Brother Teo Story - Plausible?

[filovirus]

I don't think in the grand scheme of his life any of the duplicity matters. He will still go on to have a great NFL career and still be a great person. The only reason it is making all the headlines is because it is such an odd story. The only people this really affects are the ones who donated money based on his story.

[Bob Oliverio]

It is a good thing you don't make decisions for them. I can think of several reasons, that are not damning, for their not going public with their findings.

Sorry, given the potentially devastating impact this story could have on the well deserved promising future of this young man, I can't think of one reason why they would not release the facts that would exonerate him. The draft is just around the corner! 

But if you can think of several reasons, could you share your top one or two here?

[Duncan]

I don't think in the grand scheme of his life any of the duplicity matters. He will still go on to have a great NFL career and still be a great person. The only reason it is making all the headlines is because it is such an odd story. The only people this really affects are the ones who donated money based on his story.

them's my sentiments, I have never even heard of the fella before today

[Calm]

Perhaps he asked them not to because he is concerned about those involved more than he is about the personal fallout for him.

[Bob Oliverio]

I don't think in the grand scheme of his life any of the duplicity matters. He will still go on to have a great NFL career and still be a great person. The only reason it is making all the headlines is because it is such an odd story. The only people this really affects are the ones who donated money based on his story.

Who donated money and where was it donated to?  I had not heard about this.

[Bob Oliverio]

Perhaps he asked them not to because he is concerned about those involved more than he is about the personal fallout for him.

Then you must believe he is guilty, the investigation did not exonerate him and the University is covering for him.  What other people would suffer "fallout" from releasing the facts if he is not part of the fabrication?  Not following you here.

[ERayR]

Sorry, given the potentially devastating impact this story could have on the well deserved promising future of this young man, I can't think of one reason why they would not release the facts that would exonerate him. The draft is just around the corner!

But if you can think of several reasons, could you share your top one or two here?

Perhaps someone(not him) has done something that is being investigated by law enforcement?

[Bob Oliverio]

Perhaps someone(not him) has done something that is being investigated by law enforcement?

Sorry.  That dog won't hunt!  Perhaps too much legal background on my part.  If there was a criminal investigation ongoing, ND would not comment at all and probably use that as their reason.  How would either party know of such criminal investigation?

What's your next, out of the "several" you had, best reason?

[Bob Oliverio]

Just finished dinner w my in-laws and their friends here in Provo while wife and I finish our trip to Utah.

This whole Teo story dominates conversation for the past day here in Utah.  Seems to have strong ties to Church but I really don't understand why.  No one here in wife's family believes Teo is innocent nor will they give him any benefit of doubt.  It's sad because it's almost an uncontrollable anger against him.  Thought folks here would be a bit more patient but they seem to more angry about the deception than the press at this hour.

Can I assume the same conclusion by most here after today's events? Not many seem to come strongly to his defense.

Sad story now.

[Stargazer]

If you really wonder whether or not people routinely fall in love with people they have never met, just catch the show 'catfish' on Mtv.

It's a reality show where a guy and a friend (who was duped into a romance with someone who essentially didn't exist) now goes out and tries to help other people who are in internet relationships and have doubts about what their significant other is saying but don't want to give up on them because of 'love'. He basically tracks down the love interest and reveals to the person he is trying to help who that person really is in real life.

Dr. Phil also did a show where three very intelligent grown women (who did not know each other obviously) were duped into have relationships with a guy for years, and who really loved that guy, who eventually found out it was actually a woman just pretending. It devastated their lives.

Apparently, it does happen.

Reminds me of one of my favorite movies, You've Got Mail. Joe Fox III as NY152 falls in love via AOL with Kathleen Kelly as Shopgirl, and vice versa, having never met, nor having any actual knowledge of each other's appearance, what they do for a living, their family situation, or even any clear idea that the other actually is the expected gender. Fox proclaims to his friend, just before finding out Shopgirl is Kelly, that this is the most wonderful woman he has ever come across and even if she was as attractive as a mailbox, he would be a fool not to haul off and marry her.

Then he finds out who she really is and the fun begins.

Why am I even posting this?

[rongo]

Just finished dinner w my in-laws and their friends here in Provo while wife and I finish our trip to Utah.

This whole Teo story dominates conversation for the past day here in Utah. Seems to have strong ties to Church but I really don't understand why. No one here in wife's family believes Teo is innocent nor will they give him any benefit of doubt. It's sad because it's almost an uncontrollable anger against him. Thought folks here would be a bit more patient but they seem to more angry about the deception than the press at this hour.

Can I assume the same conclusion by most here after today's events? Not many seem to come strongly to his defense.

Sad story now.

There's a whole background to this. Duncan, sit up and listen and take notes.

There was a drinking incident during Te'o's recruiting trip to BYU. Te'o and some other recruits were called into Bronco Mendenhall's office (BYU's head football coach) individually. While nothing was said about Te'o being guilty, he abruptly turned against BYU and pursued Notre Dame. The Te'o family became rabidly anti-BYU and rabid in their Notre Dame boosterism, all out of proportion with the situation. BYU fans had long since moved on, but the Te'o family had become obsessed with vindicating over and over again Te'o's choice to go to Notre Dame. The game against BYU this year was a huge deal for the Te'o family in their continuing quest to vindicate and justify Te'o going to Notre Dame, and the TV crew and announcers kept showing them and their painted faces throughout the game.

Valentinus is right. There is simply nothing good about this, any way you slice it. Here's an interesting take from the non-Mormon, Notre Dame side . . .

http://collegespun.com/big-east/notre-dame/a-notre-dame-students-take-on-manti-teos-dead-girlfriend-hoax#.UPhSbR27PoL

There are simply too many gaping holes in what Te'o and his father have said. His father has said repeatedly that Te'o met with his girlfriend many times in Hawaii, and Te'o himself twice referred to his girlfriend as his girlfriend *after* it was outed as a hoax. It looks like, at the least, there are psychological issues laid bare in front of the public.

Here are some more gory details, hot off the presses (6 hours ago). A montage of Te'o statements about his "girlfriend:"

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/college-football/news/20130117/manti-teo-girlfriend-hoax-quotes/

Tragic, and sad. Kind of worse than anything Paul H. Dunn ever did with his stories, isn't it? Elder Dunn was never front-page news around the country.

[volgadon]

Sorry. That dog won't hunt! Perhaps too much legal background on my part.

That is far from evident.