Manti T'eo chuckles to Katie Couric: "I am far far far from gay!"
In the much ballyhooed
Katie Couric interview” this week, Manti T’eo was confronted about his sexual orientation and literally began to laugh out loud: “Katy you’d be surprised to know how far far far from gay I really am!” Even though it seems as if this story grows more preposterous by the newscast, I hope this blog will give you enough background to nudge you into commenting, because– quite frankly–this story baffles the HELL out of me.I’m really having a time wrapping my head around it. It’s more complicated than the S.C. DUI Laws I’ve been studying for 25 years!
Right out of the gate, let’s clarify the players:
Manti T’eo- alleged victim of a hoax, Hawaiian linebacker for Notre Dame. “Mystery Man”;
Ronaiah Tuiasosopo- psychologically-complicated MALE, intimately involved in the hoax (made the picture for the fake twitter), has some relationship to T’eo, though it’s nature is unclear at this point;
Diane O’Meara- a real human being whose the “face” of the twitter account, claims no part in the hoax, her identity was allegedly “stolen”;
Lennay Kekua- the supposed girlfriend/fiancee of T’eo who “died from Leukemia” in faked death the same day as T’eo’s Grandma– 9-11-12.
Liars come in all shapes and sizes. Whether it be a thin, veiney multiple Tour de France winner or a bulky, brown fresh-faced linebacker who finished second in the Heisman votes, people are often too reluctant to accept the truth. Nowadays, it is altogether too commonplace to see a star athlete ensnared in a scandal. Just last week on Oprah, for example, Lance Armstrong, an athlete who has done so much in representing our Country and basically introduced the USA to competitive biking, admitted that he cheated his way through the latter part of his career. With all of the recent scandals in the sports world, it has become a difficult task for athletes to believe they are invincible and get what they want. They all too often end up sitting at the table with their criminal defense attorney.
In recent news, Manti T’eo, a linebacker for Notre Dame, has become apart of one of the
most wild stories to surface in a while. At best this dude is a “Mystery Man”; at worst he may be a self-serving liar of unprecedented Heisman history. From a fictitious girlfriend and an online love affair, T’eo has reported to have been apart of a hoax. Reports show that T’eo was involved in an online relationship with a female student from Stanford under the alias of Lennay Kekua since his freshman year of college.
That’s right, a serious, spiritually based “this-is-the-one” RELATIONSHIP since he was a freshman at Notre Dame. Moreover, throughout these several years this intimate relationship existed there was no personal interaction whatsoever. They never met face-to-face.
T’eo has informed the media that he has just recently learned that this young woman faked her death and even worse, t
heir whole relationship was a scam. This was especially devastating news to the young man
because he recently lost a couple family members to cancer. Specifically, his beloved grandmother, on September 11th (that’s right, the same day the his imaginary lover died.) Although some –including his coaches apparently–may feel pity for the Fighting Irish football player, his bizarre tale of love and loss has become a very mysterious one that most people have not been able to put a finger on. Certainly not me nor my new legal assistant Tyler Martin, who’s helping me with this piece.
On the ABC news website, it has been reported that T’eo crafted the story to the media and altered the facts numerous times. T’eo stated that he was embarrassed to admit to family and friends that he was in love with a woman that he had never met; that he in fact “crafted” fake stories to family and friends to make sure they did not find out this fact. Well if one thing is
for sure, we know
love was not found at first sight for this couple. (I wonder who actually received the white roses T’eo sent to his cyber-sweetie?)
As T’eo keeps reassuring the media and reporters that he had nothing to do with the hoax, many people feel that his story seems “catfishy“. Before the Heisman ceremony, news came out that T’eo lost his girlfriend to cancer. Could this have been a ploy in an attempt to get sympathy votes for Heisman? With as many lies as mystery man has given the media, it has become extremely difficult to trust anything that passes this Hawaiian’s lips.
As evidence keep seeping its way into the media this week, we now know that Kekua told T’eo she was in a “automobile accident” and suffered a personal injury and a “coma”; The at-fault driver was driving under the influence and guilty of a DUI. T’eo admitted he never made an attempt to visit her while she was in the-hospital
because he was busy with school. I know, right?!?
The story gets even better! According to ABC news, the relationship was intense. The “couple” had a ritual of discussing the scripture from the Book of Mormon. Both parties even kept in contact with each other’s families! I want to know who was playing the part of Mr. and Ms. Kekua? Step aside Jersey Shore! Scoot over, Downton Abby!
