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Chihuahuax3
PeaAddict
PeaNut 431,254
July 2009
Posts: 1,185
Layouts: 0
 |  Posted: 1/16/2013 11:27:49 PM
wow! | |
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peapermint
Ancient Ancestor of Pea
PeaNut 9,321
January 2001
Posts: 8,602
Layouts: 0
Loc: all up in your business
 | Posted: 1/16/2013 11:32:30 PM
I'm usually defensive about "the media" because I was a newspaper reporter for 15 years, but OMG what a botch job. Whatever happened to sourcing?
Journalism thinktank Poynter.org is tracking all the embarrassing, stupid missteps that were made:
Poynter.org
SBnation list of people who didn't look her up
1. Us.
2. You (Jack Dickey and Timothy Burke excepted)
3. Sports Illustrated.
4. ESPN
5. The South Bend Tribune
6. Bleacher Report
7. The Chicago Tribune
8. The Chicago Sun-Times
9. The Sporting News
10. USA Today
11. The Boston Globe
12. CBS Sports
13. The New York Post
14. NBC Sports/Notre Dame
15. Yahoo
16. The Associated Press
17. The Palm Beach Post
18. The Miami Herald
19. The Tampa Bay Times
20. Grantland
21. The Los Angeles Times | |
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chktrk
Al Ask A Pea
PeaNut 50,177
September 2002
Posts: 8,942
Layouts: 21
Loc: Alaska
 | Posted: 1/16/2013 11:45:51 PM
Notre Shame
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ScrapWench*
Seems a pity to miss such a good pudding.
PeaNut 247,139
February 2006
Posts: 18,707
Layouts: 0
Loc: Spokane, WA
 | Posted: 1/17/2013 12:05:44 AM
I am pretty sure Manti's pants are, in fact, on fire.
IOW: Hoaxy McHoaxerson. And I think Papa McHoaxerson was in on it. |
----Theresa
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DinCA
PeaFixture
PeaNut 30,673
February 2002
Posts: 3,796
Layouts: 39
 | Posted: 1/17/2013 1:50:39 AM
People lie. For some people, the truth isn't exciting enough.
Since this girl doesn't exist, there's just no way he is innocent. There doesn't even appear to be a person who claimed to be Lennay Kekua. She only existed in his imagination.
This is creepy. Really, really creepy.
ETA: ABC is reporting that it was an online/telephone relationship and that they never met. If he did, in fact, talk to her on the phone, then that would change my opinion. I'm sure the whole story will come out eventually. Right now, ND is fully supporting him and believe he was duped. |
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love labs
10,000,000 post poster
PeaNut 143,394
April 2004
Posts: 21,931
Layouts: 0
Loc: Headin' to the cabin!
 | Posted: 1/17/2013 6:14:07 AM
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?
Oh yah!
Our local news reported that he had an "emotional" online and phone call relationship with this person... Hmmmm, wonder if his phone records would verify this? |
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If life is a journey, shouldn't you be moving along? | |
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hop2
AncestralPea
PeaNut 43,893
July 2002
Posts: 4,356
Layouts: 0
| Posted: 1/17/2013 6:16:19 AM
Well, not having an obituary is absolutely no proof of wether a person died or not. The family (or funeral home ) has to pay for those so it's entirely possible that there isn't one. We only paid for the one inexpensive local paper for my parents.
However I still think he knew. If not somewhere, someone in his family is lying about the times they met in Hawaii. That such a bizarre story. What on earth would be the payoff for along scam like that? He has more of a payoff than a random person somewhere on the Internet.
Weird and creepy. | |
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mama_chris76
AncestralPea
PeaNut 169,459
September 2004
Posts: 4,632
Layouts: 56
Loc: Maryland
 | Posted: 1/17/2013 6:48:03 AM
I'll go on record as a Notre Dame fan. I think Te'o is a very good football player.
This story? Right now I feel like someone gave me half of a puzzle and no picture to go by to figure out what it looks like. I think there are some very big pieces missing and someone involved is lying their pants off. It is most likely Te'o, based on the pieces we have, which would make me disappointed in him as a person, but, hey, what's new in the world of sports?
