I was on here when we trashed him (with the rest of the country) back in the day. Hearing his perspective sheds a different light on the whole situation. It seems he was catfished, rather than making it up out of thin air. I kind of feel bad for the guy now.
Netflix Series on Manti Te'o's Girlfriend
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Last: 2 yr ago by Mort Rainey
Nope. Still a dumbass.
Good documentary. I never thought he made it up, just thought he was a dumbass. After seeing this doc, I definitely feel for the guy, and can understand how the circumstances at the time could have fooled many in his situation… social media still fairly new, nice/innocent/genuine Hawaiian kid far from home, etc. and it all just snowballed (on his end and "Lennay's" end). Some crazy sh*t. He's was still pretty dumb for letting it get as far as it did. Hope he and his family can find some peace and closure from it.
We didn't care at all about empathizing with him in the moment. He was a mere impediment to JFF's Heisman. He's a quality guy I have no doubt. And a decent football player.
But the Notre Dame loving national media hyped the guy's story to make him a viable candidate. He was a nice player at a non premium defensive position (non pass rushing linebacker). Wouldn't have been near the Heisman without the narrative.
But the Notre Dame loving national media hyped the guy's story to make him a viable candidate. He was a nice player at a non premium defensive position (non pass rushing linebacker). Wouldn't have been near the Heisman without the narrative.
And shame on the media for not validating ANYTHING. Deadspin debunked it all in short order once they got wind of it.
PascalsWager said:
We didn't care at all about empathizing with him in the moment. He was a mere impediment to JFF's Heisman. He's a quality guy I have no doubt. And a decent football player.
But the Notre Dame loving national media hyped the guy's story to make him a viable candidate. He was a nice player at a non premium defensive position (non pass rushing linebacker). Wouldn't have been near the Heisman without the narrative.
That isn't his fault though. That's more media bull*****
I always thought he was catfished. The whole reason I made fun of him.
That guy had tail waiting at his door and he goes online?
That guy had tail waiting at his door and he goes online?
I think he is a nice guy and kind of feel bad for him.
But it still doesn't make any sense to me. He kept calling her the love of his life even though he never met her. Love of his life but didn't go see her when he thought she was in a bad car accident. Love of his life, but didn't go see her when she was battling cancer. Love of his life, but didn't go to her funeral when he was told she died.
The guy was Mr. Notre Dame. Could have had many 'real' girlfriends on campus. But instead falls for a fake one only consisting of phone calls and texts and never bothers to go see her when he thought she was dying or dead.
But it still doesn't make any sense to me. He kept calling her the love of his life even though he never met her. Love of his life but didn't go see her when he thought she was in a bad car accident. Love of his life, but didn't go see her when she was battling cancer. Love of his life, but didn't go to her funeral when he was told she died.
The guy was Mr. Notre Dame. Could have had many 'real' girlfriends on campus. But instead falls for a fake one only consisting of phone calls and texts and never bothers to go see her when he thought she was dying or dead.
The playa got played…
I never believed he made it up, but he clearly played up the relationship to his benefit at the time. I did feel bad for him though watching that documentary.
That's all too fishy. And ND took the ball and ran with it for publicity purposes, and it's my understanding that the school has still never apologized for their part in it.Onionman said:
I think he is a nice guy and kind of feel bad for him.
But it still doesn't make any sense to me. He kept calling her the love of his life even though he never met her. Love of his life but didn't go see her when he thought she was in a bad car accident. Love of his life, but didn't go see her when she was battling cancer. Love of his life, but didn't go to her funeral when he was told she died.
The guy was Mr. Notre Dame. Could have had many 'real' girlfriends on campus. But instead falls for a fake one only consisting of phone calls and texts and never bothers to go see her when he thought she was dying or dead.
He's doing alright. The documentary makes it out like he's all alone or his world was destroyed.
He was a pretty good linebacker that ended up with like $8mm and this wife. I think it's fine.
https://imgs.search.brave.com/VbEhcR_c0MCjysbS8J2RNKYmmR-p3P5aF6V0iTgdu7A/rs:fit:602:603:1/g:ce/aHR0cDovL2ZhYndh/Z3MuY29tL3dwLWNv/bnRlbnQvdXBsb2Fk/cy8yMDE2LzAxL01h/bnRpX1Rlb19naXJs/ZnJpZW5kX19Kb3Zp/X05pY29sZV9Fbmdi/aW5vX3BpY3R1cmVz/LmpwZw
He was a pretty good linebacker that ended up with like $8mm and this wife. I think it's fine.
