Rio Scandals: Is It Ready, Will The Place Kill You & More!

[galax-arena]

3 minutes ago, mtlchick said:

I applaud Ryan's PR person that wrote his Instagram post since I doubt he managed to write more than maybe 3 sentences in there total. 

Three sentences? You're being generous. 

[evilmindatwork]

29 minutes ago, LexieLily said:

That seems like extortion and it's sketchy as hell to me.

Do you consider speeding tickets extortion? Fines are common ways to make people pay restitution for breaking the law. Courts also commonly hold passports so that defendants can't flee. I don't really think anything in this case has involved the state using disproportionate force. 

[Noreaster]

Interesting how people still want to defend the swimmers.  This is a news story that attracted a great deal of international attention.  It wouldn't make sense for the authorities to do anything else but try to get to the truth of the matter.  There are way too many eyes on this.  

From the Washington Post article that someone else already posted, the lawyer for Bentz and Conger said the two swimmers knew Ryan Lochte was telling a lie but didn't think it would be a big deal:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/early-lead/wp/2016/08/18/attorney-u-s-swimmers-pulled-from-plane-knew-ryan-lochtes-story-was-a-lie/

Quote

But Bentz and Conger did not concur with the account of an armed robbery that Lochte told to NBC, according to Riera.

“They knew it was a lie. But they did not have to go public,” Riera said. “They thought this would be forgotten. They did not think it would have a more serious consequence.”

From the NYT article that I linked to last night, it seemed Ryan Lochte wanted media attention despite the swimmers being advised otherwise by the State Department and the Olympic officials.  Also, in the article, the judge was interviewed by the NYT and stated that the punishment was likely to be a fine paid to an NGO.  

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/19/sports/olympics/police-say-ryan-lochte-lied-about-gunpoint-assault.html?_r=0

Quote

Soon after the first news media reports surfaced Sunday morning of an armed assault on four American swimmers, the athletes were interviewed at the United States Olympic team’s hospitality house by State Department officials, national swim team officials and Olympic officials. They all agreed that the swimmers should avoid further attention and that the United States Olympic Committee would soon put out a statement.

But Ryan Lochte, a 12-time medal winner, left the hospitality house and walked across the street to Ipanema Beach, where he gave a luridinterview to NBC, describing a gun-to-head holdup by men identifying themselves as police officers.

Quote

Still, Judge Marcello Rubioli, the head of the special court handling the case involving the swimmers, said that making a false claim in Brazil was “not that serious” and “results in very little punishment.”

“If they are found guilty, they would just have to make a payment to an N.G.O. that does humanitarian work,” he continued, referring to a nongovernmental organization.

Edited August 19, 2016 by Noreaster

[galax-arena]

The other 2 detained reiterated the security guards' story and got to go home--is that why they got out without having to pay anything?

They got out without having to pay anything because they weren't the ones who filed a false police report. 

[Athena]

Disagree politely or move on. Watch your tone when you post. Thanks.

[mtlchick]

The Today Show (possibly trying to save face) went to the scene and found "no damage."  http://www.people.com/people/package/article/0,,20996464_21025406,00.html

 

Meanwhile 2 Aussie swimmers can't go to the closing ceremonies because they bailed on the curfew and one of them DID get robbed.  http://www.people.com/people/package/article/0,,20996464_21025414,00.html

[stealinghome]

As long as the 10K goes to a solid NGO, I have no problem with it--though as others have said, you would hope Lochte would have the grace to pay Feigen back for most if not all of the fine, considering he was the idiot who got them into the mess because he couldn't shut up. But "Lochte" and "grace" don't exactly go together, so....

[FilmTVGeek80]

Other gems from that hilarious and wonderful Washington Post article linked to earlier:

Quote

It’s even remotely possible that Lochte really did interpret the demand for cash as a “robbery” of sorts. But to do so, he had to be so impervious to his own odious punk behavior — and his view of that gas station had to be so low — that he didn’t think the vandalizing was worth anything. He must have thought Ryan Lochte’s pee was gold dust.

 

Quote

The main quality Lochte has shown in all of this, apart from asininity, is obliviousness. First he tweeted about his hair, which he had dyed a silvery-white before the Games. Then on Thursday morning, even as Conger and Bentz were in a police station and authorities were mulling potential charges, he posted an idiotic video of himself. It was a distortion-lensed, cartoonish video of him babbling at his friend and fellow American swimmer Elizabeth Beisel. Lochte eventually deleted it. Which was too bad because it was a perfect portrait of a halfwit.

1

I can't believe...actually, scratch that. My opinion of the stupidity lines Lochte won't cross are very, very low. But still the audacity of Lochte to continue to blithely post stupid crap on social media while he's chilling in the US and his teammates are being detained in a Brazilian police station for what were mostly his actions goes beyond just being stupid, but is almost a Trumpian level of douchebaggery. I'm sure the only reason he eventually deleted it was because his mother or publicist made him do it, not because he realized how insensitive he was being.