At this point, this story could go either direction and I wouldn't be shocked. Te'o was honestly duped or Te'o lied and then his lies snowballed out of control on a huge stage. |
***Christy, mom to an eleven year old boy, a nine year old girl, a seven year old girl and a four year old girl.
/ partly crafty / my blog
My Swagbucks Referral
My Pinterest
   
I can't remember all the times I try to tell myself to hold on to these moments as they pass. ~Counting Crows, "A Long December" | |
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Mallie
BucketHead
PeaNut 574,604
December 2012
Posts: 717
Layouts: 0
| Posted: 1/17/2013 6:50:56 AM
I loathe sob stories like this because I consider them emotional manipulation for gain (whether it's money or power or notoriety or advancement in American Idol), so I tuned out of this sob story from the beginning.
If this the young man wasn't in on the hoax, then he's so naive and foolish that he probably needs a guardian ad litem to oversee his interests. | |
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pretzels
AncestralPea
PeaNut 479,777
August 2010
Posts: 4,436
Layouts: 0
 | Posted: 1/17/2013 7:04:12 AM
Well, not having an obituary is absolutely no proof of wether a person died or not. The family (or funeral home ) has to pay for those so it's entirely possible that there isn't one. We only paid for the one inexpensive local paper for my parents.
---
That's not necessarily true. At the newspaper where I worked, basic obits were printed, free of charge. If the family wanted more, they had to pay for a separate listing. |
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can_i_pea_2?
We are the Boys of Old Florida
PeaNut 190,429
February 2005
Posts: 10,617
Layouts: 5
Loc: Down Where the Old Gator Plays!
| Posted: 1/17/2013 7:05:31 AM
Lance Armstrong to Te'o: Thank you.
I may have to borrow that for FB! 
What a strange, strange story...I felt for the kid. Watched the whole thing unfold at the beginning of the season. I don't know if he was duped, or if he was in on it, but if he was, man! The whole thing just doesn't make sense. |
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moretimeplease
PeaNut
PeaNut 85,465
May 2003
Posts: 445
Layouts: 1
Loc: Minnesota
| Posted: 1/17/2013 7:08:21 AM
Having read the whole article posted in the OP, I can't come to any conclusion but that he was in on it completely. It made for a lovely human interest story that would generate publicity for him.
Anyone still waivering, please read the entire article. At the end it outlines how the girl's picture was tracked down to the (uninvolved) actual person. That then links it to Manti's good buddy Roniaiah (sp), who the Twitter accounts end up tracking back to...
Craziness!
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~Teri~
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scoobers
Why, YES!, I am a princess.
PeaNut 417,049
March 2009
Posts: 12,860
Layouts: 0
 | Posted: 1/17/2013 7:40:24 AM
Did you see the story that one of the Cardinals football players claims to have met her?
Here's a link
web page |
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IleneTell
StuckOnPeas
PeaNut 434,842
August 2009
Posts: 2,427
Layouts: 635
| Posted: 1/17/2013 7:42:21 AM
All sorts of craziness...you can't make this stuff up!..oh no wait, looks like you actually can. |
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KristinL16
Ancient Ancestor of Pea
PeaNut 142,870
April 2004
Posts: 12,267
Layouts: 102
Loc: MN
| Posted: 1/17/2013 8:12:00 AM
I just saw it on the Today show. Not sure what I think. A few weeks ago Dr Phil had a show about "catfishing" and there were women in the same situation. One was even baited by her friend. It's hard to believe people would fall for that but apparently they do. I would be interested to hear from his friends. When he was dating this person what was his behavior like? |
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kmk1112
Ancient Ancestor of Pea
PeaNut 11,642
February 2001
Posts: 7,917
Layouts: 66
Loc: Ohio
| Posted: 1/17/2013 8:21:46 AM
That list of "people who didn't look it up" is great, love that they admit the list starts with them!
