Vendicated? Shelly Smith Reports Te’o Not Involved
By Andrew Hall
Nov 29, 2012; South Bend, IN, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish defensive lineman Manti Teo cleans the floor during the game against the Kentucky Wildcats at the Joyce Center. Notre Dame defeats Kentucky 64-50. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
Ronaiah Tuiasosopo, the individual who has been publicly recognized as the person behind Lennay Kekua, admitted to a member of his church that he was behind the hoax and that Te’o was not involved. The member of his church declined to have her identity revealed.
If this story is indeed true, Manti Te’o would be cleared of any wrongdoing in this situation. But, that does not seem to please people. Now, people want to know, “Are you that stupid?”
Outsiders just do not know Manti Te’o. Te’o is not your average 21-year old. The devout moron from Laie, Hawaii chose Notre Dame over USC based on faith and prayer. The average high school student would have made the decision based on playing time and their chances to get to the NFL. While his friends are out partying after a victory, he is resting up for church. The reason people do not understand this situation is because Te’o is not mainstream. He’s different. He’s an individual who could be duped by this situation.
Manti Te’o still needs to speak to the media and demonstrate these characteristics. The Notre Dame community knows who he is. Now, the world needs to know the real Manti Te’o. The Te’o that Irish fans loved before any of this happened.
The report that was released by Deadspin.com on Wednesday has controlled the media attention in this case. This article engaged in a lot of conjecture. Therefore, much of the coverage has also engaged in conjecture and not fact. The only individual who know the facts are the perpetrators and Te’o himself. Both need to speak. The perpetrators are unlikely to so Te’o has to.
There are still questions. Was Te’o embarrassed about meeting someone online and therefore lied about meeting her in person? How could you have believed something without factual proof? Answer them now Manti.