Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
So Manti Te’o broke his silence late last night and despite denying any involvement in the hoax what he had to say left many, including myself, questioning the validity of his statements.
“When (people) hear the facts, they’ll know,” Te’o told ESPN’s Jeremy Schaap.
Well, Manti why don’t you tell us all the facts?
Instead, just how the two-and-a-half-hour interview was conducted was bizarre in itself, especially if Te’o has nothing to hide.
First, it was conducted off-camera. Good luck figuring out why a television network and television reporter would agree to do an off-camera interview. Is ESPN that desperate to get an exclusive interview? It must be after getting duped by Deadspin.com, which broke the Te’o story after ESPN claimed it was working on the story but wanted the former Notre Dame All-American linebacker to tell his side of it before airing it.
I’m sure it had nothing to do with the network televising the BCS National Championship Game and not wanting a storyline such as this soap opera to take away from the hype surrounding the Notre Dame-Alabama game.
The interview raised even more eyebrows because Te’o did it from IMG Training Academy in Bradenton, Fla., with his attorney next to his side.
“I wasn’t faking it. I wasn’t part of this,” Te’o claimed.
OK, Manti then why did after finding out in early December that you were the supposed victim of this hoax did you sit on it, conveniently until after all the awards shows I might add, and not tell your coaches or Notre Dame administrators until the day after Christmas?
Te’o did admit he lied to his own father about meeting Lennay Kekua. If that’s not damning, I don’t know what is.
If Te’o lied to his father, do you not think he’s capable of having a hand in this whole ordeal? Absolutely. Sorry, Notre Dame fans, but the face of your football program isn’t holier than thou as the university, its culture and fan base propped him up to be.
Perhaps the most lethal blow to Te’o's previous squeaky-clean image was his answer to why he didn’t visit his dying girlfriend.
“It never really crossed my mind … I was in school,” he said.
To that, I say, ‘Manti Te’o, C’mon man.’
Maybe those advising Te’o should tell him to stay quiet now and hope this story goes away.
The bad news for Te’o is it’s not going away and what’s left of his once impeccable reputation is taking hit after hit, day after day with no end in sight.
Doug Griffiths is a member of the Football Writers Association of America and the US Basketball Writers Association. Doug is a columnist/writer for RantSports. Follow him on Twitter @ISLgriffiths and Facebook.
