who CARES? I am a football fan but this is just freaking stupid.

   Congrats Teo! You just won the Heisman Trophy for Being A Dick!

6. 6
   Considerthis
   Posted January 17, 2013 at 6:11 pm

   This just in …
   Lance Armstrong is hellapissed that somebody upstaged him in the tour de douche. He is looking in douche enhancing drugs as we speak and has also threatened to beat-up the entire Notre Dame student body if they don’t keep defending Manti.

   Oprah’s on her way to South Bend as we speak!

7. 7
   Mister_Dangerous
   Posted January 17, 2013 at 6:19 pm

   All my gay websites say “he did all this” to cover up the fact that he’s GAY, GAY, GAY!

   It’s like when someone says they’re dating “long-distance.” Translation for “I have a long distance relationship” is “I’m a loser and no one locally will date me so I made up this fake person that I’m dating long distance because if anyone actually had to spend 24 hours a day with me they would dump my sorry, pathetic ass so quick.”

8. 8
   annie
   Posted January 17, 2013 at 6:20 pm

   This IS really crazy! The first place I wanted to talk about was ‘Gasm because of the Catfish connection. Deadspin did an amaze-balls job on this investigation. They could give Nev some pointers.

   For a while, I thought he was in on it…..but the more I think about it, the more I think he REALLY was Catfishe’d. It would take major balls to try and pull something like this off. Yes, he talks about meeting her, her visiting Hawaii, etc but I think he was actually too embarassed to admit he had actually never met the girl, so he (and his parents) make it all up to seem like a normal relationship.

   Also, I think his friend has alot of ‘splaining to do.

9. 9
   captain-save-uh-hoe
   Posted January 17, 2013 at 9:01 pm

   @Squarehead- I’m right there with you. Shocked after the news yesterday and the hubs and I are ND & MANTI fans. I had plans to take on his pro-team after the draft. Lots of crazy stories… but this one is an interesting read: http://collegespun.com/big-east/notre-dame/a-notre-dame-students-take-on-manti-teos-dead-girlfriend-hoax#.UPjUVbt0SAl

10. 10
    SquareHead
    Posted January 17, 2013 at 9:35 pm

    @captain-save-uh-hoe (great name) thanks for the link. I cannot imagine the humiliation he is feeling now. I truly think he was duped. We shall see, this is all over the news so they will dig deep and we will know then. I loved him before I knew about the deaths of gma and gf and I am going to stand by him until I have proof otherwise. And, I hope he ends up on my team, Seattle Seahawks, with the great Golden Tate!

11. 11
    captain-save-uh-hoe
    Posted January 17, 2013 at 9:59 pm

    @SquareHead– Thanks! I credit the Bad Girls for my name. (Maybe I shouldn’t say that out loud) HA. Yeah… it really is the craziest situation. There are so many different stories and vague interviews with him and scrambled timelines, that it’s frustrating. I do really find the reasoning in the article pretty solid. I don’t think Manti maliciously lied, but got caught up in the situation and didn’t stop it after the fact. I’m still team Te’o and him and Tate would be awesome!
    Hopefully he’ll give an interview soon so we can at least hear in his own words what he’s willing to say about it.

12. 12
    Classy Drunk
    Posted January 18, 2013 at 4:50 am

    I with the bunch that think he was duped. I think the stories were made up so he didn’t look like a buffoon with just an internet relationship. Because it’s hard to believe that such a great player would have a hard time finding a girl and the girl that he does find he’s only spoken to her on the phone.

    @considerthis…that was hilarious!

13. 13
    plockness monster
    Posted January 18, 2013 at 7:31 am

    Mister_Dangerous – My co-worker said the exact same thing about Manatee being gay!!!!!! But I feel like I need to also say he graduated from Alabama and will bleed maroon and white until he dies. I, on the other hand, hate the SEC.

    I really, really hope that Manatee knew that his girlfriend wasn’t real because that would make this story even better.

