| |
CADoodlebug
Happy Happy Joy Joy Happy Happy Joy
PeaNut 178,445
November 2004
Posts: 17,079
Layouts: 0
Loc: Northern California
 |  Posted: 1/16/2013 4:29:06 PM
Here's the story
ETA: He is the Notre Dame defensive player who was second
in the Hesiman voting. |
Joy
"I just wish my mouth had a backspace key!"
  
| |
|
|
CADoodlebug
Happy Happy Joy Joy Happy Happy Joy
PeaNut 178,445
November 2004
Posts: 17,079
Layouts: 0
Loc: Northern California
| |
busypea
boring + nerdy
PeaNut 52,817
October 2002
Posts: 25,188
Layouts: 145
Loc: Oregon
 |  Posted: 1/16/2013 4:31:39 PM
I saw that on Twitter a short time ago and just finished reading it and all I have to say is 
ETA: I don't buy that Te'o himself didn't have any knowledge of this. It doesn't make sense for a number of reasons. Like: The woman in the photo doesn't know him. Didn't he notice the person he met wasn't the person in the pictures? And the sister thing. It's all just too closely related and bizarre.
I hate to say it, because it's so profoundly cynical, but I think Te'o and his friend concocted this to try to make a great story to curry favor with Heisman voters. | |
|
PierKiss
What if everything is an illusion & nothing exists
PeaNut 82,319
April 2003
Posts: 14,418
Layouts: 39
| Posted: 1/16/2013 4:35:35 PM
Wtf?? |
|
|
pretzels
AncestralPea
PeaNut 479,777
August 2010
Posts: 4,435
Layouts: 0
 | Posted: 1/16/2013 4:38:44 PM
Lance Armstrong to Te'o: Thank you.
This whole story is so freaking bizarre. I don't buy that he is the victim of a hoax. Not one bit. | |
|
mdoc
Peaing under the Radar
PeaNut 61,691
January 2003
Posts: 11,822
Layouts: 0
Loc: In the Middle
| Posted: 1/16/2013 4:39:10 PM
And the damage control begins . . . .
Lance Armstrong to Te'o: Thank you.
No kidding. Oprah's going to need to clear a space on her couch for another athlete confession, I fear. | |
|
Legacy Girl
PeaFixture
PeaNut 299,733
February 2007
Posts: 3,379
Layouts: 5
 | Posted: 1/16/2013 4:49:57 PM
Wow. That is a BOATLOAD of crazy!  |
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I want to leave a legacy; how will they remember me? Did I choose to love? Did I point to You enough to make a mark on things? I want to leave an offering. A child of mercy and grace, who blessed Your name unapologetically, and leave that kind of legacy." ~Nichole Nordeman | |
|
|
NativeNewYorker
black eyed pea with soul!
PeaNut 15,878
May 2001
Posts: 24,963
Layouts: 70
Loc: LI, NY
 | Posted: 1/16/2013 4:51:06 PM
Wow. There are no words. |
|
|
GrinningCat
Proudly Canadian
PeaNut 43,061
July 2002
Posts: 31,546
Layouts: 2
| Posted: 1/16/2013 4:55:14 PM
The article was entirely too long and didn't exactly engage the reader. I take that the jist of the article is that he had a fake girlfriend that fake died? | |
|
Dani-Mani
PEAdiatric pea
PeaNut 15,872
May 2001
Posts: 17,630
Layouts: 3
Loc: USA
| Posted: 1/16/2013 4:59:05 PM
Actually, I liked the article. It gave the necessary details to follow the story from the beginning.
And I'm quite speechless. |
|
|
Sarah*H
Bring me that horizon!
PeaNut 239,162
December 2005
Posts: 27,896
Layouts: 413
Loc: The final frontier
 | Posted: 1/16/2013 5:02:56 PM
Do you think his dad was in on it? |
|
|
Jen in NCal
PeaFixture
PeaNut 175,686
November 2004
Posts: 3,253
Layouts: 0
Loc: Counting the days until I return to Kim's Perfect BB World.
| Posted: 1/16/2013 5:05:03 PM
I'm so confused. Did he actually meet a girl? Some girl that gave a fake name? Or did he make that up? This whole thing is got me confuzzled.
