Manti Te'o Girlfriend Hoax
By Walt - @walterfootball
Jan. 17, 2013
If you asked anyone to conjure up the craziest sports story possible this January, I don't think anyone could have come up with something as nuts as the Manti Te'o situation. His late girlfriend, the one who died of Leukemia, didn't exist? How could this be possible? After all, his girlfriend and grandmother dying within a span of 24 hours was one of the reasons he received so much Heisman consideration.
Well, I was the victim of an online female hoax when I was a freshman at Penn State 12 years ago. It obviously wasn't of this magnitude, but it's still something I'll never forget. I don't know if I want to go into the details - I may do so in the future - but I'll just say that I was pretty hurt by the situation. Even though I can't believe how naive I was in hindsight, I still feel for Te'o - but obviously only if it's true that he was fooled, as he claims.
However, there are so many things that don't add up. All of the discrepancies in the stories, including the meetings, visits and long phone calls... Te'o's dad's statement about her traveling to Hawaii when Te'o was there... Or as forum member Scar pointed out, how about the fact that Te'o didn't visit her once after he learned she had cancer? And what about never going to her grave site? So, he's either a liar or the worst boyfriend of all time.
Do you believe that this was a hoax? Or was he lying?
The question must be asked: Will this affect Te'o's draft stock? I'll have a more definitive answer soon hopefully after hearing from league sources, but for now, I'd have to think so.
If Te'o is lying, that's obviously terrible for his pro prospects. He'll be deemed a major character risk, though some team will take a chance on him (Bengals?). If this is just a hoax, however, some general managers may worry that he won't be respected in the locker room. He'll be the butt of every joke amongst his teammates, which is obviously not good.
Here's the thing though: I don't think we'll ever know for sure if Te'o conjured the entire thing up. How can he possibly prove that he was the victim of a terrible hoax? Yes, you're innocent until proven guilty in this country, but only in a court room. This does not apply to the court of public opinion; he needs to prove that he was duped because based on the tweets and message board posts I read throughout Wednesday evening, most people aren't buying Te'o's claim - so I doubt most teams will.
What do you think? Will this affect his draft stock?
See where Te'o is in my 2013 NFL Mock Draft. Follow me @walterfootball. Or post your thoughts below:
Friday, Jan. 18 Update:
As promised, here are some updates from league sources. We've spoken to two NFC personnel men, who had the following things to say about Te'o and his draft stock:
"It's just a strange ordeal. I'm sure it'll all blow over by the time late April comes around. It's not like he drove drunk, or is into drugs, or had domestic issues."
"Any analysis is premature at this point."
"Not sure but it's some strange s*** either way ... One thing is for sure, the interview should be fantastic next month in Indy."
It'll be interesting to see if their thinking changes if it's discovered that Te'o was aware of this situation. Of course, we may never know the truth.
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Jan. 17, 2013
If you asked anyone to conjure up the craziest sports story possible this January, I don't think anyone could have come up with something as nuts as the Manti Te'o situation. His late girlfriend, the one who died of Leukemia, didn't exist? How could this be possible? After all, his girlfriend and grandmother dying within a span of 24 hours was one of the reasons he received so much Heisman consideration.
Well, I was the victim of an online female hoax when I was a freshman at Penn State 12 years ago. It obviously wasn't of this magnitude, but it's still something I'll never forget. I don't know if I want to go into the details - I may do so in the future - but I'll just say that I was pretty hurt by the situation. Even though I can't believe how naive I was in hindsight, I still feel for Te'o - but obviously only if it's true that he was fooled, as he claims.
However, there are so many things that don't add up. All of the discrepancies in the stories, including the meetings, visits and long phone calls... Te'o's dad's statement about her traveling to Hawaii when Te'o was there... Or as forum member Scar pointed out, how about the fact that Te'o didn't visit her once after he learned she had cancer? And what about never going to her grave site? So, he's either a liar or the worst boyfriend of all time.
Do you believe that this was a hoax? Or was he lying?
The question must be asked: Will this affect Te'o's draft stock? I'll have a more definitive answer soon hopefully after hearing from league sources, but for now, I'd have to think so.
If Te'o is lying, that's obviously terrible for his pro prospects. He'll be deemed a major character risk, though some team will take a chance on him (Bengals?). If this is just a hoax, however, some general managers may worry that he won't be respected in the locker room. He'll be the butt of every joke amongst his teammates, which is obviously not good.
Here's the thing though: I don't think we'll ever know for sure if Te'o conjured the entire thing up. How can he possibly prove that he was the victim of a terrible hoax? Yes, you're innocent until proven guilty in this country, but only in a court room. This does not apply to the court of public opinion; he needs to prove that he was duped because based on the tweets and message board posts I read throughout Wednesday evening, most people aren't buying Te'o's claim - so I doubt most teams will.
