Manti Te'o's Dead Girlfriend......Never Existed?

[Slyfox696]

It's all irrational jealousy but that's sports.

This is a good point. It just amazes me people take such delight in a story like this.

 

[George Steele's Barber]

The religious aspect is not very significant but all together has some part. Even some other Catholics find Touchdown Jesus to be obnoxious.

You don't see people ever shitting on other Jesuit schools like Boston College. In fact the nation had a unanimous hard on for Doug Flutie for a long time. I still do.

 

[Cena's Little Helper]

Not that big of a deal in my opinion. In any other year this probably would've hurt Te'o's draft stock. But, given how well Janoris Jenkins and Vontaze Burfict (both graded as first-round talent and played like it this year even though the former went in the second round and the latter went undrafted) have turned out, I predict that he'll stil go in the top ten.

 

[Slyfox696]

Yet more evidence. It's amazing the information which can be found when a proper investigation is done. In fairness, it is noted these records cannot be independently verified, so for those conspiracy theorists, you have your out.

Manti Te'o and the woman whose picture was used to portray his fake girlfriend appeared in separate television interviews Wednesday to describe their roles in the hoax, while what a source said are phone records may give credence to Te'o's assertion that he spent hours on the phone with someone he thought was Lennay Kekua.

A source close to Te'o gave ESPN's Jeremy Schaap documents that the source says are Te'o's AT&T phone records from May 11 to Sept. 12, the date that the woman was supposed to have died. The logs are not originals, but spreadsheets sent via emails, and could not be independently verefied.

The records show that in that four-month span -- when Te'o has said he believed Lennay Kekua to be in a Los Angeles hospital recovering from an accident and being treated for cancer -- Te'o made and received more than 1,000 calls totaling more than 500 hours in length from the same number in the 661 area code. The 661 area code covers Lancaster, which is part of Los Angeles County. The source told Schaap that Te'o believed the 661 phone number in question was Kekua's.

Of these calls, 110 were more than 60 minutes in length, including several that were several hundred minutes long. In an ESPN interview Friday, and in interviews with both ESPN and Sports Illustrated last fall, Te'o said he was on the phone "every single night" with a person he believed to be Kekua, often for long stretches late at night.

Source: http://espn.go.com/college-football...nti-teo-acknowledges-lying-first-tv-interview

 

[shattered dreams]

Yet more evidence. It's amazing the information which can be found when a proper investigation is done. In fairness, it is noted these records cannot be independently verified, so for those conspiracy theorists, you have your out.



Source: http://espn.go.com/college-football...nti-teo-acknowledges-lying-first-tv-interview

How is this source any different than the 80% one that deadspin is being villified for using? So now the proper way to investigate something is to wait until someone creates records that corroborate their story and then gives them to you? Interesting perspective on journalism.

 

[Slyfox696]

How is this source any different than the 80% one that deadspin is being villified for using?

Hence the word "evidence". Furthermore, I also noted the fact these reports could not be independently verified. Finally, this piece of evidence fits into the puzzle of what is more and more looking like the truth, and is not a random piece from another puzzle, presented with the intent of accusing a victim of being a conspirator. Is it possible this evidence is false? Yes. But given the information we know, does it not seem to fit much more logically than some random anonymous source who claimed they were 80% sure Te'o was in on it for publicity?

As far as my perspective on journalism goes, I generally prefer there to be actual evidence of wrongdoing before you go out and write suggestive statements which re-victimize and humiliate a college kid all over again.

You REALLY need to take a break from this place. You're acting far more irrational than normal. And seriously, this obsession with me you have is starting to become a little disconcerting.

 

[Con T.]