Although his story may sound crazy, teammates are reassuring the media it is a hoax and T’eo is a true helpless and unwitting victim of the highest order. An unnamed teammate has told the media that when T’eo received the news of her death, he cried and grieved over her death. This unnamed player had reportedly spoken on the phone with Kekua and did not seem suspicious at the time.
Getting back to the Katie Couric interview, I just did the unthinkable (for any of you who know me and my feelings towards Katie, Oprah, et. Al. ): I watched it! And to give the Devil her due, she asked some hard and direct questions.The question that created the biggest moment of drama:
“Manti, people are speculating that you fabricated this imaginary girlfriend in an effort to cover up your sexual orientation. Manti, are you gay?”
I am a firm believer in body language. Immediately after asking this bombshell, T’eo began to laugh. Visibly and earnestly.
“Of course not Katy. I’m not gay. In fact I am far FAR FAR from it!!! You wouldn’t believe how far from gay I really am.”
(Camera cuts to audience to several beautiful young Hawaiian ladies who can barely control their laughter at the absurdity of Couric’s question about their friend’s sexual orientation)
What a relief! I sure am relieved that Manti T’eo is not gay. So glad that he finds this particular “allegation” to be so comical and absurd. (As do his groupies, apparently) To be sure, T’eo is not gay; rather, he’s a Narcissist with a borderline “God Complex” who maintains, for YEARS, a passionate, heartfelt, exclusive relationship with an imaginary girl he has never met. About whose death and true identity T’eo bald face lies to the world a mere two days after he allegedly “learns” the cold harsh reality of the situation.
It now looks like three (3) different actors “faked” the girlfriend’s voice. And the LEAD actor was a MAN. A high school friend of manti who wanted a relationship of some sort with the star and thought this may be the only way??? (He’s hired a lawyer).
I hope this blog has stoked the embers enough to get some answers from YOU GUYS, since no one else seem to have them right now. I’ll even whittle it down to four (4) basic questions that baffle my damn mind.
1. Was T’eo a willing participant in this scam?
2.At what point did he truly realize his cyber lifemate didn’t exist?
3. Will T’eo be able to survive this controversy and develop into a force within the NFL?
4. Even in today’s cyber-culture, how could you find a life partner in someone you have never
met in person?
Answers to any or all of the above would be GREATLY appreciated. By EVERYONE!
J.L. Mann Cromer, Jr. Served as the only True Independent Member of the South Carolina General Assembly from 1990- 1998. Currently, he is serving in his 14th year as Reading Clerk for the S.C. House. Additionally, Bubba is a General Practice Attorney in Columbia, South Carolina, concentrating in Probate & Estate Planning, Criminal Defense and Personal Injury Law.
Full-blown Macadamia nut! There’s too many inconsistencies, including Teo’s continuing references to his deceased girlfriend leading up to the Heisman ceremony and the national championship game – all of which was after he apparently got a “call from the grave” from the love of his life in early December. Teo, like the rest of the Notre Dame team, was a media-perpetrated fraud waiting to be exposed. There were six SEC teams and two ACC teams which would have beaten this Notre Dame team like a rented mule this year. The real victim in this was not Teo (who at worst is a psychopathic liar and, at best, is dumber than a rock) but Jadaveon Clowney, who was the runner-up to Teo for at least three national defensive player awards. I suspect Clowney will have the last laugh as he’s destined to be one of the NFL’s all-time greats, while Teo will be a journeyman linebacker for a few years.
I believe the poor guy. I think he should voluntarily castrate himself to remove any possibility of producing other gullible offspring. Additionally he should be removed from the voting rolls. We have enough ill-informed voters as it is. The big question, will he receive a diploma from Notre Dame? Obviously he has flunked logic and any other course that calls for a conclusion based on facts presented. So, what could he possibly be getting a diploma for? Basket weaving…no…that I believe requires some form of order and logic….finger painting….if there is such a major!
Bubba, why are you wasting your blog space to write about this stupid thing!!! Who cares? It’s a total waste of writing space. Why not write about something that is really important, like gun control. Look you southerners, I grew down there and I know how much you love your guns. I’m alright with your right to own a gun. But, if you do own a gun I have a right to know you are not some crazy nut. It called the right to pursue happiness. Knowing that there is likely some nut out there that can purchase a gun as easy as you can buy a pack a gum, interferes with my pursuit of happiness! There are more rights than the right to bear arms involved in this.
I totally agree with you, Dick. The 2nd Amendment nonsense has been carried way beyond the way any level headed interpretation could be made.