I hate to say it, because it's so profoundly cynical, but I think Te'o and his friend concocted this to try to make a great story to curry favor with Heisman voters.
I think this could be right. |
****************************
Canon T1i
Canon 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS
Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro - Love this lens!!
Tamron 70-300mm f/4-5.6 - Not sure about this lens. I think I got my money's worth. Should have saved for the Canon version.
| |
|
|
alwaysa4hmember
baseball is love.
PeaNut 154,126
June 2004
Posts: 15,129
Layouts: 211
Loc: Arkansas
| |
busypea
boring + nerdy
PeaNut 52,817
October 2002
Posts: 25,188
Layouts: 145
Loc: Oregon
| Posted: 1/16/2013 5:11:34 PM
Supposedly, he did meet her in person, after a Stanford-Notre Dame football game in 2009, his freshman year. So, I guess I don't think that they necessarily created her just for Heisman purposes. Maybe it was just a joke in the beginning - see if you *could* create a person and convince "everyone." Or some other weird motivation that only guys that age could come up with.
But all the drama of this year - the car crash, the leukemia, the heartrending stories of keeping the phone on all night while she was in the hospital, dying on the same day as his grandmother, telling him he should still play if something happened to her, etc. - that all seems so scripted to me and I do think that was orchestrated for publicity purposes(namely Heisman & draft).
Also to be noted that she "died" just a few weeks before his parents were scheduled to meet her for the first time. | |
|
raindancer
Capt. Sparrow's Pirate Wench
PeaNut 217,886
August 2005
Posts: 15,458
Layouts: 44
| Posted: 1/16/2013 5:17:29 PM
Lance Armstrong to Te'o: Thank you.
I read the whole thing. I have never heard of this guy before.
That is a whacked story. |
~Heidi~
"You can make excuses or you can make progress but you can't make both."
| |
|
|
PEArfect
AncestralPea
PeaNut 452,048
January 2010
Posts: 4,468
Layouts: 0
Loc: Indiana
 | Posted: 1/16/2013 5:24:04 PM
It doesn't matter if she was real or not, I'm guessing he'll still get drafted into the NFL. 
I agree that it's a whack story. |
|
|
TexasScrap
Going Up
PeaNut 27,295
January 2002
Posts: 1,234
Layouts: 7
| Posted: 1/16/2013 5:29:08 PM
Teo's response is now online.
I think it is fair to say it is totally possible he bought into the online relationship very naively. He comes across to me as naive and has all along.
I am no ND fan (Aggie here), but I think there is a legit chance he is telling the truth and possibly made up some details because he was embarrassed it was an online relationship.
Something to think about before we completely pass judgement. |
|
|
CADoodlebug
Happy Happy Joy Joy Happy Happy Joy
PeaNut 178,445
November 2004
Posts: 17,079
Layouts: 0
Loc: Northern California
| Posted: 1/16/2013 5:36:16 PM
I am no ND fan (Aggie here), but I think there is a legit chance he is telling the truth and possibly made up some details because he was embarrassed it was an online relationship.
All the stuff about sending flowers to the funeral, talking
to her family, etc. I'd love to know what funeral home he
sent said flowers to. There are just too many holes in the
story. And someone stayed on the line with him all night for
4 months to perpetrate a hoax on him? Really? Sadly, we'll
probably never know the real truth. I bet the Heisman Fdn
is thanking their lucky stars that Johnny Football won and
not Manti.
ETA: the first place the police should look is at phone
records. |
Joy
"I just wish my mouth had a backspace key!"
| |
|
|
Quinlove
BucketHead
PeaNut 30,457
February 2002
Posts: 848
Layouts: 2
Loc: Texas
| Posted: 1/16/2013 5:37:46 PM
Thanks for posting the link. I enjoyed reading it.
