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

It's fair to comb through stories an transcripts. But each piddly discrepancy in the depositions isn't the smoking gun that brings the whole house of cards tumbling down. It's a data point. His response to Thamel about how they met - something about a "cousin" - was brief and quite garbled.

 

He says now that the relationship started as a freshman. So this went on four years? And he denies things that were reported about meeting her, saing he "lied to my father" about having met her in person because he dind't want to disclose an online relationship. Yeah, well now he can go back and say stories of him meeting her were wrong and make up an excuse. Another thing, I have read where Lennay had died the same day as his grandmother, Sept. 11. Hard date to forget don't you think, 9-11? Now both died on Sept. 12.

Also, here's a part from Schaap's article. This is when he said he found out but kept talking about her to reporters in interviews. So in that sense, he was involved in a hoax:

"She said, 'It's Lennay,' " he said. "So we carried on that conversation, and I just got mad. I just went on a rampage. 'How could you do this to me?' I ended that conversation by saying simply this: 'You know what? Lennay, my Lennay, died on Sept. 12.' "

Te'o said he was just confused at this point, and told his parents -- and then the Notre Dame staff -- over Christmas that Kekua might be alive. Notre Dame then started an investigation.

Te'o spoke of Kekua as his girlfriend several times after Dec. 6. One was at the Heisman Trophy presentation in New York on Dec. 8 to ESPN's Chris Fowler. Another was on ESPN Radio the same day. There were two other times, including a column in the Los Angeles Times on Dec. 10. He was also asked about it at a Jan. 3 news conference before the BCS title game but did not refer to his "girlfriend" directly.

 

What inconsistencies remain unaccounted for at this point?

 

Teo was hanging with Klein and Manziel during the Heisman weekend. Be interesting to hear their take and if he mentioned his beloved Lenny to them.

 

Klein MARRIED a girl he had never kissed. No one has questioned it. Is it any more plausible than having an Internet girlfriend?

 

Eight-hour phone calls.

 

One thing for sure Te'o has done wonders for the apostrophe key. A little used key on the keyboard now tossed into the limelight. I stopped using mind as I am afraid that it is going to break down from over use

 

Didn't Thamel do that story ?

 

If that is indeed his actual name.

 

Where's the contrary evidence? There's no "inconsistency" that's been shown there.

 

Just checked , Thomas Lake did the Klein story about not kissing his wife until they were married.

Maybe if Lake ever gets his clearance to join SJ he can give us his thoughts