What do you think? Will this affect his draft stock?
See where Te'o is in my 2013 NFL Mock Draft. Follow me @walterfootball. Or post your thoughts below:
Friday, Jan. 18 Update:
As promised, here are some updates from league sources. We've spoken to two NFC personnel men, who had the following things to say about Te'o and his draft stock:
"It's just a strange ordeal. I'm sure it'll all blow over by the time late April comes around. It's not like he drove drunk, or is into drugs, or had domestic issues."
"Any analysis is premature at this point."
"Not sure but it's some strange s*** either way ... One thing is for sure, the interview should be fantastic next month in Indy."
It'll be interesting to see if their thinking changes if it's discovered that Te'o was aware of this situation. Of course, we may never know the truth.
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jack sprat
01-19-2013
06:31 am
xxx.xxx.xxx.193
(total posts: 2)
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"Jason a few comments before me hit the nail on the head, and I agree. I think he's gay. And I have no personal problems with that.
Its just a bit far-fetched that an all pro superstar athlete who isnt fugly and is about to make millions needs to find a girlfriend online. It is an easier channel in the modern day NFL lockerroom, which is dictated by many devout religeous, and intolerant practitioners." -- Patrick They're Christians, most of them, true, but they're also 80% of them, black. How many blacks have you seen doing the wave when some clown wraps himself in preacher's robes to cover up his white sheets? Mostly, even the guys leading the prayer huddles are openly hitting pretty much everything that moves, for that matter.
REAL G
01-18-2013
07:08 pm
xxx.xxx.xxx4.82
(total posts: 4)
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Teo might be gay as hell, I have no idea. But old people don't understand that this online girlfriend thing has nothing to do with being gay, tons of 13 year olds have online relationships, many of whom lie about their age by a wide margin. Teo may not be a boss around girls, but that doesn't necessarily mean he takes rods in his rear.
Real G
01-18-2013
07:05 pm
xxx.xxx.xxx4.82
(total posts: 4)
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I don't see why it matters but I hope he is a fag, someone needs to be the first so we can quit hearing all this speculation about it.
I remember there was a different Hawaiian/Samoan/Pacific player who came out a while back but it was after he had retired. What a stupid story. If people want to hate gays, they're going to hate gays. If guys want to do guys, they're going to do guys. We shouldn't have to read about this stuff on ESPN
Anon
01-18-2013
07:03 pm
xxx.xxx.xxx.181
(total posts: 1)
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Like Walt and Manti (possibly) I've also been the victim of an onlien female hoax and - like Walt - i don't want to go into any details really. Sufficed to say that yes, it hurt and yes, you do realise how naive you were after the fact and this doesn't make things any better. I was young and stupid etc etc.
However, the point I want to make is about the discrepancies. See, when you're in an online relationship with a girl (whether its real or not) you are accutely aware of what others would think if they knew that the relationship was an online one only. Because, lets face it, when you're NOT in an onlien relationship you think exactly the same thing as everyone else. So, you start to make up details, stories about meetings, shared histories, and so on because youre embaressed about the nature of the relationship but you do care for this person. Not out of any malice whatsoever but to make it appear tha your relationship is normal and also (i realised, years later) to try and convince yourself that its real. So yeah, there may be discrepancies, but that doesn't mean for sure that he was in on it.
Jack
01-18-2013
02:38 pm
xxx.xxx.xxx.200
(total posts: 1)
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Nfl gms were looking for a reason not to draft him high. They see him get pushed around by Alabama and were wondering is he worth a high pick. Now he still maybe a great nfl player but do gms want to take a chance? I don't think so
Run-DMG
01-18-2013
02:12 pm
xxx.xxx.xxx4.11
(total posts: 2)
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I hear Lennay lives at Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends.
Philip
01-18-2013
12:48 pm
xxx.xxx.xxx8.52
(total posts: 1)
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I think this big conspiracy that he will drop in the draft if he's gay is bogus. Give me a break. A GM could care less if the dude is gay. I think the larger worry for a GM is the fact that the guy looked like a typical muscle head, slow footed, Big 10 type middle linebacker during the National Championship game. He was playing against an essentially NFL offense. Every lineman on that line will be in the NFL. The running backs, quarterback, and probably one receiver will be as well. And he looked like a boy among men. That is why his draft status will plummet. What if Andrew Luck or RGIII had said they were gay last year? Does anyone really believe they would have dropped in the draft for that? If you do, you're demented. Teo will drop in the draft because he sucks and nothing more. This big "conservative Christian" conspiracy is nothing more that an attempt to marginalize Christians and make them out to be haters. GM's in the NFL don't care about values. They care about money. And if Teo can make them money, they'll draft him.
skol2239
01-18-2013
11:57 am
xxx.xxx.xxx.223
(total posts: 2)
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he has the opportunity, if its true, to become the jackie robinson of homosexual athletes
Patrick
01-18-2013
10:01 am
xxx.xxx.xxx0.12
(total posts: 1)
49
3
Jason a few comments before me hit the nail on the head, and I agree. I think he's gay. And I have no personal problems with that.
