Take this one for what it's worth.

I'm on record telling you fine folks, right from the start, that Manti Te'o was innocent of everything other than misleading his father.  You sure as shit won't see me backing down from that assertion now.  Every bit of evidence - EVERY BIT OF EVIDENCE - has backed up Manti's claim that he was just a gullible nerd who fell in love and didn't know any better.

So, as I so very astutely informed you blog reading folks, the narrative began to crumble.  You were first told that he was the world's greatest con artist.  That held up for a day or two.  Then you were told that he kept lying about "Lennay" after he knew she didn't exist.  That one still has some tentacles in certain circles.  It's false, for what it's worth.  He got a call on December 6th.  He had an interview on December 8th.  The notion that the December 6th call cracked the case is incongruous with everything else that we've learned.  Common sense would dictate that this phone call would send the poor kid into a state of confusion.

But screw it.  People will always want to assume the worst about people who appear to have exceptional character.  Even if you accept the false notion that the December 8th interview was a lie (and I don't), you would generally have to agree that it's understandable given the circumstances.  Unless you're a hater, that is.

In that case, you need to move right on to the next narrative - "Nobody could possibly be that gullible."  As someone who knows nothing about Manti Te'o other than what I've seen on television since he committed to Notre Dame, I'm no expert.  And, as such, I know far more than 99% of you out there.  This guy is different.  He has been different from the start and this has been obvious to anyone who paid attention.  But some people just can't accept that a guy could have the heart to become closer and closer to a woman that he never met, even as she became more and more distressed.

Here's an article from someone who claims to have insight into the subject.  I make no claims about the author's qualifications.  If you people are so convinced that Te'o should have vetted Lennay, then you can go ahead and vet the author of the linked post.  I don't need to.  I was convinced that Te'o was telling the truth from the start.  Nobody has come close to convincing me otherwise.

So read the brief article of you like.  And take it for what it's worth.

(Then, if you're really in the mood for some self-reflection, compare this story to the Benghazi story.  Four dead Americans as a result of administrative incompetence, followed by non-stop lies - nobody gives a shit.  Manti got tricked by a fake internet chick - national scandal.  This country is seriously fucked.)