https://imgs.search.brave.com/VbEhcR_c0MCjysbS8J2RNKYmmR-p3P5aF6V0iTgdu7A/rs:fit:602:603:1/g:ce/aHR0cDovL2ZhYndh/Z3MuY29tL3dwLWNv/bnRlbnQvdXBsb2Fk/cy8yMDE2LzAxL01h/bnRpX1Rlb19naXJs/ZnJpZW5kX19Kb3Zp/X05pY29sZV9Fbmdi/aW5vX3BpY3R1cmVz/LmpwZw
I think Manti married a model that has a checkered past. She has some prior arrests. According to the article below, 'charged with Felony theft, possession of drugs and paraphernalia, not to mention several other counts.' Hopefully she has changed her ways or what is published about her is not true.BTHOB-98 said:
He's doing alright. The documentary makes it out like he's all alone or his world was destroyed.
He was a pretty good linebacker that ended up with like $8mm and this wife. I think it's fine.
https://imgs.search.brave.com/VbEhcR_c0MCjysbS8J2RNKYmmR-p3P5aF6V0iTgdu7A/rs:fit:602:603:1/g:ce/aHR0cDovL2ZhYndh/Z3MuY29tL3dwLWNv/bnRlbnQvdXBsb2Fk/cy8yMDE2LzAxL01h/bnRpX1Rlb19naXJs/ZnJpZW5kX19Kb3Zp/X05pY29sZV9Fbmdi/aW5vX3BpY3R1cmVz/LmpwZw
https://archive.totalfratmove.com/manti-teos-real-life-girlfriend-is-an-instagram-model-with-a-lengthy-arrest-record/comment-page-2/
Whatthefunyo said:
Hearing his perspective sheds a different light on the whole situation. It seems he was catfished, rather than making it up out of thin air
Or....... he's had 10 years to fabricate new story details that makes him look like less of a lying a** hole.
I have always thought the whole thing was cover to hide that he's gay and ND a had to keep their image.
Didnt we know he was catfished in 2012?
Do you still think that's the case? He's married with a kid now and the documentary is pretty convincing that he didn't know it was a hoax. A lot of people would have to be in on protecting his sexual orientation including the person accused of doing the hoax...what would he have to gain?Mookie said:
I have always thought the whole thing was cover to hide that he's gay and ND a had to keep their image.
Two things can be true, he was a dumb naive kid that fell for an online trick AND he played it up to the media during the season for attention.
Teo is absolutely a victim, but he didn't have completely clean hands either. Per Wikipedia (I know… but the entry is well sourced),:
"Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick confirmed the university had hired private investigators to uncover the source of the hoax, and he clarified Te'o's relationship with Kekua was "exclusively an online relationship".[78] This conflicted with previous accounts from Te'o and his family that the couple had first met after a football game and she visited him in Hawaii.[79][80][81] Swarbrick said Te'o informed Notre Dame of the hoax on December 26 after receiving a phone call on December 6 from the woman he knew as Kekua, claiming she was still alive. However, Te'o mentioned Kekua's death in at least four separate interviews in the days following the phone call."
So before the media circus erupted, Teo and his family lied to Notre Dame's AD about the nature of the relationship. Further, at the height of the heisman race Teo stuck to his sob story during 4 interviews AFTER he knew (or should have known) it was fake.
I haven't seen the Netflix doc. Does it have any new info or perspective on those points?
"Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick confirmed the university had hired private investigators to uncover the source of the hoax, and he clarified Te'o's relationship with Kekua was "exclusively an online relationship".[78] This conflicted with previous accounts from Te'o and his family that the couple had first met after a football game and she visited him in Hawaii.[79][80][81] Swarbrick said Te'o informed Notre Dame of the hoax on December 26 after receiving a phone call on December 6 from the woman he knew as Kekua, claiming she was still alive. However, Te'o mentioned Kekua's death in at least four separate interviews in the days following the phone call."
So before the media circus erupted, Teo and his family lied to Notre Dame's AD about the nature of the relationship. Further, at the height of the heisman race Teo stuck to his sob story during 4 interviews AFTER he knew (or should have known) it was fake.
I haven't seen the Netflix doc. Does it have any new info or perspective on those points?
This was my issue back when it all happened. No matter how things got started, he knowingly perpetuated the lie for his own benefit after he found out Lennay Kekua wasn't real.AgLaw02 said:
Further, at the height of the heisman race Teo stuck to his sob story during 4 interviews AFTER he knew (or should have known) it was fake.
Of course if Johnny hadn't been up for the Heisman that year, I wouldn't have given a single **** about Te'o ever.
