photo by joe raymond
ken. So why did we all care so much?
At its crux this story is more than a
cultural misunderstanding. It is more
than an eye-opening warning about
the dangers of new technology. It's
an age-old tale of a community and
their hero betrayed by a lie. Nothing inspires a larger outcry from the
American sports fan
than when they feel
they have been deceived, especially when
the lie involves a
story that once
inspired somet h i n g b e t t e r.
Mark McGwire
and Lance Armstrong know
the feeling well.
"We expect
our heroes to
be truly
heroic,"
said Notre
Dame's anthropology
Jan. 18, 2013 — Te'o speaks
to ESPN reporter Jeremy Schaap
to explain his side of the story
during an hours-long off-camera
interview from IMG Academy in
Brandenton, Fla. He denied any
involvement in the plot.
chair Susan Blum, who specializes
in the study of deception. "We don't
want them to have flaws like the rest
of us, which, when you think about it,
is ludicrous."
Those still questioning how a
22-year-old man could be so obtuse
might find their answer in a mirror.
Most fans have only encountered
Te'o from a distance, on the Internet
or on television. They heard him talk
about the core values of their clan and
fell in love with the linebacker without ever having met him. When he
described his pain last fall, football
fans felt it too. When a confusing message arrived months later, the media
panicked, grew angry and confused,
and said things they didn't know to
be true.
Te'o reacted in all the same ways
during his tragic relationship with
Lennay Kekua and in the aftermath
of her supposed death. He wanted to
be a hero, and we all wanted him to
be one.
We are all perfect marks. ✦
Jan. 24, 2013 — Te'o appears on
camera for the first time on Katie
Couric's daytime talk show. He
tells Couric his biggest regret was
lying to his father about meeting Kekua and making his family
suffer. ✚
Jan. 31, 2013 — Tuiasosopo
speaks for the first time on the Dr.
Phil show. He says he acted alone
in creating Kekua and duping Te'o.
✚
Feb. 23, 2013 — Te'o is expected to work out and interview
with professional teams during
the NFL Combine in Indianapolis where he will have to answer
more questions about the bizarre ordeal.