    Thanks for linking the Dead Spin article, Nads. They also did a story on The Today Show about it this morning. They pointed out that Te’o found out that it was a hoax on Dec. 6th 2012, but he referenced his “girlfriend’s” death in an interview 2 days later. This is just all too bizarre!

14. 14
    Dear Crabby
    Posted January 18, 2013 at 8:02 am

    @Mister_Dangerous – I’m totally with you. This is a big-ass, testosterone-fueled, football-playing Catholic boy who has been in a relationship with a woman he never met or skyped in person – and therefore never had sex with (Clearly the stories about meeting her are false)? I just don’t see many college guys being that patient, even Catholic ones. Those ND footballs would be much bluer, no?

    I think he’s gay and being in football at a Catholic university, well, lying probably trumped being ridiculed and shunned. I think it’s sad that this is the length he had to go to in order to cover up who he really is. That is a lot of stress on one young man.

    @Considerthis…”tour de douche.” Brilliant!

15. 15
    Derek Hazelton
    Posted January 18, 2013 at 8:25 am

    @Mister_Dangerous, not to cast aspersions on your “gay websites,” but they tend to proclaim everyone as gay because it’s easier to paint with broad brushes than to actually analyze the psychology behind what happened. Dr. Laura would have a field day with this guy, I must say. Anyway, I wouldn’t be surprised if he turns out to be gay, however there’s no 20 something gay man who isn’t sexually active. If the girlfriend story isn’t true, where are the parade of boys/men he’s been with to pile on?

16. 16
    Classy Drunk
    Posted January 18, 2013 at 8:29 am

    @Dear Crabby…he’s Mormon. That’s why it was such a big deal that he went to Notre Dame a *gasp* catholic school. *clutches pearls*

17. 17
    Mister_Dangerous
    Posted January 18, 2013 at 8:58 am

    Derek:

    The reasoning is he’s Mormon going to a Catholic school (oppressive religion + oppressive religious school) and trying to cover up the fact that he’s gay by using this “beard” story about having a long distance relationship with a lady that doesn’t exist. See, it’s a smoke screen so nobody will realize he’s gay.

    He’s so afraid of what society and his church will think of him that he’s created this elaborate lie to hide who he really is.

18. 18
    Derek Hazelton
    Posted January 18, 2013 at 9:22 am

    I get that, I just hope when the rest of the story comes out (pardon the pun), I hope his reasoning is more interesting than being a sad sack closet case.

19. 19
    sheesh
    Posted January 18, 2013 at 10:01 am

    But he’s not “just” a closet case.
    He’s a gay Mormon playing for a catholic university Heisman trophy winner. Allegedly.
    Barbara Walter’s level of fascinating.

20. 20
    hot cawfee
    Posted January 18, 2013 at 10:11 am

    @ 7 Mr D— I am with you— my first thought was that Manti is gay and this chick is the George Glass to his Jan Brady. Or the Lindsay to his Albie Manzo.

    I haven’t read many articles yet–Mr Cawfee is a big ND fan to say he is shocked is an understatement–well until I hit him with the gay possibility.

    He is 21-22 years old and either not (officialy) out OR he could be a straight and somewhat emotionally immature or socially awkward guy. He spoke with her a few times and she checked the “Yes” box on the “Do you like me?” questionairre.

    \He is Mormon and to my understanding (well Julie from Real World New Orleans) dating non-Mormons is frowned upon and there is no pre-marital sex. So what we regular folks call “dating” (movies, dinner out) is not what he might call dating.
    Did the “girl” ask for anything like tickets, jerseys etc????? Or was this all an elaborate mind screw?????

    Manti has done nothing wrong–he lied about a lie/didn’t correct or clarify a statement as well as he should. He hurt no one — only embarrassed himself a little further.
    Scholarship athletes are getting $$$, cars, hookers, and free dipolomas for playing a sport. Some dont show up for classes and are held to no academic standard. Professional athletes have done far worse –Michael Vick I am looking you. And Kobe Bryant dont look away from me. And still play their sport.
    I cannot believe that I am pulling a Tiny Caroline Manzo quote–”This too shall pass”.

