When The Echos Awaken

Photo Credit to Sports Illustrated

We tend to forget sometimes that this is a game.  It's a game played by young adults in precarious positions.  Their every move is in the spotlight, yet, they're just college kids.  College kids going through the same emotions and situations we all did (or will go through for you young whipper-snappers).  We gather around and demand everything they have every fall Saturday and expect them to be model citizens the other six days.  We expect them to be perfect.  None of them are.  Manti Te'o included.  

As the details emerge, it looks more and more like Manti Te'o was legitimately duped and is now going through a humiliating life experience.  Unlike similar situations that arose in our lives, his is being followed by MILLIONS of people.  While the jokes at first were quite funny (when we thought Manti was in on it), now I'm sure some of us would like to recant on them.  We have here a young man who apparently fell for a girl on the internet.  Hey, some of us have been there.  Met a girl on myspace and started talking... whatever the story.  It's a controlled environment that makes some people comfortable, especially people with self-esteem issues.

You can look at Manti Te'o and say, hey... "here's a guy that has it all.  He's a young college football player at one of the most prestegious football schools in the country.  He's going to become a millionaire overnight in a few months and have everything he's ever wanted.  Why would someone like that need to date some fake girl on the internet?"  You can ask that.  However, you need to grasp the concept that not everyone sees themselves in the same glorifying light as you do.  What's going on in Manti's head, or any college athlete's head, is something YOU aren't able to comprehend.  You don't even know the person.  This isn't one of your friends that you can psychoanalyse from a distance.  These are real people going through real issues and real sitautions.  Don't pass judgement so soon.

Remember, it's not all about fall Saturdays to these guys.  They have lives.  Friends.  Relationships.  Classes. Jobs.  It's not so different from you.