I'm leaning towards that he was in on it. |
|
|
busypea
boring + nerdy
PeaNut 52,817
October 2002
Posts: 25,188
Layouts: 145
Loc: Oregon
| Posted: 1/16/2013 5:40:54 PM
I think it is fair to say it is totally possible he bought into the online relationship very naively. He comes across to me as naive and has all along.
But supposedly, they met in person, not online.
That was one seriously long con for some chick he met at a bar three years earlier. | |
|
auntkelly
BOOMER SOONER!
PeaNut 142,266
April 2004
Posts: 8,204
Layouts: 0
Loc: Texas
 | Posted: 1/16/2013 5:45:18 PM
I'm not going to rush to judgment. I admit I'm not very objective about this story. My son goes to Notre Dame and I'm a huge college football fan and have been following Manti Te'o's career for several years.
I think it's possible that Te'o was duped. I honestly hope that is the case, since he totally convinced me that he was a super nice, genuine person. However, if it turns out he was in on the scam, it won't be the first time that I have misjudged someone's character.
It really is amazing to me that the press could have been so easily fooled. |
|
|
*maureen*
Bad Wolf
PeaNut 191,892
February 2005
Posts: 5,307
Layouts: 0
Loc: Wheaton
| Posted: 1/16/2013 5:53:58 PM
I want to believe Teo but the family is on record with the girlfriend having come to Hawaii to visit them. I'd like to know how they explain that story. |
|
|
TexasScrap
Going Up
PeaNut 27,295
January 2002
Posts: 1,234
Layouts: 7
| Posted: 1/16/2013 6:00:26 PM
Agreed on points related to any meetings in person. I could not determine what the family had claimed vs press based on the article  .
So sad. |
|
|
mom2cameron
AncestralPea
PeaNut 150,880
June 2004
Posts: 4,569
Layouts: 1
Loc: On a softball field somewhere.
| Posted: 1/16/2013 6:18:28 PM
Wow. |
|
|
CADoodlebug
Happy Happy Joy Joy Happy Happy Joy
PeaNut 178,445
November 2004
Posts: 17,079
Layouts: 0
Loc: Northern California
| Posted: 1/16/2013 6:33:45 PM
"They started out as just friends," Brian Te'o said. "Every once in a while, she would travel to Hawaii, and that happened to be the time Manti was home, so he would meet with her there. But within the last year, they became a couple.
This is from an article which ran in an online South Bend newspaper last year.
The article |
Joy
"I just wish my mouth had a backspace key!"
| |
|
|
Peabay
Happy now?
PeaNut 156,993
July 2004
Posts: 44,661
Layouts: 13
Loc: Connecticut
| Posted: 1/16/2013 6:40:15 PM
Lance Armstrong to Te'o: Thank you
LOL - so true.
It is so bizarre and I think he's in on it too. |
|
|
eebud
Doxie Pea Mom
PeaNut 52,841
October 2002
Posts: 31,008
Layouts: 25
| Posted: 1/16/2013 6:47:37 PM
Wow!! I just read that whole article which I guess was really a full timeline. It was funny that while I was reading, DH, who is in another room says, have you heard about this Notre Dame football player? LOL
Based on this condensed version, I don't believe for a second that he wasn't in on it:
There was no Lennay Kekua. Lennay Kekua did not meet Manti Te'o after the Stanford game in 2009. Lennay Kekua did not attend Stanford. Lennay Kekua never visited Manti Te'o in Hawaii. Lennay Kekua was not in a car accident. Lennay Kekua did not talk to Manti Te'o every night on the telephone. She was not diagnosed with cancer, did not spend time in the hospital, did not engage in a lengthy battle with leukemia. She never had a bone marrow transplant. She was not released from the hospital on Sept. 10, nor did Brian Te'o congratulate her for this over the telephone. She did not insist that Manti Te'o play in the Michigan State or Michigan games, and did not request he send white flowers to her funeral. Her favorite color was not white. Her brother, Koa, did not inform Manti Te'o that she was dead. Koa did not exist. Her funeral did not take place in Carson, Calif., and her casket was not closed at 9 a.m. exactly. She was not laid to rest.
|
 
Hans on left, Bud in middle, Gretchen on right | |
|
|
geauxDeb
StuckOnPeas
PeaNut 77,992
March 2003
Posts: 2,036
Layouts: 0
Loc: Louisiana girl now in Hong Kong
| Posted: 1/16/2013 6:52:26 PM
But supposedly, they met in person, not online.