I am NOT a ND Fan, practically ground for ex-communication as a Catholic, so I don't mind seeing anything that will take some of their rabid fans (who are my friends and family) down a peg.
I think he's in on it because how can you explain that they never skyped or facetimed? Heck, my DD and I skype within the same house, I know if I was dating long distance I would do it all the time! | |
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debgscraps
StuckOnPeas
PeaNut 177,754
November 2004
Posts: 2,157
Layouts: 20
Loc: WI
| Posted: 1/17/2013 8:32:32 AM
A rdiducluous story that unfortunately is taking up too much media attention. IDK what is true or not, but why do we care? What about the real issues that should be reported on?
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ratqueen
I drank the whole fairy.
PeaNut 233,449
November 2005
Posts: 6,632
Layouts: 19
Loc: Here+There
| Posted: 1/17/2013 8:35:26 AM
I don't think it's possible for me to care any less about this. What a ridiculous personal drama that has no place in national news. Maybe the media should focus on news that matters. |
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Shih Tzu Mommy
Million dollar camera, 10 dollar lock!
PeaNut 224,352
September 2005
Posts: 23,525
Layouts: 0
Loc: Right here
| Posted: 1/17/2013 8:54:45 AM
I have not heard a peep about any of this, but just what I am reading here sounds extremely crazy, at the very least. |
Dog people are a special breed! | |
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giatocj
AncestralPea
PeaNut 6,331
August 2000
Posts: 4,877
Layouts: 143
Loc: Beautiful New England
| Posted: 1/17/2013 8:59:10 AM
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 agree with this 100%. The thought that this could lead to a tragedy has been foremost in my head as I've been reading about this. | |
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shannoninkc
PeaAddict
PeaNut 304,038
March 2007
Posts: 1,357
Layouts: 0
Loc: Where you vacation.
 | Posted: 1/17/2013 9:08:55 AM
I too saw the Catfish story on Dr. Phil, and therefore cannot come to the conclusion that he was in on it. There are people that get off on duping people in this way. I can see how it can happen, and I can see how if a person was having an online relationship, they might be embarrassed about it and put out some false information about the relationship not knowing that the whole thing is a hoax. I hope that he wasn't in on it, I guess the truth will come out eventually, and until then, I'll give him the benefit of the doubt. | |
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Annabella
Leads a Charmed Life
PeaNut 43,843
July 2002
Posts: 42,259
Layouts: 46
Loc: East Coast
| Posted: 1/17/2013 9:19:36 AM
Why is this news, did he talk about this to the press? I'm leaning towards believing him. And maybe because he's Mormon he never needed to sleep with her so it was easier to have this long distance never meeting thing, however I don't understand did they meet or not?
I wanted to share a similiar story. Back in my myspace days I had a random female friend that lived in my city. She was very pretty and constantly posting new photos of herself and constantly posted updates asking people to comment on her photos and people would blast her for being so needy. She had a long distance boyfriend who always posted on her page. I was friends with her for a long time, maybe a year. Then one day she said she was going to fly to Los Angeles to meet her boyfriend for the first time. Well guess what, she knew she couldn't fly to meet him because this whole time she was using someone elses' photo to pretend to be her! I thought this was crazy! So I emailed the boyfriend to get his side and he said he didn't know what to think of all this because they used to talk on the phone all the time. She then asked everyone to add her "real" page, I went there curious to see what she looked like and she was just a chubby plain jane who somehow got off on all the attention of strangers liking her fake pictures. I also found the real girl and asked her take on it and she said the fake girl "will get hers" whatever that means. I thought this was so bizarre, hence I was all up in the mix lol, but I can totally see the same situation with Manti Te'o. I can see how he could have been had in the same circumstances, the only thing that would make me believe he is lying is the fact that he said he met the girl. I think it's no concidence she "died" before his parents were to met her because the faker knew she couldn't meet these people in person.
