Deadspin: Manti Te'o's dead girlfriend story was a hoax

Yes.

Also in the "Te'o made it up from the beginning" story.

 

I agree with TigerVols. And I actually think that's what happened in this case. But, from a PR perspective, the only thing I don't understand is why the delay in actually saying this, unless it's not the truth. Te'o will be forgiven for being duped and stupid. But the longer this goes on without comment, the worse it looks.

 

Heard someone on the radio say today that Teo has said he's known the girlfaux for 4 years but only started dating last year. If so, wouldn't that mean the hoax began when he was a nobody freshman?

 

Well, unless the Arizona FB was in on it from the beginning...

 

I don't necessarily think he was the mastermind behind the hoax, but I think at the least, he played along with it long after he knew the truth.

I don't think there is any way this is a dead issue before the combine. I'm guessing he doesn't want that place to be the first time he addresses the topic, so it might be a good idea to get out in front of it before then so he can say, "I addressed that with Bob Costas/Oprah/Jeremy Schaap/Regis Philbin and I'm trying to move past that now...

I covered several combines and I can't remember any player not talking for any reason. Hell, even Maurice Clarett spoke...

 

The known facts being what they are at this point, the only way you can believe that he was either completely duped or completely involved at this point is if you approach it like a lawyer - working backward from your conclusion - instead of like a scientist.

Hypothesis 1: Te'o was completely duped
* He continued to talk about her after the (alleged) Dec. 6 phone call.
* He told his family that he had met her on several occasions.

Hypothesis 2: Te'o was completely in on it
* There is a paper trail of them meeting, inconspicuously, in the fall of 2011.
* The Arizona fullback thought he knew her, as well.

 

OK. The key question then is: When did he realize she wasn't real? December 6th? Or at the time he was talking about her death to the media? Or some time in between?

 

If he was in on it, why would he tell the media that he met her and give a physical description after it was revealed she didn't exist?

 

It's not better for him, but it's better for sportswriters, which is why so many are rooting for it so hard.

 

My biggest question would be did he know at the time of the SI interview?

That cover story did wonders for his national profile and Heisman candidacy and the main reason they did the story on him was the girlfriend death.

 

Not just sports writers, either. My boss came into my office yesterday early in the morning and this was definitely the theory he was rooting for and had adopted.

 

If he came out and said that was the reason for his participation (limited or full) in the hoax, he would barely be asked about it between now and the draft.