WALEOVECHKIN Posted January 17, 2013 Share Posted January 17, 2013 He and Notre Dame claim he found out on December 6th that it was a hoax. The Heisman trophy presentation was December 8th and he had this exchange on stage in front of a national audience: Chris Fowler: There were a lot of cameras around you this year, there was so much public sharing of very private moments, which shared moment will you never forget above the others? Manti Te'o: I think I’ll never forget the time when I found out that, you know, my girlfriend passed away and the first person to run to my aid was my defensive coordinator, Coach [bob] Diaco, and you know he said something very profound to me, he said ‘this is where your faith is tested.’ Right after that, I ran into the players’ lounge and I got on the phone with my parents – and I opened my eyes and my head coach was sitting right there. And so, you know, there are a hundred-plus people on our team and the defensive coordinator and our head coach took time to just go get one [of those players]. You know I think that was the most meaningful to me. This dude's story is full of it and a load of crap, he was so shaken up upon receiving the phone call that he mentions it without prompting two days later in front of 30 million people? He needs to set the record straight ASAP Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mad Mike Posted January 17, 2013 Share Posted January 17, 2013 Actually, reading that transcript makes me more likely to believe that Te'o was catfished. He is clearly making up a few things, but it feels like he is just trying to fill in details to avoid the embarrassment of admitting that he never really met his "girlfriend." Other parts of the story, like Kekua's brother reading her iPad letters to him or breathing into the phone, sound like something that Tuiasosopo and his friends easily could have done. It's a crazy story either way. Exactly. There is nothing there that contradicts Te'o's version of the story. If anything I get the impression he is embarrassed about the on-line only aspect of the relationship. I'll bet more than a few team mates gave him **** about it because that's what guys do. That embarrassment probably carried over every time he talked about her so he embellished just enough to avoid the issue of never actually meeting her. Te'o strikes me as being sort of an emotional child. Very shy and insecure. How can a high profile athlete have such issues? Just ask Ricky Williams. ---------- Post added January-17th-2013 at 10:55 PM ---------- Just so you know, Lavar and Dukes didn't make that suggestion up. It has been suggested by a lot of people, including a lot of gay people. The behavior and the circumstances tend to fit a common pattern of closeted gays from conservative households and religions who are seeking to fend off inquiries into their lack of a girlfriend/wife. At least one gay friend of mine had an imaginary girlfriend when he was young and foolish. It was easier to lie than to deal with coming out. I dont imagine they were the first to suggest this angle. I just think it's a pretty shady angle to take as a member of the media. If there is a single fact that indicates Te'o might be gay, then someone should share it. But I shouldn't have to tell a lawyer that someone, somewhere doing something similar to hide their sexuality has no bearing on this case. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
88Comrade2000 Posted January 17, 2013 Share Posted January 17, 2013 I think he was in on it and it was a publicity stunt to help him with his heisman chances. Whatever happens doesn't matter. Since there is a rooke wage scale now, it won't affect his draft stock much. He will still get drafted in the first round and if he's a good to great player; he get his big payday in his second contract. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taylor703 Posted January 17, 2013 Share Posted January 17, 2013 I'm pretty sure that's not Ricky Williams... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I_Bleed_B&G Posted January 17, 2013 Share Posted January 17, 2013 In the SI article.. TE'O: Oct. 15 was the official date. Of last year. I've known her for four years. So we've been friends. This dude can't keep a story straight Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boss_Hogg Posted January 17, 2013 Share Posted January 17, 2013 Was this thread closed by mistake? Apologies if I missed something I blamed Mara Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mad Mike Posted January 17, 2013 Share Posted January 17, 2013 He and Notre Dame claim he found out on December 6th that it was a hoax. The Heisman trophy presentation was December 8th and he had this exchange on stage in front of a national audience:Chris Fowler: There were a lot of cameras around you this year, there was so much public sharing of very private moments, which shared moment will you never forget above the others? Manti Te'o: I think I’ll never forget the time when I found out that, you know, my girlfriend passed away and the first person to run to my aid was my defensive coordinator, Coach [bob] Diaco, and you know he said something very profound to me, he said ‘this is where your faith is tested.’ Right after that, I ran into the players’ lounge and I got on the phone with my parents – and I opened my eyes and my head coach was sitting right there. And so, you know, there are a hundred-plus people on our team and the defensive coordinator and our head coach took time to just go get one [of those players]. You know I think that was the most meaningful to me. This dude's story is full of it and a load of crap, he was so shaken up upon receiving the phone call that he mentions it without prompting two days later in front of 30 million people? He needs to set the record straight ASAP That may be one of the oddest things I've heard, but I noticed that what he was recalling was the shared moment between himself and the defensive coordinator. Even if he knew at the time the girl was alive and there was some sort of hoax, he may have still been focused on how the people around him supported him when he thought her death was real. Not that unusual a train of thought if you are still trying to wrap your brain around being taken for such a ride. Through all of this I say I DO NOT KNOW THE TRUTH. I just find it disturbing that so many people here would rush to assume the absolute worst. And one more time I remind you all of the people who pushed wild theories about Sean Taylor's death being a result of him being a thug. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G.A.C.O.L.B. Posted January 17, 2013 Share Posted January 17, 2013 Actually, reading that transcript makes me more likely to believe that Te'o was catfished. He is clearly making up a few things, but it feels like he is just trying to fill in details to avoid the embarrassment of admitting that he never really met his "girlfriend." Other parts of the story, like Kekua's brother reading her iPad letters to him or breathing into the phone, sound like something that Tuiasosopo and his friends easily could have done. It's a crazy story either way. Again, its this simple. He was hoaxed, he thought she was real, he still lied about the nature of their relationship for various reasons. He's a victim and a liar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RawBBQSauce Posted January 17, 2013 Share Posted January 17, 2013 Through all of this I say I DO NOT KNOW THE TRUTH. I just find it disturbing that so many people here would rush to assume the absolute worst. The "absolute worst" is a relative term for this situation. I believe Manti fessing up to being a part of this would not be the absolute worst. To me, the absolute worst would be someone or some people who would have the irrationality and sick sense of humor to play a sick joke on a naive, unsuspecting, devout religious victim. This is the outcome that makes this story so compelling. The obvious conclusion is Manti was lying this whole time...possibly to cover up a potential not-so-coveted sexual orientation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mad Mike Posted January 17, 2013 Share Posted January 17, 2013 I'm pretty sure that's not Ricky Williams... Doh! Silly me. I did a search for Ricky Williams interview w/ helmet and that's the closest image that came up. Cant find one of him though. Strange because that was such an iconic image. ---------- Post added January-17th-2013 at 11:29 PM ---------- The "absolute worst" is a relative term for this situation. I believe Manti fessing up to being a part of this would not be the absolute worst. To me, the absolute worst would be someone or some people who would have the irrationality and sick sense of humor to play a sick joke on a naive, unsuspecting, devout religious victim. This is the outcome that makes this story so compelling. The obvious conclusion is Manti was lying this whole time...possibly to cover up a potential not-so-coveted sexual orientation. So the "obvious conclusion" is one that you have no evidence to support. You feel that this is much more likely than someone being inspired by MTV to pull a "catfish" hoax on him because we all know that the internet is not populated by sick twisted individuals who take pleasure in hurting innocent people. Gotcha. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suicide_of_Megan_Meier Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Predicto Posted January 17, 2013 Share Posted January 17, 2013 I dont imagine they were the first to suggest this angle. I just think it's a pretty shady angle to take as a member of the media. If there is a single fact that indicates Te'o might be gay, then someone should share it. But I shouldn't have to tell a lawyer that someone, somewhere doing something similar to hide their sexuality has no bearing on this case. What "case?" Nothing illegal happened as far as I can tell, there are no charges being brought. All we are is a bunch of guys throwing around speculation about a public figure caught in a lie (or mistake). I have no information to indicate that Te'o is gay, I'm just noting that having fake girlfriends far away is tremendously common among closeted gay people in conservative families and communities. Sadly. I genuinely don't care if someone is gay or straight, so I guess I don't feel bad speculating that they might have done something irrational because they were caught up in hiding their true sexuality. Since the gay label isn't an insult, I'm not predisposed to be cautious about speculating about it as a possibility. Maybe I should be. :whoknows: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BRAVEONTHEWARPATH93 Posted January 17, 2013 Share Posted January 17, 2013 What "case?" Nothing illegal happened as far as I can tell, there are no charges being brought. All we are is a bunch of guys throwing around speculation about a public figure caught in a lie (or mistake). I have no information to indicate that Te'o is gay, I'm just noting that having fake girlfriends far away is tremendously common among closeted gay people in conservative families and communities. Sadly.I genuinely don't care if someone is gay or straight, so I guess I don't feel bad speculating that they might have done something irrational because they were caught up in hiding their true sexuality. Since the gay label isn't an insult, I'm not predisposed to be cautious about speculating about it as a possibility. Maybe I should be. :whoknows: I've been wanting to post something like this but I couldn't find the words. Thanks man Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spjunkies Posted January 17, 2013 Share Posted January 17, 2013 What "case?" Nothing illegal happened as far as I can tell, there are no charges being brought. All we are is a bunch of guys throwing around speculation about a public figure caught in a lie (or mistake). I have no information to indicate that Te'o is gay, I'm just noting that having fake girlfriends far away is tremendously common among closeted gay people in conservative families and communities. Sadly.I genuinely don't care if someone is gay or straight, so I guess I don't feel bad speculating that they might have done something irrational because they were caught up in hiding their true sexuality. Since the gay label isn't an insult, I'm not predisposed to be cautious about speculating about it as a possibility. Maybe I should be. :whoknows: Well said Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WALEOVECHKIN Posted January 18, 2013 Share Posted January 18, 2013 That may be one of the oddest things I've heard, but I noticed that what he was recalling was the shared moment between himself and the defensive coordinator. Even if he knew at the time the girl was alive and there was some sort of hoax, he may have still been focused on how the people around him supported him when he thought her death was real. Not that unusual a train of thought if you are still trying to wrap your brain around being taken for such a ride.Through all of this I say I DO NOT KNOW THE TRUTH. I just find it disturbing that so many people here would rush to assume the absolute worst. And one more time I remind you all of the people who pushed wild theories about Sean Taylor's death being a result of him being a thug. “I don’t like cancer at all. I lost both my grandparents and my girlfriend to cancer,” Te’o said on December 8, while talking to reporters in advance of the Heisman Trophy ceremony. On Wednesday, Notre Dame Athletic Director Jack Swarbrick said Te’o learned of the hoax on December 6, while he was attending the ESPN college football awards ceremony in Orlando. I don't know the story either, all I know is that there are way to many inconsistencies to say that Te'o got duped all the way until December 6th. The fact is, the longer he waits to tell his story the worse it'll get for him. The more time people can speculate and make up rumors, the less his story will seem legit IMO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TradeTheBeal! Posted January 18, 2013 Share Posted January 18, 2013 Again, its this simple. He was hoaxed, he thought she was real, he still lied about the nature of their relationship for various reasons. He's a victim and a liar. Sounds completely reasonable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DjTj Posted January 18, 2013 Share Posted January 18, 2013 What "case?" Nothing illegal happened as far as I can tell, there are no charges being brought. All we are is a bunch of guys throwing around speculation about a public figure caught in a lie (or mistake). I have no information to indicate that Te'o is gay, I'm just noting that having fake girlfriends far away is tremendously common among closeted gay people in conservative families and communities. Sadly.I genuinely don't care