The real question is who is the girl in the photographs? No one knows who she is? She's been all over the media now so you would think the real person would stand up or someone would say she has passed. |
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shannoninkc
PeaAddict
PeaNut 304,038
March 2007
Posts: 1,357
Layouts: 0
Loc: Where you vacation.
| Posted: 1/17/2013 9:25:37 AM
In the Dr Phil show, they tracked down the guy who had his pictures hacked and used as a hoax to trick these ladies. The guy was on Dr. Phil and was asked how he felt about his face being the guy who duped many young ladies into falling in love. He felt bad for them, and of course, felt bad for himself. So maybe the girl in the pictures has no clue that they are being used this way, maybe she will come forward? Hard to say. | |
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melissaz17
PeaNut
PeaNut 424,497
May 2009
Posts: 201
Layouts: 0
| Posted: 1/17/2013 9:27:09 AM
I don't think it's possible for me to care any less about this. What a ridiculous personal drama that has no place in national news. Maybe the media should focus on news that matters.
See, for that reason I think it IS interesting. How much airtime and how many articles were wasted on this man and his "girlfriend"? Time that could have been better spent focused on the game itself, other news stories, more important things. We've (collective we, not us specifically) done this to ourselves, and look what we get. Our (again, collective "our" constant desire to know the personal details of every celebrity just fuels things like this. Someone (T'eo? his friend?) so desperate for attention to lie, and a newsforce too gullible, desperate to break the personal drama, and swayed by a sad story to fact-check. This is what news has become, I think. Society wants the celebrity trash, and that's exactly what they're going to get! | |
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melissaz17
PeaNut
PeaNut 424,497
May 2009
Posts: 201
Layouts: 0
| Posted: 1/17/2013 9:39:18 AM
The real question is who is the girl in the photographs? No one knows who she is? She's been all over the media now so you would think the real person would stand up or someone would say she has passed.
She's been revealed as well. She knows the friend of T'eo that was also involved, and is horrified that her pictures were used. She found out the friend was involved because he had a picture no one else did that she had sent only him, and he used it on the profile. | |
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Just T
I need therapea!
PeaNut 65,272
January 2003
Posts: 13,721
Layouts: 0
Loc: In my own little world
| Posted: 1/17/2013 9:39:59 AM
I dunno...I am on the fence as to whether or not he knew. I know it seems ridiculous to think that someone could go through a long-term relationship and not know, but...at the same time, I have seen it happen.
Part of my job is being the administrator of message boards and chat rooms for the organization I work for (which provides support to parents experiencing the death of a baby). Years ago, a woman joined our boards with a really horrible, sad story. All stories of babies who die are sad, but this one was over the top. She posted pics of herself and her husband. She posted pics of her daughter who had died. She was a regular poster who totally worked her way into the hearts of all the moms on our board over nearly a 2 year period. Her story became sadder and sadder, and then her husband starting posting, saying she was in the hospital because she was trying to kill herself by not eating anything. She had a myspace page, which many of our members followed. People followed her sister on myspace. People sent her husband money and gifts. People talked to her and her husband on the phone. Like I said, this went on for a very long time.
Then, the woman died. It was horrible. Our boards were full of very distraught people who were devastated by her death. They sent more money to her husband. They talked to her sister on the phone. It was a tough time..in a community of vulnerable, grieving people, it is easy to become "attached" to someone, even though you've never met in person.
A few months after her death, it was discovered it was all a hoax. There was no baby that died. She had stolen someone else's photographs. The pics of her with her husband were actually a couple in another country who were in the public eye. There was no husband or sister...she created both of their myspace pages as well. The lengths this woman went to and the relationships she cultivated were mind boggling. When she was discovered as a fake, she admitted it on her myspace page and then "disappeared."
So, I told that story to say that maybe the guy really didn't know. Maybe he said he met her in person so that he wouldn't feel embarrassed that he had an online relationship. I don't know. He could totally have made the whole thing up, too. It's just a bizarre story all the way around.
