<p>GolfFather- I have to disagree. When a couple of SI reporters were doing a story about former LSU cornerback Tyrann Mathieu, they went down to Baton Rouge to do some ‘gumshoe’ fact-checking and ended up finding Mathieu’s face on a club promotion flyer (that might have compromised his return to the LSU team this Fall.) Only by going to BR and doing some investigative work, did these reporters get it right. </p>
<p>And, I surely don’t have to mention Sarah Ganim whom broke the entire Sandusky story last year after her dogged and determined investigative reporting? Won her a pulitzer (well deserved!) </p>
<p>Investigative journalism is not dead. Laziness, however, seemingly abounds.</p>
<p>As far as trying to find holes in the story by looking back at quotes from the father, etc, I have this thought . . .</p>
<p>I am not an expert on anything related to this, but after watching a couple of episodes of Catfish and having followed other news stories where “meetings” and “conversations,” etc. supposedly have taken place, I’ve come to the following conclusion:</p>
<p>The phenomena of suggestion, shared group memory and wishful thinking are extremely powerful.</p>
<p>Te’o’s father, having talked with his son (probably often) about this “girl” could very well believe that he remembers meeting her. Court cases are full of people who get on a witness stand and swear that they saw X person or saw X happen.</p>
<p>The brain is a very funny thing. I wouldn’t put too much weight in trying to find contradictions in various statements. </p>
<p>Did people lie? Absolutely. But mis-remembering and imagining happen also.</p>
<p>I think the BCS game was on ESPN not CBS so I’m confused about the CBS comment unless you are talking about something else. Doesn’t really matter though which network it was on.</p>
<p>And very irresponsible on ND to have a piece run on something they know is not true.</p>
<p>I never said investigative journalism is dead.
I said copy editors and fact checkers.</p>
<p>Thomas Boswell has said that as a cost measure and because of the speed of online media, there are no more (or little left) copy editors at the Washington Post.
And it shows. ;)</p>
<p>They often report the wrong actors or wrong titles in old movies.
An article in the Sunday magazine last year mentioned that Jim Thorpe was in western Pennsylvania.
A SF Chronicle article yesterday published a story with a completely botched title of a classic album.</p>
<p>As LaurenDog said, it would have taken one person just an once of journalistic knowledge and abilitiy to pick up a phone and check a very important fact.</p>
<p>You can’t fill a magazine or sports show with stories that didnt pan out. Its in nobody’s best interest to burst the bubble. Sports exist as the medium for the human interest roll in package. </p>
<p>The NYT loves having someone showing up that they can conveniently give them just the quote they need for their article. google Greg Packer. You think they want to fact check that and have busted stories?</p>
<p>deb922 - CBS this morning (Charlie Rose) ran a three-minute story on Lennay’s death on the morning of the BCS game. It did indeed air that night on ESPN (the game I mean, not the report.) You can view it by going to Deadspin dot com and reading their front page story about how they blew this story wide open. The CBS report is embedded. </p>
<p>GolfFather - Manti’s dad never said he met her. He said that his son met her back in 2009, and had ‘hung out with her’ in Hawaii many times since. Did his son tell him that he had met “Lennay” back in 2009? Or did the dad invent this story since it seemed plausible that they would have met after the Stanford game in '09?</p>
<p>argybargy - What in the world are you talking about? There are 1000 stories reporters can fill their magazines and newspapers with. </p>
<p>If the dead-girl thing doesn’t check out, Pete Thamel just leaves it out of his nearly-complete SI story, and talks a bit more about Te’o’s campus presence and dead grandmother’s influence. </p>
<p>If the dead-girl story doesn’t check out, CBS does a story about the two Golic brothers whom have a famous dad and whom will be playing their final football game together, after playing together since Middle School. </p>
<p>If the dead-girl story doesn’t check out, the New York Times does a story about how the Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly is about to leave for the NFL (maybe) even though he is guiding the number one college team to the title game. </p>
<p>If the dead-girl story doesn’t check out, the Washington Post goes with a story about how Notre Dame has really dropped the ball in investigating the suicide of a St. Mary’s student whom claimed she was raped by a Notre Dame football player. </p>
<p>I can come up with 50+ more stories these media outlets “could have filled their pages with” if anyone at them makes ONE phone call to Stanford and finds out the girl doesn’t exist.</p>
<p>Laurendog, thanks for clarifying, I was confused. You wonder who at Norte Dame did know what when. Did the sports information director know this story was a hoax before the BCS game?</p>
<p>deb - Yes. The Notre Dame Athletic Director held a press conference last night and said that they were told by Manti Teo and family on December 26th. They said nothing at all on this topic until last night.</p>
<p>Te’o has cancelled his news conference. Apparently his new excuse “I concocted the death of my fake girlfriend to protect her from Brent Musberger” , just didn’t hold up to scrutiny.</p>
<p>I would be surprised considering they drafted the likes of Cam Newton (I mean Scam Newton), who, according to media reports, has quite a storied past as well. </p>
<p>At least Manti has a degree from Notre Dame in hand.</p>
<p>notre Dame AL - I don’t think his Notre Dame degree is going to speak to his credibility when he’s looking for a job. Manti = “I’ve been outed as a compulsive liar by every media outlet in the country (BBC even picked up the story overseas) but I DO have a degree from Notre Dame!” ha ha Notre Dame is a fine educational institution, but not even their reputation can save his “reputation” as an honest broker. </p>
<p>He will definitely get drafted by somebody. Will he go as “high” as he would have before the story broke? Probably not. Will he be drafted a little lower by a team whom thinks they are getting a ‘good deal’ and can deal with his 'truthfulness issues?" Sure. This incident will cost him some money, for sure, but he’ll still end up with a chance to make an NFL team this summer. </p>
<p>I just hope it’s not ‘my’ favorite team because this is all I am going to think about every time I see him out on the field.</p>
<p>And what do you think about Cam Newton, LaurenDog? Check his past…he was recruited but left Auburn after one semester (did not even stay to finish that semester!).</p>
<p>Oh, he’s back at Auburn this semester, but his reputation certainly did not prevent his draft by Carolina. Guess he might need that degree from Auburn, given his performance this season at Carolina!</p>
<p>notre dame AL - What in the world are you talking about? Cam Newton started at Florida. Stole a lap-top, lied about it, jumped out a window, was dismissed from Florida. Went to Junior College. Did fine. Was recruited by Auburn. Eventually enrolled at Auburn where he won the National Championship and definitely finished the first semester. </p>
<p>Went on to get drafted by Carolina where he signed a 22 million dollar contract and has endorsements with Under Armor and others for millions more. He doesn’t need the money and he’ll never need the Auburn degree. Ever. He can retire right now and live the rest of his life off of his contract and endorsement money already in the bank. If he’s going back to Auburn it’s because he wants to finish his degree not because he needs to. </p>
<p>Please identify ONE HR person going through resumes whom is going to go to their superiors and say the following… “Hmmm…maybe we should hire Manti Te’o.” He has been found to be completely untruthful, and possibly a pathological liar, but I think he’ll be a great addition to our company because he has a degree from Notre Dame."</p>
<p>“All of you who wore Leis at the Michigan game get out”</p>
<p>Purdue alum dad always said that he would have a tough time rooting for ND even if they played Hitler. Little did he know…Adolf was an ND fan as well.</p>