Reporting, then commenting on what they reported could possibly mean. It's objective journalism, with teeth.

That's a matter of conjecture. They've never claimed he was in on it or even that he's been lying. It all seems more like due diligence to me, they're laying out the facts, and what they could possibly mean. It's not their fault this entire situation, from every angle, looks really bad for Manti.

Is it just me or is every God Damn new revelation about this story just a very confusing lateral move that brings us no closer to the truth? Every new story my reaction is "Oh, well that explains it.... wait, what?? I think I'm having a stroke."

If this were true I'd expect THIS comment to get deleted, but here it is.

People, on both sides of the debate, are just too desperate to find a clear, black & white answer to all of this. The truth is there aren't enough hard facts to find that answer yet, and a responsible media outlet shouldn't pretend there is one just to please people. This is what Deadspin is doing.

tBS;dr

I've always been cautious of reading too much into a single quote but:

And now this... http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/01/18/manti-teo-gives-off-camera-interview-to-jeremy-schaap/

Sooo, they're ESPN with a lot more substance?

So what the initial story said actually isn't what you're saying is libelous. You're just questioning whether they just made up a quote or source all together. By that standard you can question pretty much any news story ever written.

You also said:

The OP asked about the phone calls with the family and the hours long calls. You responded:

I did, all I could find was one sentence in a Pat Forde story stating "phone records show multiple calls between Te'o and that number."

Okay, let's see the story. How many times do I have to ask?

"The phone calls have been confirmed by the phone records. There's no doubt about that.. unless you press me on it, in which case I'll admit that there's no confirmation and quite a bit of doubt. But hey, deadspin sucks."

Which story was this mentioned in?

Where did you get these phone records?

Looki, looki, I got a Manti.

So this whole thing could've been Tuisosopo making an awkward, ill-timed pass at a linebacker? Finally, this story is starting to make sense.

That's the really weird thing. Also, this girl was supposedly in the hospital and struggling to breathe while on the phone with Manti. What exactly would Manti have heard over the phone that would convince him everything was on the level? Did someone really breathe heavily into the phone and try and make it sound like…