Former Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te’o was supposed to make a statement Thursday about the alleged girlfriend hoax that has caught the nation’s attention. He changed his mind. Columnist Tom Musick and reporter Jeff Arnold discuss:

Musick: However many hours later, I still can’t get over the strangeness of the story. What’s your take on Te’o’s claim that he was the victim of an elaborate hoax?

Arnold: If this story doesn’t win a Daytime Emmy for best soap opera ever, the fix is in. That said, it’s one of the most bizarre and intriguing stories I’ve seen come across Twitter in – well, ever. As compelling as Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick came off in his news conference, when the school basically backed up every thing their star linebacker said, I don’t completely buy it that he was a completely innocent bystander. I mean, c’mon, what Heisman Trophy contender can’t find a real girlfriend?