Manti Te'o hoax (wth?!?)

**Haloti92** · 01-16-2013, 04:21 PM

If true (and it seems pretty thorough), this story may affect his draft status as much as the disappointing BCS Championship game did. Weird as hell.

http://deadspin.com/5976517/manti-te...ium=socialflow

**RavenScallywag** · 01-16-2013, 04:40 PM

Yeah, ND already put out a response...

https://www.facebook.com/NDFootball/...53537038009180

I have no idea what to think here...I don't buy Manti was "fooled". I think he played along with this Tuiasosopo character. His parents may have been fooled, or they may have found out and just ran with it to get their son's legacy built up.

I'd imagine he's going to PLUMMET on draft boards, if not disappear. After the Combine, maybe he'll show up in Round 2-3, but I can't see him going in Round 1.

As gifted as he is, right now, I don't want Ravens touching him. Screams character questions. If he was REALLY "fooled"...is it possible to get a 0 on the Wonderlic?

**batman55** · 01-16-2013, 08:46 PM

I'm pretty sure I recall interviews with him where he referenced his girlfriend.... And her passing.

**Dade** · 01-16-2013, 08:48 PM

Something doesn't sit right with this. I'm not buying he was fooled. Ok in today's world it's entirely possible to have a relationship with someone online. But when she did "die", did he not want to go to the funeral. Did he not wonder why he was never invited or that the family didn't reach out to him?

In this CNN article the father claims she came to visit him in Hawaii multiple times.

http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/16/sport/...html?hpt=hp_t1

Like I said not all is right with this story. Seems there is more to this, that may come to light later.

**RavenScallywag** · 01-16-2013, 09:02 PM

Oh, i believe he was in on it...

For the funeral part, it was to be held during a game and he mentioned a conversation they had before she passed, where she told him when she went, she didn't want him to miss any games, since she knew it (football) meant so much to him.

As far as his parents, it mentions once visiting while Manti was home. It doesn't say they ever met her. They mentioned in another article they were looking forward to meeting her at ND's Senior Day, but she passed before that happened.

**NCRAVEN** · 01-16-2013, 09:08 PM

IN today's world of media urgency has replaced accuracy, just think about recent and tragic events and how much we learn later.

That said, I think it's entirely possible he was fooled just as much as he was in on it.

But I'll wait till the whole story comes out before I pass judgement. One thing for him, he should come as clean as possible as soon as possible. It's never the crime, it's the cover-up that makes it bad.

**Dade** · 01-16-2013, 09:16 PM

Originally Posted by RavenScallywag

Oh, i believe he was in on it...

For the funeral part, it was to be held during a game and he mentioned a conversation they had before she passed, where she told him when she went, she didn't want him to miss any games, since she knew it (football) meant so much to him.

As far as his parents, it mentions once visiting while Manti was home. It doesn't say they ever met her. They mentioned in another article they were looking forward to meeting her at ND's Senior Day, but she passed before that happened.

I was at worked and skimmed the deadspin article. Now that I've read it proper...100% he was in on it. Damn shame.

**NCRAVEN** · 01-16-2013, 09:19 PM

Originally Posted by Dade

I was at worked and skimmed the deadspin article. Now that I've read it proper...100% he was in on it. Damn shame.

Guilty before proven innocent?

He could have been in on it, but I want the WHOLE story first.

**Dade** · 01-16-2013, 09:33 PM

Originally Posted by NCRAVEN

Guilty before proven innocent?

He could have been in on it, but I want the WHOLE story first.

I think deadspin did a very good job at painting the whole story. Refreshing to see actual investigative journalism.

I will maintain that it is possible he was set up. However, IMO the evidence is pretty damning, and is enough to convince me he was in on it.

**RavenScallywag** · 01-16-2013, 09:44 PM

Unless one of his friends steps up and "turns" on him, there will be no "complete story"...

