As the 'Catfish'-like Manti Te'o story continues to be revealed, much like peeling an onion that's been left out on the dock too long, I wonder how long before another sordid--possibly illegal--sidebar is discussed.
I'm talking about the possibility that this supposed hoax was revealed to Te'o at the precise time to have maximum effect on his play in the recent BCS Championship Game debacle in Miami. Further, if professional gamblers had this information before the game took place on January 7, 2013 (remember Te'o allegedly was told of the hoax on December 6, 2012), it no doubt would have affected their betting.
Farfetched? What is certain is that Te'o had an absolutely brutal game against Alabama, although it could be argued that the Crimson Tide were a juggernaut not to be stopped that night, reflected by their 9.5 line as favorites. And while it's true that Te'o was only one of 11 defensive players on the field, he was the head of the dragon, so to speak. As middle linebacker, he relayed the defensive schemes to the rest of the unit, a very important piece of the puzzle.
Also remember that Notre Dame officials were informed by Te'o of the hoax on December 26, 2012, so there were, in total, 20 days of Te'o and his immediate family knowing, and then 12 more days before the game after the University had been told. Incredible pressure on the kid, and even if he was totally innocent in this mess, it is not out of the realm of possibility that knowledge like this to gamblers could conceivably be worth two, three, maybe more points than that to the bettors' line, a veritable gold mine for them.
And heaven help Te'o if some kind of extortion plot comes out eventually, and he revealed it to nobody.
A lot more to unfold here, and I would 'bet' that some investigative reporters are taking a close look at the Vegas line and wagering patterns up to January 7.
Later.
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