George, yes, actually. He's repeatedly said that he 'knew' her online for a long time but it wasn't until that last 4 month stretch that they became an item. That was when the car accident and all that crap was allegedly happening. He fell for the tragedy. He got suckered. He's made that assertion repeatedly, not that anyone is listening. Like I said before.. what complicates this isn't Te'o's lie to his father. It's the suggestions and innuendo made by Deadspin that the main stream media ran wild with that simply were not true or speculative at best. As for having 'online only' friends, I think people would be shocked as to the reality of that situation. Honestly, take an introspective look at our community here. Is George real? Was the death of AJ real? Did Huskerman really nail a tranny dressed like Jennifer Anniston pretending to be Wendy? I'm 80% sure of my own reality but this Te'o thing has really thrown me for a loop. The reality is that we live in a society that doesn't prize personal interaction anymore. People are too bothered to be bothered with other people. Do you realize, I've never met my insurance agent, or agency for that matter? Athletes today will tweet and facebook their fanbase for hours on end from the comfort of their own home, but they can't be bothered to sign an autograph for someone who is right in his face after the game.. unless there is a pay day or a photo op in it. This is what we've become. It's not the youth you boomers had, nor is it the life the GenX crowd had. These GenY kids have it kinda shitty.. while also having everything handed to them.
Next to last George.. GenX started off on the good foot, but then AIDS sort of derailed all that. Terry, I agree.
I'm sorry to be weighing in so late on this but I've been on an extended vacation (I know, you're feeling sorry for me). When I first heard about this I was skeptical as to how Teo could have fallen for this. As more information came out it became clear to me how this could have happened. Teo graduated from ND is 3.5 years. He is obviously brilliant. People with minds like that think and process things differently than idiots like me. I work as a Facility Manager at the National Institutes of Health. Nearly all of the people I service are not only Ph.D.'s, they are world famous scientists in their fields. They also cannot tie their shoes. I am unquestionably the lowest educated person in the three buildings I manage, yet things completely fall apart whenever I go away on vacation. These people cannot change batteries in their equipment power supplies, they cannot manage to go a week without losing their access cards that get them into the facilities, they forget their computer passwords constantly, and, Im not kidding, many of them need me to accompany them to the ATM because they can't figure out how to use it. Their IQ's are off the charts, yet I have to walk them through anything that doesn't involve scientific research. Some of you know my brother recently committed suicide. My brother was the smartest person I've ever known. He once tested in high school as having an IQ of over 160. He not only passed the CPA test in one try, he recorded the highest score in the Maryland Board of Public Accountancy that year. He was also the nicest guy in the room in any room he was in. But the sad truth is that my brother was completely dysfunctional. My brother had little ability to reason and fell for the dumbest of scams. For example, he actually believed the "stolen kidney" urban legend and for the last fifteen years of his life he would not sit in hotel bars. But I digress. Manti fell for this scam, I believe, because Manti doesn't have a lot of common sense, and is easily led. He does what his parents tell him to do, he does what his coaches tell him to do, he does what his faith tells him to do, and thus he rarely thinks on his own. I feel really sorry for the guy. He will never live this down. No matter what he does on the field in the NFL there will be signs in visiting stadiums taunting him for years. I hope he's getting professional help because he's going to need it. If my brother had done so he'd still be alive.
Well said, Bob. Your personal tragedy provides you with unique insight into the workings of an intelligent yet sheltered mind.
Bob, After reading your comments, I too think you have pretty well nailed the reason for all of this ongoing saga. It really does make sense to me from what you have written and makes me feel better about what has transpired.
I didn't know, and still don't know, what to believe in all this. What I do believe is that Bob's from the heart makes the most sense. I hope this young man, he's no longer a kid, gets some advice and help to get beyond this and have a productive NFL career. He will need to be strong because for sure he is going to hear it from fans and opposing teams. Bob, I did not know about your brother but please accept my condolences, that has to be a tough thing to live through for your whole family.
Not only that, I don't care, and still don't care... The kid, guilty or not, did not take the Hope diamond, did not kill the pope, and didn't even smoke a little grass. The media has nothing better to do than to perpetuate this non-issue. Get over it!
I agree Tom and don't really know what you mean by get over it. I wish this young man nothing but the best but do believe he is going to hear about this for a long time. Bob's post makes a whole lot of sense.
Bill, "Get over it" was in the same paragraph as slamming the media for perpetuating it. I was implying that the media should just shut the f&@k up.
Doesn't help that now his phone confidant turns out to be a gay man. That's pretty embarassing for Manti if he is straight. He's got a tough road ahead.....
Answer to your first idiotic comment: No, it's not. Answer to your second idiotic comment: No he doesn't. You're a gawker. A gawker is one who believes what he reads and spews opinions without knowledge. A gawker doesn't care about the facts. He judges based on his own biases and lives in denial about his own shortcomings. Te'o has strong character. He has strong faith. He is a very intelligent young man, having graduated in 3.5 years. He has external and internal strength we mere mortals can only dream about. If he stays healthy, he will have a successful career in the NFL. The taunts and criticism from all the other ignorant gawkers will roll off like water off a duck's back. He is a model young man.