That was one seriously long con for some chick he met at a bar three years earlier.
That article says their first encounter was on Twitter, not in person, that the meeting after the game was made up.
So, who made it up? It sounds like he never met her in person, everything was online and on the phone. If he talked on the phone to her, who was he really talking to?
If he wasn't in on it, whoever was pranking him went to a lot of a whole lot of effort to do all this.
|
Debbie
Mom to 3 boys (13, 10 & 6)
| |
|
|
IScrapCrap
PeaAddict
PeaNut 570,639
October 2012
Posts: 1,033
Layouts: 0
Loc: pea formerly known as GIPfunny
| Posted: 1/16/2013 6:59:19 PM
Whoa! After reading the article, there is no way he was not in on the whole thing. The part I'm confused about is his family. Did they say they did meet her? Never met her? Or switched stories of saying they met her and then denied it?
After reading how long this has gone on, it makes me wonder if THAT article is true though. Seriously, how can you even trust journalists say any more? | |
|
IScrapCrap
PeaAddict
PeaNut 570,639
October 2012
Posts: 1,033
Layouts: 0
Loc: pea formerly known as GIPfunny
| Posted: 1/16/2013 7:01:22 PM
That was one seriously long con for some chick he met at a bar three years earlier.
Where in the article did it say they met at a bar? I thought it was after a game? I'd find it surprising a devout Mormon picked up a girl in a bar. |
| The pea formerly known as GIPfunny | |
|
|
MellyW
Ancient Ancestor of Pea
PeaNut 181,911
December 2004
Posts: 5,385
Layouts: 0
Loc: LaLaLand
| Posted: 1/16/2013 7:06:17 PM
As soon as I saw this on ESPN earlier, I had flashbacks to TwoPeas Sydney. Didn't that hoax have "Sydney" die of Leukemia also?
Weird, weird situation. I hope he wasn't involved, but I suspect he was. | |
|
stittsygirl
I AM SHER LOCKED
PeaNut 9,640
January 2001
Posts: 8,109
Layouts: 131
Loc: Deep in the heart of...
 | Posted: 1/16/2013 7:07:08 PM
Here's Te'o's statement:
This is incredibly embarrassing to talk about, but over an extended period of time, I developed an emotional relationship with a woman I met online. We maintained what I thought to be an authentic relationship by communicating frequently online and on the phone, and I grew to care deeply about her. To realize that I was the victim of what was apparently someone's sick joke and constant lies was, and is, painful and humiliating. It further pains me that the grief I felt and the sympathies expressed to me at the time of my grandmother's death in September were in any way deepened by what I believed to be another significant loss in my life. I am enormously grateful for the support of my family, friends and Notre Dame fans throughout this year. To think that I shared with them my happiness about my relationship and details that I thought to be true about her just makes me sick. I hope that people can understand how trying and confusing this whole experience has been. In retrospect, I obviously should have been much more cautious. If anything good comes of this, I hope it is that others will be far more guarded when they engage with people online than I was. Fortunately, I have many wonderful things in my life, and I'm looking forward to putting this painful experience behind me as I focus on preparing for the NFL Draft.
I don't know. I just find it hard to believe he wasn't in on it, unless he is really, really that gullible. What a crazy story  .
|
Kristen, lucky mom and proud retired Army wife!
| |
|
|
bandjmom
BucketHead
PeaNut 5,085
June 2000
Posts: 894
Layouts: 0
| Posted: 1/16/2013 7:14:05 PM
ND Athletic Director's press conference is now live on all local channels.
Really ... all primetime programs are interrupted for a news conference at a private university about the scamming/imaginary/who knows what supposedly now dead girlfriend of a football player whose career is completed at this university?
