OT: ND's Te'o may be a fraud

[mpharris36]

Catholic religion is funny like that. People stick around with it more so due to tradition because if they are that religious there is probably a better fit within the broader spectrum of Christian relgions. For me personally it got to the point where there were too many things I didn't agree with or had doubts on, it was a gradual progression. I pretty much left Catholicism officially in my early twenties. At 31, I am now agnostic.

i would agree with this also. I would tend to lean that the catholic religion at this point is the more traditional of the religions then saying being jewish or morman.

The older I have gotten the more disagreeing i have been doing. But there are still things that I do believe in. But I don't want to make this about religion because that can be a touchy subject.

[GONYK]

No sane person would go to such lengths to cover up being gay. Hell, it would have been easier and more convincing for him to find some groupie after a game and bring her home / drag her around for a few weeks than this... Or do nothing.

If anything, I think he's guilty of trying to stir up a "heartwarming" "inspirational" story about himself for recognition... Whether he wanted people to talk about him, thought it'd help his Heismen chances with this story of triumph circulating etc.

But even that, I think came after he was initially hoaxed into this... Not something he set off to create himself with that endgame in mind.

i don't by the "heartwarming" "inspirational" story because he created this fake person his sophomore year. That was well before he was a dominant college player and well known throughout college as one of the best players. It wasn't until this year that he finally started playing as one of the best defensive players in college football. Before he was just a good player on Notre Dame...she was created 2 whole years prior to that.

That just doesn't make any sense.

I also don't buy that a college football player stays faithful to a girl he's never met.

And why would his father say that he spoke to this girl on the phone?

[MaseInYourFace]

Maybe his lover is this Tuissasopo guy. Who knows?

[MaseInYourFace]

Sh** is craaayyyy

Sports story of the year so far...

[NYKinMIA]

Maybe his lover is this Tuissasopo guy. Who knows?

That's actually mentioned on page 1 of this thread...wouldn't doubt it.

[guardplay320]

Catholic religion is funny like that. People stick around with it more so due to tradition because if they are that religious there is probably a better fit within the broader spectrum of Christian relgions. For me personally it got to the point where there were too many things I didn't agree with or had doubts on, it was a gradual progression. I pretty much left Catholicism officially in my early twenties. At 31, I am now agnostic.

A good portion of Jews are the same way with Judaism, sticking with it mainly because of tradition and to please their parents/grandparents.

[Knicks_Fan2]

From a ND student:

The debate among teammates wasn’t whether or not Manti actually knew this girl — it was clear that they had been in contact; no, players just didn’t think that it was fair to call Lennay Kekua Manti’s girlfriend, period (it is well-known on campus that he has had relations with other girls during his time at Notre Dame). They recognized what was going on for what it was — a terrible publicity stunt used to fuel Manti Te’o’s Heisman campaign. In fact, many of the players privately commented that they didn’t want the students to wear leis in support of Manti and wouldn’t participate themselves — they cited that the team never responded so publicly to tragic events for other players. But there was also the feeling that Manti didn’t deserve to benefit from publicity from the death of somebody he barely knew

http://www.thebiglead.com/index.php/201 ... -going-on/

[JohnStarksTheDunk]

I also don't buy that a college football player stays faithful to a girl he's never met.

And why would his father say that he spoke to this girl on the phone?

I absolutely agree with your first sentence.

As for the second, I'm sure the argument that Te'o and/or ND are making is that he was too embarrassed about "dating" a girl that he had never met or talked to, so he (and others) lied and said that they had met and talked on the phone. Of course, none of this holds up to logic anyway, because of your first point. There's no way that he would choose an online relationship with a woman he's never met or even talked to, over the multitude of tail that was constantly available to him.

[guardplay320]

From a ND student:

The debate among teammates wasn’t whether or not Manti actually knew this girl — it was clear that they had been in contact; no, players just didn’t think that it was fair to call Lennay Kekua Manti’s girlfriend, period (it is well-known on campus that he has had relations with other girls during his time at Notre Dame). They recognized what was going on for what it was — a terrible publicity stunt used to fuel Manti Te’o’s Heisman campaign. In fact, many of the players privately commented that they didn’t want the students to wear leis in support of Manti and wouldn’t participate themselves — they cited that the team never responded so publicly to tragic events for other players. But there was also the feeling that Manti didn’t deserve to benefit from publicity from the death of somebody he barely knew

http://www.thebiglead.com/index.php/201 ... -going-on/

So let me get this straight - he was victim of a hoax and thought the girl was real, but barely had any relationship with her and exaggerated the entire situation just to help his Heisman hopes? In reality, the girl was a fake and whoever was behind this tricked him into thinking she really died and he played it up from there? The pieces are pretty sketchy still, especially the part about his dad's accounts (unless he was trying to play good Mormon kid to his parents and exaggerated the situation with them too).

[j4remi]

Not sure if it's been mentioned, but deadspin now has a piece about some guy tweeting the details of this story a month ago...and only now being validated. Even implied Tuiasosopu (can't spell it not bothering to try hard or look it up) was involved.

