Can we talk about Te'o?

[broc]

I know it's been discussed on other boards, but I feel like this could use some TIP perspective.  It seems like his best case scenario is that he's a simpleton and the world's shittiest boyfriend... what kind of schmuck wouldn't go to his girlfriend's funeral, internet-only or not? I've also heard rumblings that the reason he jumped on the idea so quickly and kept up with the lie is because he's closeted. Though, there are a few dozen better ways to deal with this than to borrow a plot straight from the Brady Bunch.

deadspin.com/5976517/

[cuddlyevil]

I have no idea if this is an actual thing or not, but on the news this morning they said that our local minor league baseball team is giving away a Te'o's girlfriend bobblehead in May. It's going to be an empty box.

DH was telling me last night about the theory that he's closeted. I don't know, but it might make sense.

[ECB]

I haven't really been following this, but as I saw it on the news this morning, I said to DH that I actually wonder if he's gay and he made up the girlfriend as his "beard".

[Deleted]

I'm confused - I haven't heard anything about this guy (I live in a hole?), but he made up a girlfriend to cover up his secret boyfriend and gained fame about it?

[ECB]

Jan 18, 2013 10:30:39 GMT -5 doglove said:

I'm confused - I haven't heard anything about this guy (I live in a hole?), but he made up a girlfriend to cover up his secret boyfriend and gained fame about it?

HE says he was hoaxed - that he really thought he was in a relationship w/ this girl.  Who he never met, was diagnosed w/ leukemia and then died and he didn't even go to her funeral (or try to go - if he really believed she was for real).  But people are questioning that and think he made this whole thing up. 

The 'why'?  ONE theory is that he's closeted and created her to cover for it.

But we don't know the truth yet. 

ETA: I live in a hole too.  I saw posts about this 2 or 3 days ago and didn't read them - the name meant nothing to me.  Then I cuaght it on the news yesterday and have started to catch up!  Oh- and he plays football for Notre Dame and would reference his girlfriend as inspiration for playing well. 

[smock]

I have a very hard time believing Te'o didn't know she was fake. The only way it makes sense that he DIDN'T know is if he was intentionally exaggerating their relationship for press, like they talked a few times but were not really dating.

[smock]

I mean, let's say he was completely fooled. He never once in the year-ish they were together asked to Skype? Facetime? Anything? I can't imagine never seeing the person you say you're in love with, especially if she's dying! Especially skipping her funeral!

[Deleted]

Jan 18, 2013 10:46:39 GMT -5 smock said:

I mean, let's say he was completely fooled. He never once in the year-ish they were together asked to Skype? Facetime? Anything? I can't imagine never seeing the person you say you're in love with, especially if she's dying! Especially skipping her funeral!

Yep, this is weird to me. A popular football player who probably would not have a hard time finding a local girlfriend strikes up an online relationship with someone and never puts in the effort to meet, Skype or talk on the phone with them? It says he would talk on the phone in that one article, but how? If she was made up, who is he talking to? 

[partiallysunny]

At first I was inclined to believe he had been duped, because, hello, anyone seen Catfish?

But as more of the story comes out the more I get suspicious. Either he exaggerated the relationship he thought he had with this woman or he was in on it, for what ever reason.

[Deleted]

I defintiely think he was part of it.

[Muddled]

He has to have been in on it. Has to.

I don't know why. Maybe he was covering something up. Maybe he wanted the extra media attention the story brought him (because he didn't get enough as it was). All I know is he'd better represent in the NFL if he wants to change what he will be remembered for.

Although, on the other side of things, if you are in on and you know the story is going to be on ESPN and NBC and whatever else, wouldn't you be a bit more careful about the picture you chose? You know, like, make sure she's not going to out you or something.

There are people saying that he should've gone to the funeral of someone who didn't exist?

[broc]

Jan 18, 2013 10:42:09 GMT -5 ECB said:

he plays football for Notre Dame and would reference his girlfriend as inspiration for playing well. 

Well, this is the big *gaaaasp* because he cited this, talked about how in interviews etc for the national championship game, which was well after new years', and Notre Dame was apparently tipped off that the whole thing was a hoax on December 26th. So, if he could lie so well/plausibly in the public eye before such a big game, it's suddenly not so implausible that he was lying 'well' all along. And 'well' has quotation marks, because there are holes up down left & center through this whole story... it's like 'the girlfriend died of leukemia' is just as untouchable in sports journalism as it is on GBCN, which is patently freaking ridiculous.

The other thing to add in here is that in that past month, Notre Dame has hired several private investigators on Te'o's behalf wrt this hoax. In the meantime, 2 players from Notre Dame were accused of raping girls, one of whom committed suicide, and Notre Dame did no such thing to follow up on those allegations. Sketchy, sketchy, sketchy.

[starrieskies]

I don't see how he could possibly not be in on it, but I suppose the possiblity exists. It just doesn't make sense to me. I don't see any way for him to benefit from this. He either comes out of it looking like a liar or an idiot.

[Muddled]

Jan 18, 2013 11:47:26 GMT -5 broc said:

The other thing to add in here is that in that past month, Notre Dame has hired several private investigators on Te'o's behalf wrt this hoax. In the meantime, 2 players from Notre Dame were accused of raping girls, one of whom committed suicide, and Notre Dame did no such thing to follow up on those allegations. Sketchy, sketchy, sketchy.

This really should be the bigger story and I'm both sad and angry that it's not.

It's all so corrupt.

[Chirp]

Jan 18, 2013 11:47:26 GMT -5 broc said:

The other thing to add in here is that in that past month, Notre Dame has hired several private investigators on Te'o's behalf wrt this hoax. In the meantime, 2 players from Notre Dame were accused of raping girls, one of whom committed suicide, and Notre Dame did no such thing to follow up on those allegations. Sketchy, sketchy, sketchy.

I heard about that, I think, last month (sometime within the past few weeks). IMO, it looks pretty damn bad that that is being kept quiet. Very, very quiet. It's like that Steubenville thing. WhyTF is it so quiet? You'd think any of the 24 hours news networks would be all over that shit.


WRT Te'o's girlfriend/boyfriend/imaginary friend... I'm so confused.

[bowies]

Deadspin did a great job putting together the pieces - if you've got time, read the whole thing.

The fake profiles were run by a "friend" of his, so count me in the skeptics corner that he was duped. He also lied from Day 1 about where he met her. His father also lied on his behalf. This was a PR stunt, nothing more.

I'm angry that Notre Dame knows they're being played, but is spending their resources on this.

Te'o had multiple girlfriends, so why he felt the need to invent an online one, I have no idea. I guess none of the IRL ones had leukemia so it was inconvenient for him.

[Deleted]

Jan 18, 2013 13:15:14 GMT -5 bowies said:

 I guess none of the IRL ones had leukemia so it was inconvenient for him.

How gross that he made up a girlfriend that was sick and died. 

[kaneen]

He's stupid.

No wait, he's a liar.

No wait, he's both.