21. 21
    captain-save-uh-hoe
    Posted January 18, 2013 at 11:59 am

    Eh, I don’t think Manti is gay. It has been reported that he dated a girl for 2 months this last December, from Boston College.
    Sure, it’s an interesting spin and everyone is going to have their theories… but I’m not biting.

    Another interesting article: http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/8857057/friend-says-ronaiah-tuiasosopo-confessed-manti-teo-girlfriend-hoax

    As far a Manti lying about the situation after he found out Dec 6th, “friends/sources” are saying that Manti felt he had to continue to lie about it after finding out the truth on the 6th, so that it would not distract the team from BCS prep, but after 20 days, couldn’t keep it in any longer and felt he had to let his coaches know.

22. 22
    Classy Drunk
    Posted January 18, 2013 at 12:10 pm

    HAHAHAHA @Kobe Bryant don’t look away from me.

    The way Manti played against Alabama he should have told and got it off his chest. He disappeared that night.

    And for BCS who keep saying this was about Heisman candidacy he wasn’t even a thought in September ND wasn’t on anyone radar that early in the season, so it’s a pretty elaborate scheme to gain popularity.

23. 23
    michkabibbles
    Posted January 18, 2013 at 12:13 pm

    i, too thought he was in on it, until i read that he was mormon-then i thought that having a \phone girlfriend\ might be easier in a lot of ways if he didn’t want to test his faith too much (although i think that just being a big name college football player comes with enough to tempt most). and i can totally buy that he would make up stories and get confused about them to cover the fact that he’s never met her.
    i agree with hot cawfee-he didn’t do anything illegal or wrong, and i think the only way he comes of this a total douche is if he was doing it for heisman trophy votes.

    (speaking as someone who doesn’t follow college football, and only knows about the heisman voting this year because of all the hype around johnny football).

24. 24
    captain-save-uh-hoe
    Posted January 18, 2013 at 12:25 pm

    @classy— EXACTLY. he wasn’t a blip on the radar in September. There’s no way we could have predicted ND to have the season they had, so to have gone back that far to set up some scheme for Heisman votes in hopes that we somehow had this magical season that we did… seems a bit crazy.
    Also, Stanford guys are saying whenever Manti played them, he would always ask them if they knew his GF….
    He got duped, then got caught up in the aftermath.

25. 25
    sarcasatire
    Posted January 18, 2013 at 12:53 pm

    He didn’t get duped, he got… Catfish’d! *jazz hands*

26. 26
    hot cawfee
    Posted January 18, 2013 at 1:38 pm

    Well hell now—Kids–my cap code needs to weigh in here (And my 2013 cap codes have been quite spot on)

    Cap code says……………………….no time to explain

27. 27
    Dear Crabby
    Posted January 18, 2013 at 2:01 pm

    @captain-save-uh-hoe – he dated someone from Boston in December? Is she a real girl or another from his fantasy girlfriend league? Cause I’m gonna need to see proof of this one!

    Also – if he really loved his fake girlfriend and she died in September, dating someone in December is hardly a believable mourning period.

    @Classy Drunk – thanks for the info, I actually didn’t pay enough attention to know that he was Mormon (double oppression whammy!)…I still think it would be great to hook him up with David aka Ava’s dad on Toddlers & Tiaras – seem like they would make a FAAABulous couple!

28. 28
    captain-save-uh-hoe
    Posted January 18, 2013 at 11:16 pm

    OOPS sorry.. i meant NOVEMBER. and this is according to TMZ, so take that with a grain of salt. And by date, I mean date.. it didn’t seem as though it was marriage headed. Although agreed, it’s somewhat of a quick turnaround… I’ve never had someone die and then dated after, so I won’t claim to be an expert on what sort of mourning periods are appropriate.