if someone is gay or straight, so I guess I don't feel bad speculating that they might have done something irrational because they were caught up in hiding their true sexuality. Since the gay label isn't an insult, I'm not predisposed to be cautious about speculating about it as a possibility. Maybe I should be. :whoknows: I do think there is a logical fallacy going on that is leading people to think that being gay is a likely (or the most likely) explanation.It may be true that a large proportion of gay men have made up fake girlfriends to hide their sexuality from their family and friends, but this does not mean that a large proportion of men who make up fake girlfriends are gay. I would guess that the most common "fake girlfriend" scenarios are: (1) The vast majority of "fake girlfriends" are fabricated by straight guys to impress their friends or for other reasons; (2) Sometimes straight guys get pranked or catfished by a fake identity; and then (3) Gay guys making up fake girlfriends to keep their sexuality secret is much less common (because there are a lot more straight guys then gay guys). Manti Te'o being part of the scam is probably the most likely scenario given the facts. But with he and Notre Dame taking a strong position that he was pranked, it makes the catfish story more likely in my opinion. We really have no evidence that he is gay, and that is by far the least likely explanation in my mind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGoodBits Posted January 18, 2013 Share Posted January 18, 2013 I just can't fathom how someone knows a fake person for 4 years, well enough to date them, without figuring out they're not real. That's why I subscribe to the gay theory. That and the fact he can't keep his story straight... He knows more than he's let on at this point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mad Mike Posted January 18, 2013 Share Posted January 18, 2013 What "case?" Nothing illegal happened as far as I can tell, there are no charges being brought. All we are is a bunch of guys throwing around speculation about a public figure caught in a lie (or mistake). I have no information to indicate that Te'o is gay, I'm just noting that having fake girlfriends far away is tremendously common among closeted gay people in conservative families and communities. Sadly.I genuinely don't care if someone is gay or straight, so I guess I don't feel bad speculating that they might have done something irrational because they were caught up in hiding their true sexuality. Since the gay label isn't an insult, I'm not predisposed to be cautious about speculating about it as a possibility. Maybe I should be. :whoknows: Oh dear lord. I wasn't using the term case literally and you know that. My reference to this story as a court case was an example of how to find the truth. Since you seem to take pleasure in nit picking words today... IF THIS WERE a court case, the fact that others have used long distance "girlfriends" as a cover for being gay would have no bearing. Not without some evidence of him being gay. And for the record. I do not view being gay as an insult. I view making claims about another persons sexuality without any evidence as being WRONG. Is that clear enough for you? ---------- Post added January-18th-2013 at 12:53 AM ---------- Sounds completely reasonable. OK who are you and how did you hack this account. And for the record, I agree. I think it's likely that he was hoaxed and handled it horribly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KDawg Posted January 18, 2013 Share Posted January 18, 2013 Through all of this I say I DO NOT KNOW THE TRUTH. I just find it disturbing that so many people here would rush to assume the absolute worst. And one more time I remind you all of the people who pushed wild theories about Sean Taylor's death being a result of him being a thug. Assuming he's gay is the absolute worst? Given what's being said, I'd say that's one of the best reasons for all of this. *shrug* And they're theories. No one is claiming they know. It's also entirely possible he was completely trolled and he fell for it, hook, line and sinker. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kosher Ham Posted January 18, 2013 Share Posted January 18, 2013 Why would it be wrong Mike ? People speculate all the time about things/people/etc. That is real life. You never met someone and thought...hmm ? I think he/she might be gay ? I call BS. I have a couple of people I know that I believe/know are gay. I have expressed the opinion with them (only them), Not rudely or disrespectfully. More in a question or joking fashion. One (male) admiitted and was relieved to have someone to talk to, one got defensive (female) and denied it...but I still have my suspicions. But here on a message board and someone has an opinion that may or may not be correct is a pretty typical scenario. There are many people here that don't give a rat's ass if the kid