Manti is going to deny it up, down, and sideways until someone comes out with hard evidence that he knew she was made up and ran with it. And why would there be much hard evidence? Not like he and Tuiasosopo would have recorded down "Our Plan to Fool a Bunch of People".

there are some weird discrepencies, if you take him at his word...How long ago did he know this was fake? I'm guessing the Deadspin story wasn't the first time he'd been clued into it. Why not come out and deal with it BEFORE some site has this long "expose" on it? That way, you DO look like the victim, instead of trying to defend yourself. He mentioned that when he spoke on the phone to her while she was in a coma, her face would brighten. I assume it was family members of her's that told him this? So did he speak to them on the phone? Who are they? Did Tuiasosopo master 1,000 voices?

We're not talking crimes here, but the whole story looks...odd. Even if you take him at his word, he really made a girlfriend out of someone he NEVER met? Didn't think it was weird that every time they tried to meet, she had some excuse?

**NCRAVEN** · 01-16-2013, 09:45 PM

Originally Posted by Dade

I think deadspin did a very good job at painting the whole story. Refreshing to see actual investigative journalism.

I will maintain that it is possible he was set up. However, IMO the evidence is pretty damning, and is enough to convince me he was in on it.

I think the deadspin article (that I just read again) had an objective to make it seem like he was in on it, which is entirely possible if not likely.

They use quotes from stories, but not who gave them the quote, almost like it came directly from Manti.

They also say:

Te'o and Tuiasosopo definitely know each other. In May 2012, Te'o was retweeting Tuiasosopo, who had mentioned going to Hawaii. Wrote Te'o, "sole"—"bro," in Samoan—"u gotta come down." In June, Te'o wished Tuiasosopo a happy birthday. How they know each other isn't clear.

I mean how do you know they know each other, if you can't say how?

Late in the article I will say though, it does seem as if they are hinting that they one kid "Tuiasosopo" could have been jealous of Manti's football success and he could have set him up.

Part of what makes me so skeptical is I have known people who were so desperate fora relationship they would have believed something like this and told people things like we met and we talked on the phone etc.

In my opinion, I think he was setup, started to catch wind of it and tried to cover it up towards the end, how much beats me....

**NCRAVEN** · 01-16-2013, 09:47 PM

Originally Posted by RavenScallywag

Unless one of his friends steps up and "turns" on him, there will be no "complete story"...

Manti is going to deny it up, down, and sideways until someone comes out with hard evidence that he knew she was made up and ran with it. And why would there be much hard evidence? Not like he and Tuiasosopo would have recorded down "Our Plan to Fool a Bunch of People".

there are some weird discrepencies, if you take him at his word...How long ago did he know this was fake? I'm guessing the Deadspin story wasn't the first time he'd been clued into it. Why not come out and deal with it BEFORE some site has this long "expose" on it? That way, you DO look like the victim, instead of trying to defend yourself. He mentioned that when he spoke on the phone to her while she was in a coma, her face would brighten. I assume it was family members of her's that told him this? So did he speak to them on the phone? Who are they? Did Tuiasosopo master 1,000 voices?

HE knew back and December. Notre Dame confronted him and launched a private investigation to which they have since said to them, confirms his story.

We're not talking crimes here, but the whole story looks...odd. Even if you take him at his word, he really made a girlfriend out of someone he NEVER met? Didn't think it was weird that every time they tried to meet, she had some excuse?

Like I said, I do know people who have been so desperate for a relationship they would believe something like this.

You can see 20/20 shows about online identity theft and people who have admitted to given women over seas all their credit card info etc. who they said they were going to marry, yet never having met them.

**RavenScallywag** · 01-16-2013, 10:05 PM

I'll give you this...we have the first report of someone saying Kekua is real:

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com...kekua-is-real/

Still, with that PR, looks like Te'o is admitting he never met her in person. Certainly, would need to investigate Mauia's statement, but it is at least offering a counter view of the Deadspins story...

**Ravenous1** · 01-17-2013, 05:50 AM

Originally Posted by RavenScallywag

I'll give you this...we have the first report of someone saying Kekua is real:

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com...kekua-is-real/

Still, with that PR, looks like Te'o is admitting he never met her in person. Certainly, would need to investigate Mauia's statement, but it is at least offering a counter view of the Deadspins story...

The whole story is totally bizarre IMO. To me it sounds like something that got out of hand and one lie lead to another etc....