Its just a bit far-fetched that an all pro superstar athlete who isnt fugly and is about to make millions needs to find a girlfriend online. It is an easier channel in the modern day NFL lockerroom, which is dictated by many devout religeous, and intolerant practitioners. Its probably easier for him to go: "yeah, I got a girl, heres a pic" from his phone or online. He would be ostricized and torn apart if he were openly gay. I dont think he's going to tank in draft position. It wont surprise me if a few teams question his sexuality or this episode--and decide not to go with him. But 32 teams more than once? I hate ND, but hes more talented than that. He certainly wont fall past the Ravens at the end of the 1st round.
RTR Jim
01-18-2013
04:56 am
xxx.xxx.xxx37.2
(total posts: 1)
10
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Of course this will affect his position with the draft. Why? If he has no problems with lying about a dead girl with cancer for attention for whatever reasons he lied, then he is capable of doing PED's or anything else that he can do to cheat. This whole story is a reflection of his character. Character is a big part of selecting a player high in the draft. Talent is not all that the owners look at when they are handing out multi-million dollar contracts. The owner and GM have to wonder what he is really hiding and why? Is it worth it? How much of a chance are you will to take with how much money?
jason
01-18-2013
03:08 am
xxx.xxx.xxx3.17
(total posts: 3)
163
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I was talking with a friend, and we both agree that the big worry is that he made this up to hide that he is actually gay. I'm not saying this pejoratively or even as a joke; it's a legitimate concern. If that's true, I don't worry so much about the character aspect. What would worry me then is just how awful a situation he must be in to feel that he had to go to these lengths to hide something that shouldn't be an issue in 2013. I would feel tremendously sad for him.
Either way, he seems like a good person (potential lie not withstanding) so I hope he has success. NFL WILL DRAFT MURDERS, ATTEMPTED RAPISTS,CRIMINALS.. BUT IF TEO WAS TO COME OUT AS GAY THEN I THINK HIS DRAFT STOCK WOULD PLUMMET BETWEEN ROUND 5 AND UNDRAFTED AND IT IS JUST SAD.. I THINK COACHES AND PLAYERS WILL HAVE PROBLEMS ACCEPTING HIM IN THE LOCKERROOM CONSIDERING HOW MANY CONSERVATIVE CHRISTIANS ARE IN THE NFL. THEN THE BIG PROBLEM WOULD BE THE UNGODLY MEDIA STORM WHICH WOOULD BE TEBOWMANIA TIMES 20
Jason
01-18-2013
02:58 am
xxx.xxx.xxx3.17
(total posts: 3)
12
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Depends
1. He admits making up the details but is proven to have been duped by roniah = late 1st early 2nd round 2. He admits making up the details and being in cohorts with Roniah on the plan to blow up his heisman/draft stock = 2nd or 3rd round 3. He admits making up the details of the girl to conceal his homosexual relationship with Marques Tuiosiosopo's son. =ROUND 5 to UNDRAFTED. lmao
McGuire
01-18-2013
01:27 am
xxx.xxx.xxx.220
(total posts: 1)
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LOL Walt got catfished. Fag.
Wesley C
01-18-2013
01:23 am
xxx.xxx.xxx1.45
(total posts: 1)
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I don't want to sound like Al Davis here, but I think the most important thing regarding Te
'o's draft stock is his 40 time. I think he falls out of the 1st if he has a sub-par 40 coupled with looking slow against Alabama
worried
01-18-2013
12:45 am
xxx.xxx.xxx.152
(total posts: 1)
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I was talking with a friend, and we both agree that the big worry is that he made this up to hide that he is actually gay. I'm not saying this pejoratively or even as a joke; it's a legitimate concern. If that's true, I don't worry so much about the character aspect. What would worry me then is just how awful a situation he must be in to feel that he had to go to these lengths to hide something that shouldn't be an issue in 2013. I would feel tremendously sad for him.
Either way, he seems like a good person (potential lie not withstanding) so I hope he has success. |
2014 NFL Mock Draft - June 18
Charlie's 2014 NFL Mock Draft - June 17
2013 Fantasy Football Rankings - June 16
2013 NBA Mock Draft - May 22
NFL Picks - Feb. 3
© 1999-2013 Walter Cherepinsky : all rights reserved
Privacy Policy
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