[Sky_Knicks]

mpharris' theory about Teo being gay seemed the most logical to me before I read this

From a ND student:

The debate among teammates wasn’t whether or not Manti actually knew this girl — it was clear that they had been in contact; no, players just didn’t think that it was fair to call Lennay Kekua Manti’s girlfriend, period (it is well-known on campus that he has had relations with other girls during his time at Notre Dame). They recognized what was going on for what it was — a terrible publicity stunt used to fuel Manti Te’o’s Heisman campaign. In fact, many of the players privately commented that they didn’t want the students to wear leis in support of Manti and wouldn’t participate themselves — they cited that the team never responded so publicly to tragic events for other players. But there was also the feeling that Manti didn’t deserve to benefit from publicity from the death of somebody he barely knew

http://www.thebiglead.com/index.php/201 ... -going-on/

Now I'm confused. I have no idea what's going on. Because you guys are still right about the fact that he created this hoax before he was well known and in the running for the heisman.

[Huey Freeman]

If he only knew her online, who informed Manti that she actually died? Let's contact the person that told him that his girlfriend died. How did that person know how to contact Manti?

The Samoan FB on the Cardinals said he knew of this girl and that the both of them were real cool with each other. So is this chick really dead? Did this NFL player attend the funeral since he knew her and they were so cool?

But back to the original point, who else knew this chick AND knew Manti in order to even tell him that she died?

[mpharris36]

mpharris' theory about Teo being gay seemed the most logical to me before I read this

From a ND student:

The debate among teammates wasn’t whether or not Manti actually knew this girl — it was clear that they had been in contact; no, players just didn’t think that it was fair to call Lennay Kekua Manti’s girlfriend, period (it is well-known on campus that he has had relations with other girls during his time at Notre Dame). They recognized what was going on for what it was — a terrible publicity stunt used to fuel Manti Te’o’s Heisman campaign. In fact, many of the players privately commented that they didn’t want the students to wear leis in support of Manti and wouldn’t participate themselves — they cited that the team never responded so publicly to tragic events for other players. But there was also the feeling that Manti didn’t deserve to benefit from publicity from the death of somebody he barely knew

http://www.thebiglead.com/index.php/201 ... -going-on/

Now I'm confused. I have no idea what's going on. Because you guys are still right about the fact that he created this hoax before he was well known and in the running for the heisman.

I still don't buy it...time will tell though. Why hasn't any girl come forward over the 3 years as a publicity stunt and say that Teo and her hooked up or slept together and that he was cheating on lennay?

Not one attention seeking girl would spill the beans? I think no one came forward because he didn't have a relationship with a girl a ND. Why have no pictures surfaced...with todays social media everyone has crazy pictures. There are even scandalous pictures with Tebow (Jesus).

I am not refuting the ND students article but its seems like a lot more speculcation than fact.

[MaseInYourFace]

Here is that complete article for that excerpt referenced in Deadspin, supposedly it's the account of a ND student...

http://collegespun.com/big-east/notre-d ... PguzqGjegP

[mpharris36]

If he only knew her online, who informed Manti that she actually died? Let's contact the person that told him that his girlfriend died. How did that person know how to contact Manti?

The Samoan FB on the Cardinals said he knew of this girl and that the both of them were real cool with each other. So is this chick really dead? Did this NFL player attend the funeral since he knew her and they were so cool?

But back to the original point, who else knew this chick AND knew Manti in order to even tell him that she died?

I think its been astablished that she isn't real. No SS records, no record attending Stanford, no record in the Hospital.

Even Teo has admitted that there was a hoax but he was a victim.

Now the question is, why was this elaborate hoax created....for what reason...

[yaboynyp]

[mpharris36]

[Red Vines]

From a ND student:

The debate among teammates wasn’t whether or not Manti actually knew this girl — it was clear that they had been in contact; no, players just didn’t think that it was fair to call Lennay Kekua Manti’s girlfriend, period (it is well-known on campus that he has had relations with other girls during his time at Notre Dame). They recognized what was going on for what it was — a terrible publicity stunt used to fuel Manti Te’o’s Heisman campaign. In fact, many of the players privately commented that they didn’t want the students to wear leis in support of Manti and wouldn’t participate themselves — they cited that the team never responded so publicly to tragic events for other players. But there was also the feeling that Manti didn’t deserve to benefit from publicity from the death of somebody he barely knew

http://www.thebiglead.com/index.php/201 ... -going-on/

Best explanation so far--Te'o casually knew this fake online person and when "her" story became tragic it became useful for him to exaggerate the extent of the relationship.

[Huey Freeman]

If he only knew her online, who informed Manti that she actually died? Let's contact the person that told him that his girlfriend died. How did that person know how to contact Manti?

The Samoan FB on the Cardinals said he knew of this girl and that the both of them were real cool with each other. So is this chick really dead? Did this NFL player attend the funeral since he knew her and they were so cool?

But back to the original point, who else knew this chick AND knew Manti in order to even tell him that she died?

I think its been established that she isn't real. No SS records, no record attending Stanford, no record in the Hospital.

Even Teo has admitted that there was a hoax but he was a victim.

Now the question is, why was this elaborate hoax created....for what reason...

I know that...I posed my initial question in the context that SHOULD have been raised by reporters when initially covering this story.

[Appleshampoo]

This random full back saying he knew her makes me somewhat have no idea wtf is going on