NateDog said:This was my issue back when it all happened. No matter how things got started, he knowingly perpetuated the lie for his own benefit after he found out Lennay Kekua wasn't real.AgLaw02 said:
Further, at the height of the heisman race Teo stuck to his sob story during 4 interviews AFTER he knew (or should have known) it was fake.
Of course if Johnny hadn't been up for the Heisman that year, I wouldn't have given a single **** about Te'o ever.
I think at that point he was in so deep with the whole thing, about to be on stage for the Heisman, about to play for a National Championship, etc., he thought coming out with the details at that time would be much worse for himself and ND… and I'm sure ND was advising him the same. I can't imagine what was going thru his head those last few months… to have that info bottled up inside at the absolute height of his playing career. What a mess.
Yes it covers all of that. They talk about how he didn't know what was real and what was fake after getting that phone call from someone he thought was dead so at the Heisman ceremony he didn't know what he should say so he stuck to the script. The ND AD said in the documentary that once they heard of the hoax they were advised by outside counsel to not release it until they gathered more information, but that they will need to address it publicly eventually. And I believe they briefly said something about how he was embarrassed that it was an online only relationship so he told people including his parents I believe that he had met her in person before.AgLaw02 said:
Teo is absolutely a victim, but he didn't have completely clean hands either. Per Wikipedia (I know… but the entry is well sourced),:
"Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick confirmed the university had hired private investigators to uncover the source of the hoax, and he clarified Te'o's relationship with Kekua was "exclusively an online relationship".[78] This conflicted with previous accounts from Te'o and his family that the couple had first met after a football game and she visited him in Hawaii.[79][80][81] Swarbrick said Te'o informed Notre Dame of the hoax on December 26 after receiving a phone call on December 6 from the woman he knew as Kekua, claiming she was still alive. However, Te'o mentioned Kekua's death in at least four separate interviews in the days following the phone call."
So before the media circus erupted, Teo and his family lied to Notre Dame's AD about the nature of the relationship. Further, at the height of the heisman race Teo stuck to his sob story during 4 interviews AFTER he knew (or should have known) it was fake.
I haven't seen the Netflix doc. Does it have any new info or perspective on those points?
The two main things that bother me about his story is why didn't he attempt to visit the love of his life when she supposedly was hospitalized after a car accident and why didn't he try to go to the funeral? The day she "died" Brian Kelly apparently talked to him and told him he could take some time off and he said no and still practiced that day. That is weird I don't care who you are. I say that not to cast doubt on his story, just to highlight that he isn't very normal.
"Play like your fake girlfriend died today"
Show me a good loser and I'll show you a loser.
Vince Lombardi
The media hype over ND and Teo in 2012 was inevitable. It had been a long time since they had any legit reason to promote them. I'll never forget Mike Golic on Mike & Mike saying that if Teo didn't win the Heisman it was only because defensive players had mostly been shut out over the years. That was ridiculous as Johnny was clearly the best player that year. And then Bama destroys them in the title game.
Show me a good loser and I'll show you a loser.
Vince Lombardi
His teammates are on record he was dating a real living girl at ND when this went down.
Hard to make excuses about his actions when you know that.
Hard to make excuses about his actions when you know that.
I watched it as well but had a different perspective. I actually think the doc validated for me that he was dumber than I thought. Listening to the BS that he believed makes it really hard for me to believe him. I'm glad he's gotten through that period in his life, but man, that dude is dense. He also now comes off as a Tim Tebow wannabe.
Same. I do believe he thought she was a real person, but I also think he wasn't as in love with her as he claimed. He used her as a way to bring attention to himself and Notre Dame. Where was the out reach to the family who supposedly lost a daughter to Cancer after recovering from a major car accident. Where was the outreach to Stanford (I think thats where she said she went) about the death of student you are claiming a relationship with (both Te'o and ND). He exaggerated his relationship to increase the spotlight on himself and he got burned. And Notre Dame was all in.
TXAdman said:
Same. I do believe he thought she was a real person, but I also think he wasn't as in love with her as he claimed. He used her as a way to bring attention to himself and Notre Dame. Where was the out reach to the family who supposedly lost a daughter to Cancer after recovering from a major car accident. Where was the outreach to Stanford (I think thats where she said she went) about the death of student you are claiming a relationship with (both Te'o and ND). He exaggerated his relationship to increase the spotlight on himself and he got burned. And Notre Dame was all in.
Bingo
Documentary was boring. Bunch of excuse making by his freak pretend gf and him. Turned it off half way through.