As far as my perspective on journalism goes, I generally prefer there to be actual evidence of wrongdoing before you go out and write suggestive statements which re-victimize and humiliate a college kid all over again

How do you feel about Mike Florio as a journalist? Because to be frank, he's probably one of the best when it comes to the NFL; he also doesn't seem entirely sold by anything the Te'o camp has provided at this moment.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/01/23/teo-produces-spreadsheet-of-cell-phone-records/

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/01/23/teo-tells-couric-he-lied/

This isn't just the writers of Deadspin who seem skeptical; this is a pretty damn good journalist, away from the ESPN fence, that seems at the least, skeptical of what is going on. Florio has no ties to ESPN, nor Deadspin, but for whatever reason, seems to believe ESPN is being taken for a ride by a camp that needs to do massive damage control.

 

[Slyfox696]

How do you feel about Mike Florio as a journalist? Because to be frank, he's probably one of the best when it comes to the NFL; he also doesn't seem entirely sold by anything the Te'o camp has provided at this moment.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/01/23/teo-produces-spreadsheet-of-cell-phone-records/

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/01/23/teo-tells-couric-he-lied/

This isn't just the writers of Deadspin who seem skeptical; this is a pretty damn good journalist, away from the ESPN fence, that seems at the least, skeptical of what is going on. Florio has no ties to ESPN, nor Deadspin, but for whatever reason, seems to believe ESPN is being taken for a ride by a camp that needs to do massive damage control.

I don't mind questioning the integrity of the phone calls, as I can see where that would be suspicious in the minds of those who believe Te'o was in on it. The only reason I posted it here is because it really frustrated me how quickly so many people jumped to the conclusion that Te'o was behind it all and not just because Te'o played at Notre Dame.

But I have no idea what the point of the second link is. First of all, Te'o told Katie Couric many things. The fact the headline (on so many news sources) is "Te'o tells Couric he lied" is incredibly misleading, given the accusations which have been levied against him. But to use a headline to...bash ESPN???...doesn't make sense to me.

I don't know Mike Florio, can honestly say that if I've ever read anything from him, I don't remember it. But I have no idea what he's trying to say in the second link you provided.

 

[Con T.]

But I have no idea what the point of the second link is. First of all, Te'o told Katie Couric many things. The fact the headline (on so many news sources) is "Te'o tells Couric he lied" is incredibly misleading, given the accusations which have been levied against him. But to use a headline to...bash ESPN???...doesn't make sense to me.

I don't know Mike Florio, can honestly say that if I've ever read anything from him, I don't remember it. But I have no idea what he's trying to say in the second link you provided.

I think the implication here, though admittedly he's much more judicious in how he says it, is that ESPN was taken for a ride, by Te'o's camp. Actually, here's the quote here;

In the end, it appears that the Te’o camp played ESPN, and that everyone lost. Per the New York Times, the initial tip to ESPN came from Te’o's agent, and the facts support a reasonable inference that ESPN believed it was more likely to get a Te’o interview if ESPN waited until having quotes from Te’o before reporting the story, even if those quotes weren’t given on camera.

Now granted, that's part of your big issue with Deadspin, that they didn't wait for Te'o's quotes, which admittedly can be a problem. However;

A. Deadspin did reach out to Te'o for a comment, which he and his camp didn't give, so they ran the story.

B. ESPN was even mixed on how to go with this story, to the point that people within the company are questioning the call;

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/23/sports/ncaafootball/as-debate-raged-at-espn-manti-teo-story-slipped-from-its-hands.html?_r=0

For some, the debate within ESPN quickly gave way to regret and reflection. Three ESPN executives interviewed in recent days said they should have published on Jan. 16. The executives, who would not be identified because they did not want to second-guess their organization by name, said that the network’s focus on waiting until getting an interview with Te’o was a mistake.

“If I had my druthers, we would have run with it,” one executive said. “We’ve had a bunch of discussions internally since then, and I don’t think it will happen this way again. I wonder sometimes if perfection is the enemy of the practical.”

Also, there seems to be an implication, at least from those outside the ESPN bubble, that ESPN's main concern was to get Te'o on camera. Though it's difficult to back up the veracity of this, this quote does seem kind of damning;

“On-camera is always our primary interest,” a senior ESPN executive said.

