“College-age kid screws up” isn’t exactly news.

Besides blind followers, does anyone really buy Manti’s story? Even his teammates are calling it out.

I thought of a possible explanation for Te’o, though. He was “Catfished” big time. It can happen. The lies about meeting the made-up girlfriend may have been made because he didn’t want to disappoint the folks at ND. Little lies can become big ones, especially if someone is stressed and probably didn’t want to be in the position of disappointing his school or looking like a fool. When the December call came, then a BIG problem reared it’s head, and he was caught out. But, I wonder if he wasn’t getting some subtle and not-so-subtle pushing from the ND sports information folks; “Let’s tell the world your story, Manti! You’ll be an inspiration! You’ll win the Heisman and bring glory and honor to yourself and Notre Dame!” A lot of pressure could have been brought.

Remember, it was Notre Dame’s sports information folks who got Joe Theismann’s family to change the way they pronounced the family name, so it “rhymed with Heisman”. They had pronounced it “Theesmann”.

Furthermore if Manti made up his girlfriend from scratch, it might also explain why he was tackling imaginary football players instead of Alabama’s running backs in the MNC.

@Deb, This whole thing is off the wall. Like I said, I’m kind of ashamed I buy into it, but it makes more sense to me than people were doing this for amusement. But at this point the NOTHING would suprise me.

Not saying the gay theory isn’t possible, given the Islander culture. But it still seems off the wall to me. Pathological liars lie because they’re pathological. Happens all the time; we read news articles on it all the time. Their intricate stories unravel and wind up on Dateline and 48 Hours.

Or …

He and his pals were using the story to improve his chances for winning the Heisman and enhance his draft stock. Someone posted yesterday that a Heisman might “only” have moved him up a few places in the draft. A few places in the first round can mean an extra $10 million or more in salary. That’s powerful motivation. Tuiasosopo (Te’o's pal who ran the fake Twitter accounts) comes from a football family–several of his relatives played in the NFL; he’d know that. Greed is a simple and time-honored motive.

I’ve read the quotes from his father and brother. There’s a bit of inconsistency from the father, but the brother goes out of his way to make it clear he’s just relaying stories that Manti told him. I don’t think they were in on it and I think Manti dumped the fake death on them while everybody was still grieving his grandmother passing away. That’s cold.

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I’m with you. I hate myself for even getting pulled into this “theory” but it makes more sense the more I think about it. What was the end game? He had plenty of fame. He was/is going to get paid by an NFL team. He is the biggest football player at a football school….that just happens to be Cathloic. The reprocussions of what his sexuality may or may not be would be huge with that community.

At most other universities it would open a discussion but there wouldn’t be the same dynamic as at Notre Dame.
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i’m with you guys as well. i do have a friend saying he was in on it for Heisman votes. i thought that would be odd…considering a defensive player has little/ no chance of winning.

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I’m with you. I hate myself for even getting pulled into this “theory” but it makes more sense the more I think about it. What was the end game? He had plenty of fame. He was/is going to get paid by an NFL team. He is the biggest football player at a football school….that just happens to be Cathloic. The reprocussions of what his sexuality may or may not be would be huge with that community.

At most other universities it would open a discussion but there wouldn’t be the same dynamic as at Notre Dame.

Yall gotta quit talkin bout the man not tackling in the champ. Game…yall act bama just some fo gazzy team dat dont have 4 star and 5 star recuits every year…how bout yall go out and try to tackle ed lover and young yeldon….thought so
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I have no freaking idea what you were trying (and failing) to say. Try again, this time in English.

Makes sense if he is gay but that would also suggest he knew exactly what was going on and is not a victim like he suggests.

If true at some point the lies have to stop with this kid.

Having “Kekua” die instead, especially at the same time as his grandmother, got him off that hook. People would just assume he was grieving and not ready to start dating again, and he’d be long gone from ND by the time he’d be expected to start.

There it is!! I was waiting for it!!! Once again you have delivered! LOL!!

Look, I have an idea…try to incorporate a “BLOW UP DOLL” into this story somehow…your humor is as good as Larry Davids’.

On what grounds genius? He already acknowledged the Deadspin story is true.

Seems ackward.

Does Notre Dame recognize the magic underpants?

Isn’t this the SAME University that covered up the much beloved “Touchdown Jesus” to enable a Muslim running for President Of The United States ?

Now they have head representative and spokesman for the University Mike Golic explaining how this creep didn’t really go out much. Oh that justifies everything, said NO ONE EVER.

N.F.L. Your are truly going allow this freak show to be in the league WITHOUT Psychologicals being preformed?

N.F.L……….. Serious EGG on your face if you allow this to happen…..

If Notre Dame is willing to cover up Jesus, how much more are they willing to go that much farther for this ?

Where is the Febreeze…. this wreaks

the kid is a super mormon. he obviously is the victim. it’s not like he was meeting up with this girl every week to “get it in”.

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His mormon story could be a hoax too.