By now you've undoubtedly been swept up by the compelling, confusing and convoluted story of Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te'o and the deceased love of his life that never was.
Deadspin broke the story yesterday, recounting how numerous national publications, such as The New York Times were duped by this story, teaching us all a valuable lesson taught in Journalism 101: "even if your mother says she loves you, go back and double-check."
If you perused Twitter between the hours of 4 pm and midnight yesterday, there was no escaping it. It was fun to see everyone pretend as if they were suddenly experts in football, espionage and deception. Naturally, some of the NHL's most candid players gave us their thoughts on the matter, stirring the pot even further.
Twitter celebrity Paul Bissonnette led the charge with a few humorous comments, such as this friendly reminder:
I think we all learned a valuable lesson today. Don't date someone you haven't met….
— Paul Bissonnette (@BizNasty2point0) January 17, 2013
According to Edmonton defenseman Ryan Whitney, the Te'o story means that everything about Notre Dame lore should now be brought into question:
This Manti Te'o story makes me think long and god damn hard if Rudy's friend really did die in that steel mill accident before he enrolled
— Ryan Whitney (@ryanwhitney6) January 16, 2013
It kind of makes you wonder if there was a cover-up around Rudy going offsides, doesn't it?
Canadiens forward Max Pacioretty seems to only be interested in what really happened. What better way than to have Te'o sit down on Oprah's couch, have a good cry and let the truth set him free?
When is Oprah going to interview Manti Te'o??
— Max Pacioretty (@MaxPacioretty67) January 16, 2013
Pacioretty's teammate in Montreal, NHL journeyman Mike Commodore, decided that if Te'o could magically make a girlfriend appear, so could he.
Big news in my life folks! I have a girlfriend!! #mantiteod
— Mike Commodore (@commie22) January 16, 2013
Interestingly enough, fellow Habs defenseman PK Subban retweeted this, having a good chuckle over the matter. He reportedly didn't manage to get in touch with general manager Marc Bergevin yesterday, though. Priorities, right?
Here's a theory from Nashville defenseman Jonathan Blum, in which he suggests all the actual girls spend most of her time hanging around the fifth-ranked hockey team, instead of the football squad.
were there not any good looking REAL women for Te'o at Notre Dame? Must of been with all the hockey guys hey @icole23? #casper
— Jon Blum (@JonBlum7) January 16, 2013
Solid hypothesis right there, Blum. That kind of critical thinking is going to be needed in the Nashville locker room now with Ryan Suter lost to free agency and USA Hockey videos coming soon to a theater near you.
Then again, Sharks star Logan Couture seems to admire Te'o for having it all figured out.
Maybe Manti has it all right. Having a fake gf could be much better than having a real one. He's just a step ahead
— Logan Couture (@Logancouture) January 16, 2013
He may be on to something. The jury's still out on that one.
One player we didn't hear from was Flyers goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov, who's other-worldly thoughts would've certainly shed some light on the frenzy that followed this story. Other outspoken NHLers who may have had some insight for Te'o, such as Patrick Kane, newly-engaged Alexander Ovechkin, TJ Oshie, Joffrey Lupul and Claude Giroux all kept to themselves on social media, choosing not to lend Te'o a hand with their past experiences with women.
Then again, you'd be hard-pressed to find an NHL player who got his heart broken by an imaginary one.
(Photo via NHL.com)