I do have to ask though why some here are writing things like "Notre Shame" or they are glad Notre Dame will be taken down a few notches. This really has nothing to do with Notre Dame as a school or team. If the guy made it up, it's on him. It's not like there is some big scandal or cover up by ND, unless I am missing something here. | |
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knit.pea
. cheeky cousin .
PeaNut 158,945
July 2004
Posts: 7,112
Layouts: 112
| Posted: 1/17/2013 9:56:36 AM
He had an on-line and telephone relationship since 2009 (or 2010)
and NEVER met her? It doesn't make sense. He had the means
to go to her, the time off-season ... it doesn't make sense.
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Annabella
Leads a Charmed Life
PeaNut 43,843
July 2002
Posts: 42,259
Layouts: 46
Loc: East Coast
| Posted: 1/17/2013 10:02:04 AM
He had an on-line and telephone relationship since 2009 (or 2010)
and NEVER met her? It doesn't make sense. He had the means
to go to her, the time off-season ... it doesn't make sense.
He could have been busy with school most of the year and she could have be busy during the summer or made excuses that every time was not convenient for her. You would think he would want to skype. |
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Annabella
Leads a Charmed Life
PeaNut 43,843
July 2002
Posts: 42,259
Layouts: 46
Loc: East Coast
| Posted: 1/17/2013 10:07:29 AM
She's been revealed as well. She knows the friend of T'eo that was also involved, and is horrified that her pictures were used. She found out the friend was involved because he had a picture no one else did that she had sent only him, and he used it on the profile.
my first thought is the made up girl could be used as a cover for a relationship between the two guys. A fictional beard.
Wow so the plot thickens! So Ronaiah Tuiasosopo pretended to be her voice on the phone with T'eo? |
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papergoddess
PeaNut
PeaNut 529,899
November 2011
Posts: 181
Layouts: 0
 | Posted: 1/17/2013 10:09:24 AM
I don't really have an opinion on Te'o himself and his situation... But I would never have believed people truly think they are in a relationship with someone they have never met until I saw the documentary Catfish and have since watched the new show based on the concept.
The movie is from like 2010, so Dr Phil isn't the first one to look at this...What fascinated me with it, as for the movie, the main guy who is now the host of the show, Nev, seems like a rather intelligent person but was still fooled. Its that whole people want to believe what they want to believe, I think especially when it comes to loved ones.
So I def think its possible for people to be duped in this way, especially young people who practically live their social lives on sites like FB, Twitter, etc. Its so normal for them to consider online relationships like regular relationships. I really feel bad for people in that situation tho, that they don't have the joys of human interaction, and even worse for the pathological liars that get enjoyment out of it. It really should be a crime.
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lisabb
PeaAddict
PeaNut 526,561
November 2011
Posts: 1,207
Layouts: 0
Loc: Bonnie Scotland
| Posted: 1/17/2013 10:09:43 AM
If he really is that gullible, one would have to question how he ever managed to get into university in the first place, as its not likely he'll have the intelligence to graduate.
I think he was complicit. |
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Annabella
Leads a Charmed Life
PeaNut 43,843
July 2002
Posts: 42,259
Layouts: 46
Loc: East Coast
| Posted: 1/17/2013 10:12:41 AM
If he really is that gullible, one would have to question how he ever managed to get into university in the first place, as its not likely he'll have the intelligence to graduate.
Everyone is gullible when it comes to love and relationships. |
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PEAce sign
i'm not superstitious, but i am a little stitious.
PeaNut 274,722
August 2006
Posts: 12,921
Layouts: 0
Loc: OH-IO!
| Posted: 1/17/2013 10:13:40 AM
he is either:
gay
or
trying to gain favor for the heisman vote | |
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pretzels
AncestralPea
PeaNut 479,777
August 2010
Posts: 4,436
Layouts: 0
| Posted: 1/17/2013 10:16:38 AM
I do have to ask though why some here are writing things like "Notre Shame" or they are glad Notre Dame will be taken down a few notches. This really has nothing to do with Notre Dame as a school or team. If the guy made it up, it's on him. It's not like there is some big scandal or cover up by ND, unless I am missing something here.