Personally as weird as this thing is, if he slides and is a good value then I would still have very little hesitation pulling the trigger over this stuff. Look its not like he was caught doing drugs, carrying a gun, or some other type of egregious behavior. This is a kid who seems to be a decent kid other than this one albeit bizarre thing. When your in the spotlight, everything you say and do is fair game. I would guess that maybe Teo is learning this valuable lesson that will serve him well in the future. Look if NFL teams started seeing less value in every prospect who told a lie at sometime or another they would have very few prospects to consider lol.

**LukeDaniel** · 01-17-2013, 06:14 AM

Originally Posted by Dade

I think deadspin did a very good job at painting the whole story. Refreshing to see actual investigative journalism.

I will maintain that it is possible he was set up. However, IMO the evidence is pretty damning, and is enough to convince me he was in on it.

What evidence? The investigator hired by ND said he has all the phone records showing that they talked for hours and hours and hours a week. If Teo was "in on it", why would he do that? Why take the time to call this mythical woman with that frequency if it was just a hoax? Doesn't that seem a bit much?

**LukeDaniel** · 01-17-2013, 06:20 AM

Originally Posted by RavenScallywag

there are some weird discrepencies, if you take him at his word...How long ago did he know this was fake? I'm guessing the Deadspin story wasn't the first time he'd been clued into it. Why not come out and deal with it BEFORE some site has this long "expose" on it? That way, you DO look like the victim, instead of trying to defend yourself. He mentioned that when he spoke on the phone to her while she was in a coma, her face would brighten. I assume it was family members of her's that told him this? So did he speak to them on the phone? Who are they? Did Tuiasosopo master 1,000 voices?

We're not talking crimes here, but the whole story looks...odd. Even if you take him at his word, he really made a girlfriend out of someone he NEVER met? Didn't think it was weird that every time they tried to meet, she had some excuse?

I take it you didn't see the Sawbrick interview? Teo got a call from the same # as he was used to calling in order to talk to his "girlfriend". This happened a few days before the Heisman ceremony. The voice that he had acquainted as that of his girlfriend was on the other line and admitted to him that she had never died and that it was all a bad joke. He then immediately reported what had happened to the higher ups at ND, who authorized an investigation. The investigator turned in his report on Jan 4th, and ND did not feel the timing was appropriate to release that close to the national title game. The investigator's report said that there was no evidence in the least that Teo was in on it. I know this was an investigator they hired, but I'm not sure that impacts the findings.

**LukeDaniel** · 01-17-2013, 06:21 AM

Originally Posted by Ravenous1

The whole story is totally bizarre IMO. To me it sounds like something that got out of hand and one lie lead to another etc....

Personally as weird as this thing is, if he slides and is a good value then I would still have very little hesitation pulling the trigger over this stuff. Look its not like he was caught doing drugs, carrying a gun, or some other type of egregious behavior. This is a kid who seems to be a decent kid other than this one albeit bizarre thing. When your in the spotlight, everything you say and do is fair game. I would guess that maybe Teo is learning this valuable lesson that will serve him well in the future. Look if NFL teams started seeing less value in every prospect who told a lie at sometime or another they would have very few prospects to consider lol.

If the worst thing Teo did in his four years of college was not be a little more cautious before entering an online relationship, then I think he should get a pass.

**LukeDaniel** · 01-17-2013, 06:24 AM

Originally Posted by NCRAVEN

HE knew back and December. Notre Dame confronted him and launched a private investigation to which they have since said to them, confirms his story.

Per the Notre Dame AD, this is untrue. Teo came to them. They never confronted him. How would they have? They had no way of knowing.

**JAB1985** · 01-17-2013, 07:06 AM

The Manti Te'o story is just really really odd. I dont see how a team can just look past it. Either hes in on it and obviously shady and the purpose would be questionable at best or he wasnt and you almost have to question the guys intelligence to be duped by such a thing. At the very least is he mature/responsible enough to hand the pressure of being an NFL player on and off the field?

I think he was in on it personally, because he and his father have claimed to have met the girl multiple times in Hawaii. How do you meet somebody that doesnt exist and continue to believe they do? The fact that he would fake such a thing for national attention, or whatever the case, is definitely raising questions about his maturity and character. things that have dropped far better talents in the draft.