Wow. The only reaction that seems to come out of my mouth is Wow. Within a week, two (formerly) beloved stars of their respective sports have been embroiled in preposterous and staggering lies; their stories erupting in a volcano of deceit and moral depravity. There have been many famous sports scandals from the 1919 Black Sox to Penn St. and Jerry Sandusky. However, what sets these two apart, more so than others, is the nature in which their stories (and ultimately their lies) were used to further the mythological stature each of these two men shared. The lies became part of their narrative: Lance Armstrong as the Cancer survivor resisting the use of performance enhancing drugs, becoming a beacon of light in a darkened sport; Manti Te'o as the All American Linebacker overcoming unspeakable tragedy to lead "America's" Team to a perfect regular season. Both men created an intricate and inexhaustible web, a web which ultimately left them trapped in their own hand-spun artifices. In the end, lies can only last so long.
Yet, there is something that strikes you with Armstrong and Te'o, in different ways. For Lance it is the astonishing length at which he clouded the world's view of him, disparaging others (a list so large there was no one left to defend him) and even filing lawsuits, and winning, against those who had the courage to speak the truth. Lance went on camera time and time again, to reassure the world that the newest teammate or competitor claiming he used PEDs was a manipulative liar, bent on destroying him and his sterling reputation solely out of some form of retribution (he was actually talking about himself). We wanted to believe Lance Armstrong. We wanted to believe that his incredible story was pure and true; it was too perfect, too inspirational, too amazing, too unbelievable. What about those yellow bracelets? And the Foundation which he founded that has raised nearly 500 Million Dollars for Cancer research? What it is so mind-boggling about Lance is that, in the end, the steroid use won't be what spawns our hatred of him. It is the incessant lying to our face over and over and over again. Not for days or weeks, months or a couple years, but for a decade. The vitriol directed at the likes of Mark McGwire or Alex Rodriguez for their steroid use will pale in comparison to the hatred that will follow Lance in the years ahead. In a world where nothing is what it seems, Lance Armstrong embodied the best the human spirit had to offer. And in one fell swoop he has shown us the worst. Or so we thought. Enter: Manti Te'o.
Te'o is less cut and dry at this moment. He has not confessed to orchestrating an elaborate hoax. In fact, he released a statement claiming he was the victim. His Athletic Director, Jack Swarbrick, was teary-eyed at a press conference defending the star linebacker. Yet, I find little comfort in his claim that he is a victim. Maybe, just maybe, he could plead ignorance. Maybe he can claim that he didn't know; that he actually thought he was in love with this imaginary person. Maybe he can tell us how it would be nonsensical to devise such an elaborate scheme, and maybe, like Lance Armstrong, he will buttress his claim with the sterling reputation that precedes him. I simply do not believe him. It is eerily reminiscent of college football titan, Joe Paterno, who owned a similarly impeccable reputation as Te'o does. Paterno claimed he didn't know what was happening for so many years. Paterno claimed no viable information was presented to him to warrant taking real action (other than telling his superior), such as telling the police or ensuring Sandusky never set foot on the Penn St. campus again. T'eo will find himself in a similar predicament. Either he was complicit or simply kept his eyes shut. Might I ask why after "her" death, he didn't meet with "her" family or attend any funeral services? Yes, he claims that "she" told him not to attend the funeral, but why not travel after the funeral and mourn with the family? Why not visit "her" grave after the funeral? Why do absolutely nothing following "her" death? Did "she" issue a directive that Te'o could not meet "her" family after the death? Did I mention "her" funeral supposedly took place in Carson, California, which is an astonishing twenty minutes driving from USC, where Te'o played about a month after "her" death? Would Brian Kelly have said "no" if Te'o asked for a couple hours to spend with his "girlfriend's" family? I think not. And what about the fact that he claimed he met "her"? Or that his father, Brian, claimed they would meet in Hawaii? Did someone really take the incalculable time and effort to create and perpetuate a lie of this magnitude, which would include paying a girl to talk every night with Te'o? Am I to believe Manti Te'o, who is smart enough to play middle linebacker (the play caller on defense) at Notre Dame, as well as graduating in 3.5 years with a major in Design and a 3.3 GPA, is not smart enough to figure out something may be a little fishy? Just as Lance used his lies to perpetuate his narrative, Te'o did the same. Te'o grabbed our hearts and put them in a choke hold. We became captivated by the story of a young man, overcoming unbelievable tragedy to lead Notre Dame back to its former glory. He had a sterling reputation not just as a football player, but as a man.
Lance will go on Oprah today and confess his sins and admit wrongdoing. But don't let him fool you. This was not some noble gesture by Lance acting out of the goodness of his heart. When the damning report from USADA was presented a few months ago, Lance was defiant. His lawyer attacked the credibility of the report (there were 26 sworn statements, including 15 from cyclists, against Lance) claiming it was a "tabloid piece". When the Tour de France stripped him of his titles, he tweeted a picture of himself lounging on a couch with the seven yellow jerseys he won with the caption, "Back in Austin and just layin' around..." The arrogance is palpable, coming from a man who actively lied for a decade about his steroid use. It takes a special breed to come back from Cancer and win the Tour de France seven times. It also takes a special breed to lie in such a manipulative fashion while still being able to rest your head at night; I'm not sure which is more remarkable.
The true story of Manti Te'o will come to the forefront, as it did with Lance Armstrong. Secrets, in this information age, only stay secrets for so long. When the whole story comes out, a very different picture of Manti Te'o will emerge, and I can guarantee the negative feelings we harbor toward Lance will permeate our thoughts of Manti Te'o. In the end, we are left to ponder if there is ever any truth in this world. There may be none, except for one thing: nothing is ever what it seems.
