Manti Te'o and His Imaginary Girlfriend

[EDGECRUSHER]

Does anyone here still believe that he was complicit in the whole thing and did it to garner votes/popularity?

I am not convinced of his innocence just yet. He did admit to lying about meeting her, and he didn't go to her funeral OR even look upset the day she died. Is it enough to convict him in court? Definitely not, but it's just too shady for me to believe he wasn't in on it somehow. The other alternative, is that he is one of the dumbest people alive. Neither bodes well for his draft stock.

[Spider-Dan]

I think originally, he was just milking it excessively, calling her his "girlfriend" and making up meetings to try to play it all up (but unaware that she didn't actually exist).  After he got the call on Dec. 6, that's when he switched from mostly-innocent victim to actively perpetuating the deception.  He was complicit from Dec. 6 until he told Notre Dame on Dec. 26.

[SCFinfan]

From the phone records, looks like they talked for hours on end, multiple times over many, many months.

My guess is he was into her, and while he thought it was weird they'd never met, etc, was too into her/emotionally attached to let go. So, he went the middle route and lied about meeting her so that he wouldn't look weird to a TV audience (maybe his advisors/handlers TOLD him to lie?) but everything else was pretty much true to life.

Remember, this kid is probably pretty sheltered his whole life, and fairly good. He appears that way anyway. Good, sheltered people are often naive because they think that everyone thinks like them/is like them, at least partially. He probably gave the voice on the phone the benefit of the doubt for way longer than any one of us would. But that doesn't mean he's dumb. Just means he's young and sheltered.

Would that we were all such innocent lambs.

[Landshark]

This right here hurt his draft stock more than this story ever could:

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nfl-shutdown-corner/manti-te-o-runs-slow-4-81-40-192229205--nfl.html

[CF DolFan]

This right here hurt his draft stock more than this story ever could:

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nfl-shutdown-corner/manti-te-o-runs-slow-4-81-40-192229205--nfl.html

So he is smaller and slower than he is supposed to be as well as naive at best ... who would care about that? I jest but it seems pretty likely that he will fall in the draft. The best thing for him is that a lot of greats including HOFers have fallen in the draft and recovered just nicely.

[Phishfan]

ESPN was just now talking about him and Bill Polian said the dumbest thing I have ever heard in my life. He said, "No player has ever been drafted because of a workout he did at the combine." I'm not even sure what his reasoning is. If the combine had no effect on a player's draft position, why even bother doing it. Think before you speak Bill.

[el diablo]

Maybe Bill's imaginary girlfriend happens to be a Raider fan. Because obviously 40 times meant nothing in their WR picks.

[Sunstroke]

ESPN was just now talking about him and Bill Polian said the dumbest thing I have ever heard in my life. He said, "No player has ever been drafted because of a workout he did at the combine." I'm not even sure what his reasoning is. If the combine had no effect on a player's draft position, why even bother doing it. Think before you speak Bill.

I think you may be reading his words wrong... He didn't say that no player has ever improved his draft stock because of a combine workout.

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

I think you may be reading his words wrong... He didn't say that no player has ever improved his draft stock because of a combine workout.

That would mean that there was never a player in which a team before the combine thought a player wasn't worth drafting at all and at best should be called in for tryout for an UDFA position, but because of his combine workout they decided he was worth using a 7th round pick on. 

[Sunstroke]

^^^ I'm saying that every prospect invited to the combine is "expected" to be drafted, regardless of what round they're expected to be drafted in.

Some improve their draft standing due to their combine performance, and others see their draft prospects weakened by the combine.

[Phishfan]

^^^ More players are invited to this year's combine than there are draft slots. How can you say they are all expected to be drafted. Polian's comment was still stupid no matter the spin. We all know there have been workout warriors past, present, and future. To say none of them jumped from UDFA to draftee is shortsighted.

[Landshark]

He ran a 4.69 at his Pro Day.  Gained back a little ground, but his draft stock is still hurt.

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

I think you may be reading his words wrong... He didn't say that no player has ever improved his draft stock because of a combine workout.

Actually his sentence would make sense if you add one word....

"No player has ever been drafted solely because of a workout he did at the combine."

[el diablo]

The greens are faster in South Bend...
Women, not so much.