In my mind, it just adds to "Notre Shame." Lizzie Seeberg was the first peg. The fact that the damn AD teared up at the press conference last night over this, but let the whole Seeberg thing happen just makes me sick. | |
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mom_to_a_girl
AncestralPea
PeaNut 97,416
July 2003
Posts: 4,638
Layouts: 0
| Posted: 1/17/2013 10:19:26 AM
I think in this age of technology, including skype and facetime, that while dating her for two years and *never* seeing her? Too weird to believe.
My guess is that he was complicit in it because it made for a good story to humanize him for the Heisman Trophy voters. It's not often that defensive players win the Heisman and I think he felt he not only had to be a superb player but that he needed a good story with it.
The unfortunate thing for him is not only didn't he win the Heisman but I think many NFL teams might choose to pass on the kid because of this whole issue. | |
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auntkelly
BOOMER SOONER!
PeaNut 142,266
April 2004
Posts: 8,204
Layouts: 0
Loc: Texas
| Posted: 1/17/2013 10:23:12 AM
I watched the press conference with the Notre Dame Athletic Director last night, and he is standing behind Te'o 100%. I find this really interesting since Notre Dame hired an outside firm to investigate this story when ND became aware of the hoax on December 26th.
I'm assuming the Notre Dame investigation didn't uncover a smoking gun which would prove Te'o was lying or the Notre Dame AD would have been in damage control mode last night. The AD could have said "this situation is being investigated, and whatever Te'o's role was in this hoax, Notre Dame had no knowledge prior to December 26th that the girl didn't exsist."
Instead, the Notre Dame AD said he supported Te'o 100% and believed that Te'o was a victim of the hoax. I honestly believe the AD thinks Te'o is an innocent victim, or the AD wouldn't put his job on the line to defend him. |
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peamac
Ancient Ancestor of Pea
PeaNut 340,335
October 2007
Posts: 5,567
Layouts: 1
Loc: Colorado
 | Posted: 1/17/2013 10:23:53 AM
Many questions asked on this thread were answered in the article-
- why is this important?
-who's the girl in the pictures?
-didn't they meet in person?
There are many others, but I don't remember what they are now. The article is very informative (long, though) and tells what was reported (by many newspapers, magazine, sports shows) in the past about this couple, and also discusses the truth about what they were able to uncover in their research.
Someone mentioned why wouldn't they have skyped? That's a good one not mentioned in the article. My DD skyped with one or two of her friends from college over Christmas break. She's only known them for one semester- surely if these two were friends or dating they would have wanted to skype across the miles.
Also, Te'o's dad says she was in Hawaii the same time Te'o was, implying the two spent time together. One of the papers in IN a while back reported that they did first meet in person after a game. Now we're being told it was all online, no face to face? |
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Kelpea
In a HapPea Place
PeaNut 176,832
November 2004
Posts: 12,240
Layouts: 2
Loc: gone to chemo with BethAnne
| Posted: 1/17/2013 10:23:58 AM
I am sure the dude is part of the hoax; they played a snippet of his interview about his fake girlfriend on the radio this a.m. on a morning show. He was gushing about how supportive she is/was, blah blah blah.
What a creep. |
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JamieH
AncestralPea
PeaNut 39,057
May 2002
Posts: 4,585
Layouts: 0
Loc: Texas
| Posted: 1/17/2013 10:28:07 AM
This is a BIG news story because he was suppose to be the #1 2013 NFL draft pick. However,the story is all over TV today,and it is not looking good for him ,as he repeatedly said in past interviews that she did visit his family,but then he says it was all on-line,and there are many other inconsistencies.
Why would he stay up all night,many nights, listening to her breathing over the phone but had never met her? Wouldn't there have been lots of photos exchanged? Why would his parents say she had visited if she didn't?
What a week: Lance Armstrong,Manti Te'o,and gun control!
JamieH
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*KAS*
Ancient Ancestor of Pea
PeaNut 408,684
January 2009
Posts: 6,745
Layouts: 0
Loc: Georgia girl
| Posted: 1/17/2013 10:36:59 AM
I don't think it's possible for me to care any less about this.