The best part of this whole situation is that deadspin released this news a day or two before Lance Armstrong could “confess” to Oprah. How great would it have been if Te’o held a press conference at 8pm on Thursday. I am pretty sure OWN would have cut live to the press conference and returned to the regularly schedule programming later.
Whatever kind of involvement, Te’o has to live with this for the rest of his life. He is going to hear about it in the locker room, at press conferences and every single date he ever goes on. I hope the media didn’t out this college kid.
PS: What do you think Brent Musburger would of said if Lennay Kekua was at the BCS national championship game?
Maybe Brent would have said “If you are a young guy wanting to go to Notre Dame, go start throwing a cyber football around and you will get yourself one hot cyber girlfriend”..
This clown with his amazing scheme got all the media to pity him which resulted in him receiving multiple awards, one of them for Linemen.. he didn’t even play that position. Truly the media should have lots of eggs on their faces to be fooled and for Notre Dame for buying into the scheme as well.Wow, an internet girlfriend for 3 years and for some reason her skype cam never worked in 3 years, but her twitter feed did. He may have been punked but to carry something like this on for 3 years shows amazing dedication to damage someone. I don’t believe it, not for a moment. He must be one of the biggest morons in the history of football. He shouldn’t be allowed in the NFL because he has obviously been hit in the head too many times. Sure everyone was talking about him during the national championship game, but that is because he should have spent more time learning how to tackle and less time in the tatoo parlor. According to other football players I know, he sucks.
I was also wondering, did his cyber girlfriend have a cyber funeral and did he send cyber flowers..
Ok, this guy has had his extended 15 minutes of fame when it should have been limited to no more than 15 micro seconds. His next stop should be on the couch of a psychiatrist and if that doesn’t help perhaps a brain transplant is in order.
Does anyone want to place a bet on whether or not he is an Obama voter? His apparent intelligence level indicates it is a slam dunk that he is a Comrade Obama voter.
Well just when you thought it was over now we hear katie Couric is going to interview him. His family is in on the interview also.
He already graduated from Notre Dame. You would think the Jesuits would insist on someone passing Logic before they graduated but apparently not. Many people have imaginary friends but usually that ends when you are four years old.
He was in on the whole thing to pump up Heisman votes. He is a total macadamia nut. I am sure Miss Katie will be asking the hard questions the boys at ESPN just could not bring themselves to ask. We will probably find out his favorite color and astrology sign.
Bilenda they are now suggesting THREE (3) different actors played the girlfriend role? And the main one was a MALE??? Please Bilenda, PLEASE help me here….
So here is the Rogina story for ya Bubba. If I remember right, it was my Senior year of high school and one of my aquaintances (a friend of a friend) was getting ready to go into the Army and was pretty “hard up” to meet a gal. He was always asking to be hooked up or introduced to someone. So one night we were hanging out and I was on the phone with my friend Roger, and this other guy was doing his usual, “man, I need to meet a girl”, I am so lonely rant. So I asked Roger, “Hey isn’t your sister looking to meet someone?” and as often happens between friends he instantly caught my jist and responded, “She sure is, put him on the phone”. Thus Rogina was born. At first this guy mentioned a couple times that Rogina’s voice just didn’t sound right, to I eagerly would tell him, ” No man, trust me she is fine. They are from Switzerland and she has had to learn english, it’s just like German chicks they are use to a harsher labguage so their voice comes across that way” Poor bastard ate it up hook line a sinker. We actually thought he would catch on after a couple days but he never did. Finally about 2-3 weeks of phone conversations this guy was completely smitten with my friend Roger (Rogina) and we knew we had to let him off the hook. So he came over one day and I told him Rogina wanted to meet him. I swear this guy went to his car and sprayed Binaca in his mouth like 5 times he was so excited. So we walked down the street two doors and he rang the doorbell. Roger came to the door, and in his best “Rogina” voice said, “Hi sweetheart, it is so nice to finally meet you. You wanna go upstairs?. I thought this guy was going to stroke out on the spot after seeing his beloved “Rogina” answer the door as a slighlty portly guy. After a couple seconds of him trying to grasp what was happening, as Roger and I were laughing so hard we were crying, we recieved the mandated inssults and slugs to the arms. I only saw that guy a few more times before he headed off to boot camp, but after about a week, he had found the humor in the situation and laughed pretty hard about it. So that is the story of the infamous Rogina.
God & Heaven Brendan… You ARE the original CATFISHER!!!! Awesome. You need to get Bilenda and George to look into MTV snaking ur idea! Thanks for sharing and let me know if y’all are ever in South Cackalacky! great to hear from you!