"Now I know why Manti Te'o always bit on the play action fake" -- Gary Cinello on Twitter

Numerous commenters pretended to be Lance Armstrong and thanked Te'o for distracting the media from the cycling champion's doping scandal.

A Tumblr showed pictures of men posing with invisible girlfriends, instantly coining the term "Te'oing." One photo showed an empty chair on a beach, with the words, "Look how hot Teo's girlfriend is!"

"Saturday Night Live" comedian Seth Myers admonished online comics: "These Te'o jokes are all very funny but let's all try and remember that a person who never existed is dead."