 

[Slyfox696]

I think the implication here, though admittedly he's much more judicious in how he says it, is that ESPN was taken for a ride, by Te'o's camp.

But I don't see how he comes to that conclusion, based upon the fact Te'o never said anything different to Couric he didn't tell Schaap, with the possible exception of why he talked about "her" after December 6th, which I think everyone already knew the answer to.

Now granted, that's part of your big issue with Deadspin, that they didn't wait for Te'o's quotes, which admittedly can be a problem.

Or any evidence which would make the article appear less biased.

However;

A. Deadspin did reach out to Te'o for a comment, which he and his camp didn't give, so they ran the story.

B. ESPN was even mixed on how to go with this story, to the point that people within the company are questioning the call;

Wasn't I the one who gave you that link? Or was it CH David?

Also, there seems to be an implication, at least from those outside the ESPN bubble, that ESPN's main concern was to get Te'o on camera. Though it's difficult to back up the veracity of this, this quote does seem kind of damning;

I'm still not making the connection. What exactly is he alleging? That Te'o was behind the whole thing because of a news headline ran on news sites, which would have been uncovered by ESPN had they not waited to get Te'o on camera to give his side of the story?

I know you're trying to say he's making a point, I'm just not sure what the point is. I'm not making the connection.

 

[shattered dreams]

Hence the word "evidence". Furthermore, I also noted the fact these reports could not be independently verified. Finally, this piece of evidence fits into the puzzle of what is more and more looking like the truth, and is not a random piece from another puzzle, presented with the intent of accusing a victim of being a conspirator. Is it possible this evidence is false? Yes. But given the information we know, does it not seem to fit much more logically than some random anonymous source who claimed they were 80% sure Te'o was in on it for publicity?

The ESPN source is a random anonymous source making claims as well. The deadspin source provided information that "logically fit" based on the information available at the time.

I guess you are the one that is obsessed with me. I am just expressing my opinion on a story that has become big news. Just like Haiku is doing, just like you are doing. Get over yourself.

 

[Slyfox696]

While it seems interest on this has died down some, the situation just became even weirder:

The lawyer for Ronaiah Tuiasosopo, the individual allegedly behind the hoax involving Manti Te'o, told The New York Daily News that it was his client, using a falsetto voice, who impersonated Lennay Kekua on phone calls with the All-American linebacker.

Voicemails left on Te'o's phone by "Lennay Kekua" provide the first clear example of Kekua's voice, and provide some picture into the relationship the two prior to her "death" in September.

The messages were released by Katie Couric's syndicated talk show, Katie, in advance of Te'o's first on-camera interview since the hoax story first broke on Jan. 16.

The first voicemail is from what Kekua said was her first day of chemotherapy treatment:

Hi, just let me know you've got here. And I'm getting ready for my first session. Just wanted to call, keep you posted. I miss you, I love you. Bye.

In the second, Kekua accuses Te'o of having someone else in his room when she called; based on the message, this person, not Te'o, picked up the call:

http://www.usatoday.com/story/gameo...eo-girlfriend-katie-couric-interview/1862093/

So for those wondering about the woman talking to Te'o...it was actually a man. But before you laugh (okay, a little chuckle is fine), Tuiasosopo is a trained voice talent, and Katie Couric's website released those voicemails earlier (I heard them on ESPN Radio, and the USA Today article I linked has a link to where the voicemails should be) and they sound VERY believable as a woman.

This Tuiasosopo seems to be a very strange individual.


EDIT: Apparently the Katie Couric page keeps going down, so here is a link to TMZ's site where you can hear them: http://www.tmz.com/2013/01/24/manti-teo-voicemails-katie-couric-lennay-kekua/

 

[CDR]

I think that if somebody doesn't believe that Te'o was completely duped by now, they probably never will. The guy's lawyer came and said that Tuiasosopo was completely behind it all. I don't know what more the critics could need to be convinced. It's obvious enough. Just because somebody hates on Notre Dame doesn't mean they should ignore what's right in front of them.