29. 29
    amandalee27
    Posted January 19, 2013 at 9:14 am

    I don’t think the whole story had been told. Most of the time these tragic events with fake online loves (the car accident, then the cancer) are tied to an attempt to extort money. Money that a college football player probably shouldn’t have. I think he gave her money at some point or points or some
    booster sent her some cash or support. They won’t release that detail because then Notre Dame would be in serious trouble with NCAA.

30. 30
    blueberrypancake
    Posted January 19, 2013 at 11:24 am

    I can see that totally @amandalee There is cover up on this fishy situation from all sides . Him, the hoaxer,ND , his parents, the NCAA…. all sides are playing the PR scramble !

31. 31
    Considerthis
    Posted January 19, 2013 at 11:29 am

    OK one more – This just in…

    Manti is foregoing the NFL to continue his education. He is applying to Faber College masters program where he will study communications and is hoping to woo beautiful young co-ed Fawn Lebowitz.

32. 32
    thisbuggs4u
    Posted January 19, 2013 at 11:37 am

    Woo Hoo @squarehead. Nice to see another Seahawks fan on here! I take alot of shit for being a fan!! Growing up in WA, I have been a Seahawks fan all my life…hell my high school mascot were the Seahawks!

    I just saw this on the news..I don’t watch a whole lot of news…So I am just getting caught up on this whole situation…

33. 33
    Tom
    Posted January 19, 2013 at 4:32 pm

    I’m sorry but it’s really hard to believe he never met her in person, or at least talked to her via webcam or used FaceTime. I think people are missing the fact that there are too mant inconsistencies and just want to believe he was a victim. And, if he was a victim he must not be too bright and I can’t wait to see his Wonderlick score.

34. 34
    captain-save-uh-hoe
    Posted January 19, 2013 at 5:04 pm

    @Tom– Do i think it’s odd/strange/weird that someone could have a relationship solely online without ever having met someone in person? YES. It’s not the norm, and certainly raises a lot of questions.

    Then again, I talked to a friend of someone’s on the phone once, and we ended up becoming very close through a phone relationship for 6 months, having never met, only seeing facebook photos, and talking every night. I didn’t go as far as to say we were dating or near a relationship but I definitely developed a strong emotional connection to this person.

    Of course, when I met my now husband, I ended this \phone relationship\ but who knows where it would have gone if I let it continue on, in all honesty.

    And I know that everyone likes to believe that no one could be so naive, but seriously, people do stupid things ALL THE TIME. I’m sure as I’m writing this, a score of people just did something so unbelievably stupid, many people would have trouble understanding why/or relate to it, but it happens.

    Has no one been watching Catfish? This shit happens on the regular- and yes, I know the person who casts the show, so I can positively say, people can be easily fooled.

    Manti admits to having doubts about whether she was real or not but kept getting in deeper and deeper. He also knew it sounded silly to tell people he only met his girlfriend online, thus the vague answers surrounding how they met. Manti’s embarrassment about how their relationship formed, and the specifics, is what led him into this situation.

    And he was right to be embarrassed and tight lipped about the details. Look at how everyone is responding to him having an online relationship.

    If you’ve been keeping up with any of the interviews and articles, the main man behind the hoax admitted it was him along with another man and woman, that this has been done multiple times, to multiple other victims.

    Anyone who has been with familiar with Manti (ND fan or whatever) would be hard-pressed to believe that someone of his character would honestly stoop so low as to make up a fake girlfriend and fake death, so early in the season, in hopes that should ND have this miracle season OUT OF NOWHERE, that he would then be able to pair that with a sympathy vote, for the Heisman.

    I’m not saying I know Manti personally, but seriously, if he was in on the hoax, no one more in the world deserves an academy award.

    And he’d really have to be thinking long-term if that were the case (Stanford players have reported he often asked them if they knew his gf when the two teams played, and even his neighbor has come out saying she too, believed this girl was real after chatting with her online).

