Manti Te'o's dead girlfriend = hoax?

**Guetterdone1** · 01-17-2013, 02:40 PM

People really need to get a life if they're concentrating on someone that had a fake girlfriend. This whole story shows that there isn't a whole lot going on in sports and people need to leave the poor kid alone. Instead they're having press releases and 60% of sports center is all over it.

**carvers4math** · 01-17-2013, 02:44 PM

Originally Posted by Guetterdone1

People really need to get a life if they're concentrating on someone that had a fake girlfriend. This whole story shows that there isn't a whole lot going on in sports and people need to leave the poor kid alone. Instead they're having press releases and 60% of sports center is all over it.

What bothers me is that about 80% of actual news (non-sports) is covering it too. Do we need a Kardashian or a British royal to do something stupid just for some relief?

**Mr Janny** · 01-17-2013, 02:46 PM

Originally Posted by Guetterdone1

People really need to get a life if they're concentrating on someone that had a fake girlfriend. This whole story shows that there isn't a whole lot going on in sports and people need to leave the poor kid alone. Instead they're having press releases and 60% of sports center is all over it.

You're her, aren't you?

**CyJack13** · 01-17-2013, 02:52 PM

This whole story has made me like Johnny Manziel much more. This something weird about guys like Te'o (fake internet gf), Colin Klein (not kissing his wife until they got married) and Tebow (virgin). I like my college all star types to be banging models, gambling and sitting courtside at NBA games. Way to live it up Johnny Football!!

**carvers4math** · 01-17-2013, 03:01 PM

Originally Posted by CyJack13

This whole story has made me like Johnny Manziel much more. This something weird about guys like Te'o (fake internet gf), Colin Klein (not kissing his wife until they got married) and Tebow (virgin). I like my college all star types to be banging models, gambling and sitting courtside at NBA games. Way to live it up Johnny Football!!

Johnny Manziel MUG SHOT | The Smoking Gun

Do they all take shirtless mug shots in Texas?

**Guetterdone1** · 01-17-2013, 03:08 PM

Originally Posted by Mr Janny

You're her, aren't you?

You caught me. I'm just an old fat bald dude with no life. Now I have nothing.

**Guetterdone1** · 01-17-2013, 03:09 PM

Originally Posted by carvers4math

What bothers me is that about 80% of actual news (non-sports) is covering it too. Do we need a Kardashian or a British royal to do something stupid just for some relief?

It's really quite pathetic.

**Angie** · 01-17-2013, 03:10 PM

Originally Posted by Guetterdone1

People really need to get a life if they're concentrating on someone that had a fake girlfriend. This whole story shows that there isn't a whole lot going on in sports and people need to leave the poor kid alone. Instead they're having press releases and 60% of sports center is all over it.

I think everyone probably would have "[left] the poor kid alone" if he hadn't been the one to talk about her in interviews, on Twitter, and so on. He sort of caused this circus.

**Cycsk** · 01-17-2013, 03:22 PM

My theory. It was a vintage Stanford prank at the outset. He fell for it. Having her die in early September kept it from getting too close to the Notre Dame/Stanford game. That would be just too creepy.

Either he really believed it or he went over the top to look like he believed it. He even wore black beads to the Dec 6th ESPN awards event. And I think the second question after he won his award was about what it was like to have lost his grandmother and girlfriend. I remember at the time thinking that it was really tacky to ask that. Perhaps the fake girlfriend saw this and just couldn't let it go on anymore, so she called him.

Or, after he started to figure it out earlier (or they told him), he decided to keep it going rather than blow the whistle and look stupid. Maybe even pulled his parents into it. Then, on Christmas Day, his parents hatched the part about her calling him on Dec 6th, which he used with Notre Dame on Dec 26th.

Who knows?

I'm leaning toward the theory that he believed the hoax until he got the call on Dec 6th, then kept the hoax going until he could figure out what to do, but took too long and got exposed rather than coming clean. Probably wanted to wait until after the national championship game (and certainly not have it blow up right before the Heisman award).

Photo at ESPN Dec 6th awards:

Photo at Dec 8th Heisman Trophy award:

**alarson** · 01-17-2013, 03:37 PM

Originally Posted by Guetterdone1

People really need to get a life if they're concentrating on someone that had a fake girlfriend. This whole story shows that there isn't a whole lot going on in sports and people need to leave the poor kid alone. Instead they're having press releases and 60% of sports center is all over it.

He'd be left alone if people bought that he was actually duped as he claims. So much evidence that he was lying from the start though, starting with the claims of meeting her.

**Clonefan94** · 01-17-2013, 03:55 PM

Originally Posted by Cycsk

My theory. It was a vintage Stanford prank at the outset. He fell for it. Having her die in early September kept it from getting too close to the Notre Dame/Stanford game. That would be just too creepy.

Either he really believed it or he went over the top to look like he believed it. He even wore black beads to the Dec 6th ESPN awards event. And I think the second question after he won his award was about what it was like to have lost his grandmother and girlfriend. I remember at the time thinking that it was really tacky to ask that. Perhaps the fake girlfriend saw this and just couldn't let it go on anymore, so she called him.

Or, after he started to figure it out earlier (or they told him), he decided to keep it going rather than blow the whistle and look stupid. Maybe even pulled his parents into it. Then, on Christmas Day, his parents hatched the part about her calling him on Dec 6th, which he used with Notre Dame on Dec 26th.

Who knows?

I'm leaning toward the theory that he believed the hoax until he got the call on Dec 6th, then kept the hoax going until he could figure out what to do, but took too long and got exposed rather than coming clean. Probably wanted to wait until after the national championship game (and certainly not have it blow up right before the Heisman award).

Photo at ESPN Dec 6th awards:

Photo at Dec 8th Heisman Trophy award:

3 Years though? 3 Years. The timeline says they started their relationship in 2009. This was confirmed in the ND presser last night. Honestly, if this were a couple month thing, I'd buy that he was duped. 3 years though, no way.

**ianoconnor** · 01-17-2013, 04:08 PM

Notre Dame's Manti Te'o in his own words - College Football - Pete Thamel - SI.com

**Tre4ISU** · 01-17-2013, 04:32 PM

Originally Posted by ianoconnor

Notre Dame's Manti Te'o in his own words - College Football - Pete Thamel - SI.com

Cripes there are a lot of red flags in that transcript.

**TXCyclones** · 01-17-2013, 04:37 PM

And JUST when you thought this couldn't get any more weird... Arizona Cardinals fullback says that Lennay Kukua is "very real" and that he knows her and her family.

Arizona Cardinals fullback on Manti Te

**Cycsk** · 01-17-2013, 04:37 PM

Originally Posted by Tre4ISU

Cripes there are a lot of red flags in that transcript.

Seems to come down to two options:

1. He is foolish enough to fall for the hoax.
2. He is foolish enough to think everyone else would.

Both indicate serious problems.