Wake me up when it's over. | |
|
pudgy_groundhog
Chubby old groundhog
PeaNut 113,457
October 2003
Posts: 16,080
Layouts: 351
Loc: Hudson Valley area in NY
| Posted: 1/16/2013 7:30:07 PM
Lance Armstrong to Te'o: Thank you
Sorry, I believe he was in on it.
And I too immediately thought of the peas and the Sydney drama! |
|
|
NurseSweets
AncestralPea
PeaNut 255,021
March 2006
Posts: 4,870
Layouts: 0
Loc: Notre Dame , In
| Posted: 1/16/2013 7:35:07 PM
I live about 20 minutes from Notre Dame and my darn Facebook is flooded with fans boo whoing over this! I personally think he knew if not he will be on the celebrity addition of Catfish! |
|
|
busypea
boring + nerdy
PeaNut 52,817
October 2002
Posts: 25,188
Layouts: 145
Loc: Oregon
| Posted: 1/16/2013 7:38:32 PM
Where in the article did it say they met at a bar? I thought it was after a game? I'd find it surprising a devout Mormon picked up a girl in a bar.
You're right - it doesn't say it was a bar, and since he was 19 then, it probably wasn't. I thought I read that it was the first time through, but I was wrong. There's a ton of detail in that article - it's hard to keep it all straight! | |
|
OKtrae
AncestralPea
PeaNut 131,500
February 2004
Posts: 4,458
Layouts: 15
Loc: Owasso, OK
| Posted: 1/16/2013 7:44:32 PM
my first thought is the made up girl could be used as a cover for a relationship between the two guys. A fictional beard.
|
|
|
TravelAgent
Resident Smart Ass
PeaNut 294,429
January 2007
Posts: 12,671
Layouts: 7
Loc: Indiana
| Posted: 1/16/2013 8:07:19 PM
My gut guess: the answer lies between "he was in on it" and "he was that gullible."
What if he has a mental illness that involves hallucinations and an inability to sort fantasy from reality? He and his family would definitely want to keep that under wraps during the NFL draft. Since it comes with health benefits, and all. 
Amazing how an online blog site uncovered this doing basic journalism checks they used to teach in Reporting 101 -- the kind that sailed past ESPN and the other big boys.
Julie |
| www.indianapolisonthecheap.com | |
|
|
pudgy_groundhog
Chubby old groundhog
PeaNut 113,457
October 2003
Posts: 16,080
Layouts: 351
Loc: Hudson Valley area in NY
| Posted: 1/16/2013 8:24:11 PM
my first thought is the made up girl could be used as a cover for a relationship between the two guys. A fictional beard.
b This is getting good! We're almost up to a really killer Lifetime movie. |
|
|
grammanisi
peaing from my beach room
PeaNut 142,772
April 2004
Posts: 8,918
Layouts: 3
Loc: Northern Indiana...Fighting Irish Country
| Posted: 1/16/2013 8:24:18 PM
I'm not going to rush to judgment. I admit I'm not very objective about this story. My son goes to Notre Dame and I'm a huge college football fan and have been following Manti Te'o's career for several years
I agree with Ginny on this. I have been a ND fan my whole life. I have been following Manti since he came to ND. I certainly hope that he was not in on this hoax. |
|
|
CADoodlebug
Happy Happy Joy Joy Happy Happy Joy
PeaNut 178,445
November 2004
Posts: 17,079
Layouts: 0
Loc: Northern California
| Posted: 1/16/2013 8:35:44 PM
Amazing how an online blog site uncovered this doing basic journalism checks they used to teach in Reporting 101 -- the kind that sailed past ESPN and the other big boys.