I don't care as in, it won't keep me up at night, but I find it completely fascinating in a 'who done it' kind of way.
I've read the Deadspin article, and it's just...fascinating.
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KELLI
Had to delete my old account, but I've been here since July 2006! | |
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pudgy_groundhog
Chubby old groundhog
PeaNut 113,457
October 2003
Posts: 16,080
Layouts: 351
Loc: Hudson Valley area in NY
| Posted: 1/17/2013 10:38:13 AM
Given how people live their lives online these days, I understand how duping can occur. If this was a simple story about him finding out the woman was not real ... that is one thing. But her dying, telling him to play hard for her, the timing of these things, etc. leads me to believe this was a way to create an interesting, emotional backstory to grow his public persona and help his Heisman chances.
At the very least, he's guilty of lying and letting this story snowball. Where did all these facts come from and who told the media? He either fed them the lies himself or turned a blind eye - he never set the story straight.
And things like sending flowers to a funeral? Where did he send flowers? Or did he just flat out lie? And why did he lie? Who was he talking to on the phone? And why did he never Skype or Facetime? That's pretty standard. There are a lot of questions. |
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Sarah*H
Bring me that horizon!
PeaNut 239,162
December 2005
Posts: 27,910
Layouts: 413
Loc: The final frontier
| Posted: 1/17/2013 11:08:06 AM
I think the fact that the Cardinals player is claiming to have met a woman calling herself Lennay Kekua and that he was introduced to her by Ronaiah Tuiasosopo makes this all a bit more complicated and changed my initial rush to judgment. Is there a woman out there in on this scheme? I can conceive that Manti Te'o may not have wanted to admit he'd never met his internet girlfriend in person so he embellished some aspects of their love story. |
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KristinL16
Ancient Ancestor of Pea
PeaNut 142,870
April 2004
Posts: 12,267
Layouts: 102
Loc: MN
| Posted: 1/17/2013 11:11:17 AM
I don't remember what the explanation the girls on the De Phil show has for not skyping but they did get a lot of excuses for why visits weren't happening.
On the today show they said that he friend who was found to be behind this fake identity had also done the same thing to other men but the relationships did not last as long.
ETA that one of the women on dr Phil was "introduced" to the "man" by her friend, so whenever she had doubts she had false reassurance that he was legit since her friend knew him. Maybe it was the same thing here? |
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*KAS*
Ancient Ancestor of Pea
PeaNut 408,684
January 2009
Posts: 6,745
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Loc: Georgia girl
| Posted: 1/17/2013 11:11:40 AM
Why is this news, did he talk about this to the press? I'm leaning towards believing him. And maybe because he's Mormon he never needed to sleep with her so it was easier to have this long distance never meeting thing, however I don't understand did they meet or not?
It's sports 'news' because there are people that are saying that this was concocted (and he was in on it) in order to get him media coverage (which worked) in order to raise his visibility for Heisman voting. Winning the Heisman would arguably raise his draft stock, which would in turn make him more $$ when he gets drafted into the NFL in a few months.
According to his statement yesterday, he did not meet her, it was an 'online emotional relationship.' Obviously this means lies were told at some point - he said he'd met her and his dad said they met. But was his dad in on it too? Did he say that because he was a college kid and didn't want to be teased for being in an 'online only' relationship? Raises more questions.
I will say this - there was a completely innocent tweet from a U. of Georgia player a couple of weeks ago. He put up the state of Te'o and the stats of a relatively unknown UGA player and the UGA player's stats were better in almost every category. His comment was something along the lines of 'it's amazing how media coverage can elevate somebody.' (not a direct quote, and I can't remember which player it was to go back and find it!) I glanced at it at the time, thought 'that's interesting' and didn't think about it again until last night. But it plays right into this story. This unknown UGA player (I don't even remember which one it was, and I'm a fan of the team!) had BETTER stats, yet was nowhere near mentioned as being in the running for a Heisman. Te'o gets TONS of media coverage because of this 'heartwrenching' story, and finishes 2nd in Heisman voting. Visible = votes = higher draft status = bigger payday. Maybe the HS friend was going to get some cash after he was drafted. Who knows.