is gay. That is their business...but speculation is normal from people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Momma There Goes That Man Posted January 18, 2013 Share Posted January 18, 2013 Actually, reading that transcript makes me more likely to believe that Te'o was catfished. He is clearly making up a few things, but it feels like he is just trying to fill in details to avoid the embarrassment of admitting that he never really met his "girlfriend." Other parts of the story, like Kekua's brother reading her iPad letters to him or breathing into the phone, sound like something that Tuiasosopo and his friends easily could have done. It's a crazy story either way. I'm sorry but I don't think it is logical even for a hoaxer to breathe into the phone for hours or even find a girl to go along and talk to him on the phone a few nights a week which he has admitted they did. Either he made those up to llegitimize his story or he was in on it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mad Mike Posted January 18, 2013 Share Posted January 18, 2013 Why would it be wrong Mike ? People speculate all the time about things/people/etc. That is real life. You never met someone and thought...hmm ? I think he/she might be gay ? I call BS. I have a couple of people I know that I believe/know are gay. I have expressed the opinion with them (only them), Not rudely or disrespectfully. More in a question or joking fashion. One (male) admiitted and was relieved to have someone to talk to, one got defensive (female) and denied it...but I still have my suspicions. But here on a message board and someone has an opinion that may or may not be correct is a pretty typical scenario. There are many people here that don't give a rat's ass if the kid is gay. That is their business...but speculation is normal from people. I guess I just don't like gossip. Especially when that gossip is about someone who is more than likely a victim. It's "normal" for people to do all kinds of terrible things to others, that doesn't make it right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MissU28 Posted January 18, 2013 Share Posted January 18, 2013 From USWeekly (posting from my phone) The world was shocked when it was revealed on Jan. 17 that Notre Dame linebacker*Manti Te'o's inspirational story of overcoming the death of his grandmother and girlfriend on the same day last fall -- leading the Fighting Irish to an undefeated season --*was a hoax, allegedly conceived by someone named Ronaiah Tuiasosopo.But this is not the first sad story Tuiasosopo has reportedly engineered. A source tells*Us Weekly*that the aspiring singer spun quite a tale for the producers of NBC's*The Voice, too -- when he auditioned to be a contestant on the upcoming season."He had this insane sob story before [he sang]," an insider reveals to*Us. "It would make for great TV."According to the source, Tuiasosopo told producers he and his cousins started a Christian band together and were on their way to perform at a youth conference in Nevada when they got into a "massive" car accident. He claimed a truck crashed into their vehicle, sending them flip-flopping all over the freeway. He also said doctors thought one of them might have been brain-dead, but miraculously, everyone was fine.The insider adds that Tuaisosopo "passed a background check and psych evaluation," which is standard for all reality TV show contestants. "Nothing came up, no suspicious behavior," the source says. However, in light of what people now know about the Manti Te'o death hoax, "people now think the sob story is fake."Not everyone was moved by his performance, though. The source tells Us that Tuaisosopo auditioned in front of Voice judges*Shakira,*Usher,*Blake Shelton, and*Adam Lambert*with Matisyahu's "One Day" -- to no avail."No one turned their chair around," the insider says.vThis article originally appeared on Usmagazine.com: Ronaiah Tuiasosopo, Alleged Mastermind Behind Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grego Posted January 18, 2013 Share Posted January 18, 2013 From USWeekly (posting from my phone) The world was shocked when it was revealed on Jan. 17 that Notre Dame linebacker*Manti Te'o's inspirational story of overcoming the death of his grandmother and girlfriend on the same day last fall -- leading the Fighting Irish to an undefeated season --*was a hoax, allegedly conceived by someone named Ronaiah Tuiasosopo.But this is not the first sad story Tuiasosopo has reportedly engineered. wtf? this story gets weirder by the minute. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forehead Posted January 18, 2013 Share Posted January 18, 2013 At least one of his teammates (so far) isn't making him look very good. http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/8854472/teammate-manti-teo-says-player-played-girlfriend-angle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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