The guy who interviewed him asked for a copy of the obituary
and some pictures but Manti told him her family declined
because they wanted their privacy. He said he should have wondered
then since he couldn't find an obituary online. |
Joy
"I just wish my mouth had a backspace key!"
| |
|
|
shecallsmenana
AncestralPea
PeaNut 245,376
January 2006
Posts: 4,783
Layouts: 16
Loc: this side
| Posted: 1/16/2013 8:40:32 PM
Oh what a tangled web we weave | |
|
dizzypea
StuckOnPeas
PeaNut 246,912
February 2006
Posts: 2,627
Layouts: 0
| Posted: 1/16/2013 8:52:23 PM
I just saw on FB and twitter that Nev Schulman from Catfish is involved and investigating this story. If anyone can get to the bottom of it, he can! His move and his show are fascinating and he is great at getting to the bottom of deceptions. |
|
|
lovetodigi
Ancient Ancestor of Pea
PeaNut 257,022
April 2006
Posts: 7,672
Layouts: 5
Loc: Metro Atlanta
| Posted: 1/16/2013 8:58:22 PM
This is getting good! We're almost up to a really killer Lifetime movie
I agree. I knew a girl a long long time ago that would tell the most elaborate lies and make them sound believable if you didn't know better. She about drove her poor Mom crazy, may have in later years. It is sad, but there are people that lie and tell big stories like this. Then there are people that pull pranks. I am more inclined to believe that he is lying. |
Visit my Pinterest
Sony a77
Sony 18-70mm F3.5/5.6, Sony 75-300mm f/4.5-5.6,
Sony 50mm 1.8, Sony DT 35mm f/1.8 SAM
Tamron SP 90mm f/2.8 Di 1:1 AF Macro AF
Tamron 18-270mm F/3.5-6.3 AF Zoom with Macro
MacBook Pro 15" (Mid 2012)
Photoshop CS6 & PSE 11
Lightroom 4 | |
|
|
CADoodlebug
Happy Happy Joy Joy Happy Happy Joy
PeaNut 178,445
November 2004
Posts: 17,079
Layouts: 0
Loc: Northern California
| |
pretzels
AncestralPea
PeaNut 479,777
August 2010
Posts: 4,435
Layouts: 0
| Posted: 1/16/2013 9:23:26 PM
His dad said that Manti and the "girlfriend" met several times in Hawaii. Someone isn't telling the truth... |
|
|
Mikscrap
PeaNut
PeaNut 55,608
November 2002
Posts: 188
Layouts: 9
| Posted: 1/16/2013 9:33:09 PM
I think he fabricated the whole thing with the help of his friend and his Dad and maybe others. It's crazy how easily he fed this lie to the press and they printed it and never verified any of it. | |
|
HawkeyeGal
StuckOnPeas
PeaNut 11,524
February 2001
Posts: 2,723
Layouts: 51
Loc: Southern California
| Posted: 1/16/2013 10:52:46 PM
Wow. Just wow. I think maybe he was that gullible, but then it spiraled and maybe he figured it out but his family decided it would play well for the Heisman voting. I mean, they were backing up the story of meeting her, etc. I'm thinking that someone in that family has been "managing" his image for years, very few players get this far and this popular without knowing how to spin their image for the world to see.
If you are interested - the entire press conference is here - ND Press Conference |
|
|
HawkeyeGal
StuckOnPeas
PeaNut 11,524
February 2001
Posts: 2,723
Layouts: 51
Loc: Southern California
| Posted: 1/16/2013 10:55:37 PM
It's crazy how easily he fed this lie to the press and they printed it and never verified any of it.
It was a good story. I'm sure someone ran with it because it was such a sweet story and "oh, it's the underdog ND and look at what this player was able to do after such heartbreak." You either love ND or you hate them - there is very little in between. I'm guessing the 1st person who wrote about it loved ND and was lax on the research because it was so "inspiring." |
|
|
Legacy Girl
PeaFixture
PeaNut 299,733
February 2007
Posts: 3,379
Layouts: 5
| Posted: 1/16/2013 11:24:46 PM
I've been thinking about this story all night. The one conclusion I've come to is that, whether Te'o was "in on it" or not, I hope he's surrounded by people who truly care about him right now. Otherwise, I'm afraid the weight, intensity and humiliation involved in this story have the potential to vault it to a level of even greater tragedy.  |
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I want to leave a legacy; how will they remember me? Did I choose to love? Did I point to You enough to make a mark on things? I want to leave an offering. A child of mercy and grace, who blessed Your name unapologetically, and leave that kind of legacy." ~Nichole Nordeman | |
|
|