    Based on everything that’s come out, and trust me there are tons of articles and interviews at this point, I think Manti’s version of events in very credible. Albeit weird to people maybe, but Manti isn’t malicious and when you put everything together, along with multiple testimonials and stories from the people around Manti during this whole shibang, I’m surprised to hear so many people still adamantly claim he had to be in on it. Because the facts don’t add up that way either.

    Addressing why his dad said that Manti would meat his gf in Hawaii: Manti lied to save face. This wouldnt be the first time someone has lied to their parents about their relationship details…

    On why he waited so long after finding out she was alive/never existed- He got a phone call on Dec 6th and she still pretended to be real- made up a story saying she had to pretend she was dead because drug dealers were after her family, she was sorry, and wanted another chance— so they were still trying to dupe him… After trying to figure out how to handle this situation (it’s not like 2 days later he’s gonna make some announcement about it at the Heisman ceremony) and he didn’t want to distract his team before the BCS, he just couldn’t keep it in any longer, and approached ND coaches/director with the situation at hand.

    And it goes on from there.

    But anyways, I think Manti is simply guilty of being naive, and then when shit hit the fan, didn’t know how to save face, things snowballed, and now he’s in the mess he’s in.

    The biggest indicator that no one seems to be asking… if he was in on the hoax, then WHY THE EFF would he call himself out on it. WHY all of a sudden blow the hoax and pretend he was duped?! It makes absolutely no sense. If he was in on the hoax from the beginning we wouldn’t be having this conversation, and everyone would still believe his girlfriend died tragically from leukemia.

35. 35
    kthxbai
    Posted January 20, 2013 at 12:53 am

    Who do you guys think will play him in the tv movie?

36. 36
    Samantha
    Posted January 21, 2013 at 10:24 am

    It seems to me believing he was duped is a way to let him off the hook so he can keep playing. Which, God forbid we lose a good football player, because after all, winning is all that matters right? If our country gave a crap about any academic subject like we do about football we might not be handing our asses to China.
    The guy is a LIAR. He was not duped, he was part of the scheme. He needs psychiatric help. He may or may not be gay, but to me, it’s obvious he knew about all of this. That’s my belief. Things are seldom as complicated as this story he’s telling…there are too many holes and half-assed excuses. That’s my opnion anyway. And I have no allegiance to any college team, nor do I follow football.

37. 37
    Jazzy
    Posted January 21, 2013 at 12:03 pm

    There are too many things that just aren’t believable in his story. The biggest one to me is that she supposedly got in the car accident in April and was in the hospital and diagnosed with leukemia. She didn’t \die\ until September. When asked why he never visited her during that time, he said it never crossed his mind. Huh? Your girlfriend is ill for months and you never had a weekend where you could go there and visit? Very strange.

    I do agree that he will need psych help. Everyone says it will be brutal in his locker room when he does join an NFL team. I have a feeling that he doesn’t have very thick skin.

38. 38
    captain-save-uh-hoe
    Posted January 21, 2013 at 7:55 pm

    @Samantha- i don’t think you have to have any allegiance to college football/or a team… to have an opinion about the situation. But it is a tiny bit odd that that’s part of your argument— so you’re not at all familiar with Manti in any fashion (haven’t watched him/his interviews/the way he conducts himself.. over the past four years he’s been at ND), except for this one story, yet adamantly believe he was in on the hoax and can form an opinion about the sort of person he is?
    Also, I’m really interested to read the articles that you’re reading that paint him so clearly as being a part of the hoax, no doubts left. Would you mind linking those for me? I’d love to see a different perspective that lines out your case so cut and dry, but haven’t really come across any articles framed that way and it’d probably be an interesting read that they’d be able to discredit handfuls of testimonials, at this point, that back of Manti’s version.
    And for the record, I’m an ND fan, but if Manti was a douche, I’d gladly have him outed and not reppin’ ND. But that’s never been his persona from what we experience via the field/teammates/and interviews, so to me, this is the LAST person that would do this.

    Thanks!!