Te'O will still be drafted. He's predicted to go #8 in the last report I saw. He's a good football player, so he'll go. He probably won't get many endorsement deals though, unless he clears his name. He doesn't 'owe' the public anything, but it would help his personal endorsement & draft status if he can prove it was a hoax.
A few questions that he would need to answer (again not to ME, but for his own case):
1. Where are the phone records? Do you have proof of these "8 hour phone calls?"
2. You said you sent white roses to her funeral. What funeral home?
3. Why did his dad tell all those stories to the press - about them meeting after a game, about him seeing her in Hawaii, etc. Was he lying to his dad? Was his dad making things up?
4. She was in a car accident, then had leukemia, and a bone marrow transplant...and you never once went to visit her in the hospital? Or visited her at ANY point? She never came to see a game? How did you know her for 3 YEARS and not have a single meeting? Skype? Facetime? |
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Had to delete my old account, but I've been here since July 2006! | |
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busypea
boring + nerdy
PeaNut 52,817
October 2002
Posts: 25,213
Layouts: 145
Loc: Oregon
| Posted: 1/17/2013 11:31:32 AM
There are many things about this story that make me think Te'o was involved, but the #1 thing is that the illness/death story undeniably helped Te'o. Why would someone who had been victimizing him for years decide to turn it into something that's going to result in huge gain for Te'o? |
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Epeanymous
StuckOnPeas
PeaNut 15,108
May 2001
Posts: 2,167
Layouts: 1
| Posted: 1/17/2013 11:35:17 AM
To me it is news in part because of Penn State. Obviously Sympathetic Dead Girlfriend is not analogous in any way to the kinds of crimes Penn State covered up, but it amazing to think of the kinds of things university football programs do to gain revenue and burnish their image. I am more interested in that than this guy's individual story. | |
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ilovebuble
StuckOnPeas
PeaNut 539,539
January 2012
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| Posted: 1/17/2013 11:38:35 AM
There is a movie and now a TV show on MTV about this very kind of stuff. It is called "Catfish" and it happens a lot more than people realize. I don't find it hard to believe that he really thought he was in a relationship with the person he saw on the screen. | |
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lovetodigi
Ancient Ancestor of Pea
PeaNut 257,022
April 2006
Posts: 7,673
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Loc: Metro Atlanta
| Posted: 1/17/2013 11:42:31 AM
There is a movie and now a TV show on MTV about this very kind of stuff. It is called "Catfish" and it happens a lot more than people realize. I don't find it hard to believe that he really thought he was in a relationship with the person he saw on the screen.
and could it be that this show/movie is where he got the idea to concoct such a story? I am not saying that is what happened, just stating it as a possibility. |
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PEArfect
AncestralPea
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January 2010
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| Posted: 1/17/2013 11:49:42 AM
Manti is supposed to have a press conference sometime today. I still think we're missing a lot of the story, so I'm trying not to judge.
My questions for Manti would be...
"After her car accident why didn't you visit her?"
"When she was diagnosed with leukemia, why didn't you visit her?"
"When she supposedly died, why didn't you go to her funeral services?"
If he truely loved her, wouldn't he have been there for her? These don't seem like the actions of a man madly in love. |
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JamieH
AncestralPea
PeaNut 39,057
May 2002
Posts: 4,585
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Loc: Texas
| Posted: 1/17/2013 11:55:04 AM
[There is a movie and now a TV show on MTV about this very kind of stuff. It is called "Catfish" and it happens a lot more than people realize. I don't find it hard to believe that he really thought he was in a relationship with the person he saw on the screen.]
I just can't buy having an on-screen year-long(or longer)relationship with someone and not actually meeting them,texting photos,or Skyping. The whole thing is just weird and creepy!
JamieH |
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