Do you want Te'o on your favorite NFL team?

Stoney's whiny hatred aside, I think it is ridiculous to say Te'o is too much of a sideshow for that locker room given some of the scumbags they've had on that team. I'm not a fan of people using words like rapist when the case was so weak they didn't even file charges, but Roethlisberger's disgusting behavior that night in Georgia is far more disturbing to me than anything Teo did. Even if Roethlisberger didn't actually rape that girl, 93Devil and quite a few others need to go back and read about what he did do.

What is the real concern about Te'o? Questionable judgement and intelligence? The Steelers built their current team around a guy who has shown horrible judgement and incredible stupidity. Saying Te'o wouldn't even be worth having as an undrafted free agent is ridiculous. Not sure I'd want him in the first round, but if he somehow made it to Pittsburgh in the second, I'd think that was a hell of a good pick.

Then again, I'm not one to worry about such things. There are plenty of dirtbags all around the NFL, many of them worse people than Te'o.

 

Here is what I'd recommend if I were Te'o's agent. Whatever team you get drafted by, you gather all the beat guys together and you say: "Ask me whatever you want about this. Let's get it out there. But fair warning. I'm only doing this once, and then I'm never, ever addressing this crap again. Ever. Now with ESPN, not with SI, not with Yahoo, not with the Post-Gazette. But let's go with it right now. Ask away."

Comparing the "distraction" he'd bring to Tebow is silly. Tebow is an on-going problem with the Jets because Sanchez is terrible, and there is an army of Tebow worshipers out there who think "All he does is win." And the media feels the need to constantly ask questions about him in part because Sanchez is terrible. If he was Tom Brady's backup, no one would ask him shit every week. The distraction would be zero.

 

I still think the poll is stupid.

 

Well stated. I agree.

The Tebow "distraction" is something inherently and fundamentally different, sorry if some folks (ie. 93Devil) have trouble comprehending the difference. The Tebow distraction remains until he conclusively proves that he ain't an
NFL calibur QB. It requires a triggering event (clear failure as an NFL starter) to finally put it to rest.

The Te'o "distraction" will disappear on its own soon enough. It flares up BIG TIME at first, but as long as Te'o stays out of trouble, it quickly dissipates and eventually vanishes regardless of his performance on the field. He's already invited all questions from the likes of Katie Couric, what more can be asked that would make any real difference?

Because it was so enticing an initial storyline, people want to make it into something relevant. But it's not. It's just some silly post-adolescent/college love life tale gone awry that hurt nobody. The idea that it should jeopardize this kid's pro football prospects is idiocy.

 

I think part of it is Notre Dame fans who want to believe it cost their team the title game.

 

I honestly do not believe he's going to be a good player anyway, and I felt this weeks before this thing broke. He is a good college linebacker who got destroyed by SEC talent. He doesn't move great sideline to sideline and he will be a liability in coverage.

Watch when he runs 4.7 at the combine.

 

Honesty, can you show real evidence that this view is actually prevalent? Or is this just a Bama fan false perception?

Because I've really not heard nor seen it at all, other than from a couple SEC fans arguing against that view, without evidence that it was really even "out there." I know a few severe ND fans--Domers of the worst order--and all bluntly and painfully acknowledge they got their asses bludgeoned in that game, and did so well before the first word of the Kekua scandal was known to us common folk. So who exactly has been making this claim?

Gotta say, I'm kinda getting the suspicion this claim just might be being used by Bama/SEC fans as an excuse to keep viciously piling on, whether warranted or not.

 

Honestly, I have seen it but not cared enough to check the background. I don't give a shit about Manti Te'o. But I would take him with the 28th overall pick if I needed a linebacker.

 

As a Bears fan, if he's still hanging around at 20 and there are no offensive linemen of reaonable value still there, I take him in a heartbeat. With Urlacher nearing the end they need help at middle linebacker. Urlacher still has a year or two left and can insulate him enough until he learns the ropes and takes him and the story out of the imediate spotlight.

 

Double Down's assessment fits with many I've seen. Te'o is a little slow, which makes me wonder about him as a replacement for somebody like Urlacher, whose range and ability in coverage are a big part of what makes him such a good player.

 

And if he is not up to snuff to play in the NFL, the Notre Dame and all the other people who feel sorry for him, I think, will pressure teams into starting him even though he might not be good enough.

 

Pressure an NFL team to start a certain player? Maybe you meant to use the blue font.