This documentary is just taking advantage that almost 10 years have passed now, and most people have forgotten about all the details now (calling her "the love of his life") in order to make it look like he was a victim and wasn't using this for his own gain.HoustonAg2106 said:TXAdman said:
Same. I do believe he thought she was a real person, but I also think he wasn't as in love with her as he claimed. He used her as a way to bring attention to himself and Notre Dame. Where was the out reach to the family who supposedly lost a daughter to Cancer after recovering from a major car accident. Where was the outreach to Stanford (I think thats where she said she went) about the death of student you are claiming a relationship with (both Te'o and ND). He exaggerated his relationship to increase the spotlight on himself and he got burned. And Notre Dame was all in.
Bingo
Absolutely. That was the bulk of the dead spin story.BMX Bandit said:
Didnt we know he was catfished in 2012?
Him calling her the love of his life is very much in the documentary. I don't think this documentary makes Manti look all that great even though he gets to tell his side of the story.Aggieair said:This documentary is just taking advantage that almost 10 years have passed now, and most people have forgotten about all the details now (calling her "the love of his life") in order to make it look like he was a victim and wasn't using this for his own gain.HoustonAg2106 said:TXAdman said:
Same. I do believe he thought she was a real person, but I also think he wasn't as in love with her as he claimed. He used her as a way to bring attention to himself and Notre Dame. Where was the out reach to the family who supposedly lost a daughter to Cancer after recovering from a major car accident. Where was the outreach to Stanford (I think thats where she said she went) about the death of student you are claiming a relationship with (both Te'o and ND). He exaggerated his relationship to increase the spotlight on himself and he got burned. And Notre Dame was all in.
Bingo
I guess I should caveat that by saying he was calling her the love of his life on national tv and to the media. I haven't watched the documentary, but the gist I get from other posts on this page is that he and his family were embarrassed about it being an "online only" relationship, which is why they lied about him meeting her in person.HoustonAg2106 said:Him calling her the love of his life is very much in the documentary. I don't think this documentary makes Manti look all that great even though he gets to tell his side of the story.Aggieair said:This documentary is just taking advantage that almost 10 years have passed now, and most people have forgotten about all the details now (calling her "the love of his life") in order to make it look like he was a victim and wasn't using this for his own gain.HoustonAg2106 said:TXAdman said:
Same. I do believe he thought she was a real person, but I also think he wasn't as in love with her as he claimed. He used her as a way to bring attention to himself and Notre Dame. Where was the out reach to the family who supposedly lost a daughter to Cancer after recovering from a major car accident. Where was the outreach to Stanford (I think thats where she said she went) about the death of student you are claiming a relationship with (both Te'o and ND). He exaggerated his relationship to increase the spotlight on himself and he got burned. And Notre Dame was all in.
Bingo
So if you're embarrassed about the relationship being online only, why even mention it to the media? Why wouldn't you keep it a secret? And why keep hyping it up by calling her the love of his life? Also haven't seen any explanations as to why he didn't just, ya know, date a real girl at Notre Dame.
Well you said the documentary was hiding details like he called her the love of his life which is in fact in there and it shows him calling her that to the media. They didn't hide any of the details as far as I could tell.Aggieair said:I guess I should caveat that by saying he was calling her the love of his life on national tv and to the media. I haven't watched the documentary, but the gist I get from other posts on this page is that he and his family were embarrassed about it being an "online only" relationship, which is why they lied about him meeting her in person.HoustonAg2106 said:Him calling her the love of his life is very much in the documentary. I don't think this documentary makes Manti look all that great even though he gets to tell his side of the story.Aggieair said:This documentary is just taking advantage that almost 10 years have passed now, and most people have forgotten about all the details now (calling her "the love of his life") in order to make it look like he was a victim and wasn't using this for his own gain.HoustonAg2106 said:TXAdman said:
Same. I do believe he thought she was a real person, but I also think he wasn't as in love with her as he claimed. He used her as a way to bring attention to himself and Notre Dame. Where was the out reach to the family who supposedly lost a daughter to Cancer after recovering from a major car accident. Where was the outreach to Stanford (I think thats where she said she went) about the death of student you are claiming a relationship with (both Te'o and ND). He exaggerated his relationship to increase the spotlight on himself and he got burned. And Notre Dame was all in.
Bingo
So if you're embarrassed about the relationship being online only, why even mention it to the media? Why wouldn't you keep it a secret? And why keep hyping it up by calling her the love of his life? Also haven't seen any explanations as to why he didn't just, ya know, date a real girl at Notre Dame.
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