 

52 minutes ago, evilmindatwork said:

Do you consider speeding tickets extortion? Fines are common ways to make people pay restitution for breaking the law. Courts also commonly hold passports so that defendants can't flee. I don't really think anything in this case has involved the state using disproportionate force. 

 

The only thing "sketchy" I find about Feigen having to pay that fine is him being the only one doing it. It's unfair that, so far, Lochte isn't being made to pay as well.

[mehtotheworld]

Ouch for those Australian swimmers. Seems a bit harsh for the one who apparently just failed to notify the team manager.

Regarding the donation to the NGO, I actually like that idea. You mess up, you help a charity. You hopefully learn a lesson, and disadvantaged kids benefit.

[selkie]

I'm guessing that Feigen makes around $50-$80K a year from swimming, so you're talking 10-20% of his income for the year goes toward the fine.  For comparison, a chart on the fins associated with filing a false police report in different states in the USA:

http://www.missingkids.com/en_US/archive/documents/FalseReporting.pdf

Different country, different legal system, and all but if someone thinks there was something of a shakedown of a foreigner in order to make it go away, it's a reasonable viewpoint in many ways. 

[dcalley]

4 hours ago, Kromm said:

Since the guy is relatively small potatoes compared to some American athletes, and probably hasn't had as many endorsement deals, that's probably a significant chunk of change for him. And it's not like he's going to be getting any new ones now. 

I just found out that the USOC gives monetary awards to each medal winner: $25,000 for gold, $15,000 for silver, and $10,000 for bronze. I suppose the USOC could decide not to give the money to someone who does something wrong.

1 hour ago, FrenchCheese said:

Also I am pretty sure someone from USA Embassy was with them at all times.

I would not assume that, personally.

14 minutes ago, stealinghome said:

As long as the 10K goes to a solid NGO

The NY Times article linked above says it's going to the Reaction Institute, and here are two pages that have more on the organization.

I guess it's not verified, but a week ago Jimmy Feigen did a Reddit AMA and said he wanted to go to law school. I wonder if that's still true!

[jjj]

Lochte will be paying for this for the rest of his life, into his obituary.  In any article henceforth, instead of the first phrase of his public biography/description being, "one of the most decorated Olympians of all time," it will be "who achieved notoriety at the Rio Olympics by falsely claiming to be robbed".  Unless he goes on to another remarkable accomplishment like finding a gene therapy that combats cancer.  (Yeah, sure.)  He hit a height almost no one ever has done or will do, and he has tarnished his reputation for the long haul.  This will evaporate from the headlines, but not from his personal narrative. 

[BitterApple]

3 hours ago, kimaken said:

I wonder why he had to pay almost $11,000 in order to get his passport back? Sounds like extortion to me.

Yeah, I have a feeling that 11k is going straight into some official's back pocket and not a charity like they're claiming. That seems like a ridiculously high fine for lying to the police. It's payola to get Feigen released and nothing more.

[DollEyes]

Ryan Lochte has said/ done some dumb shit in his life, but committing several crimes, lying about them, embarassing his home country, insulting the host nation and tarnishing the Olympic spirit in the process is deep-fried fuckery at its worst. To quote the old saying about the other "Watergate," "It's not the crime; it's the cover-up." Instead of telling the truth truth from the start, Lochte not only lied badly, he fled the country and abandoned his accomplices. Speaking of whom, James, Feigen, Jack Conger and Gunnar Bentz were wrong on several levels, whether it was partying with Lochte, the crimes that followed or lying about them. After the surveillance videos exposed their story for the bullshit that it was, honesty was their best option, but it should have been the only one. Lochte's actions in this mess clearly prove that he's not a "Ride Or Die" dude by a long shot, so I not only don't blame the others for confessing, if I were one of them and my choices were either telling the truth or risk spending months, if not at least a year in a foreign prison, I'd have snitched too. I know that there's lots of crime in Rio and I tend to believe people who say that they've been victimized by violence, but when someone has gotten caught in a web of lies this big and this bad, especially an idiot like Ryan Lochte, the sooner they come clean, the better, for their own sake. 

Quote

I applaud  Ryan's PR person that wrote his Instagram post since I doubt he managed to write more than maybe 3 sentences in there total. 

 

Given Lochte's IQ (or lack thereof), three words would be a stretch. 

Edited August 20, 2016 by DollEyes

[Noreaster]

Here's another NY Times article.  This includes information from Bentz's and Conger's testimonies to the police as well as comments from the person who translated between the swimmers and the gas station employees.  

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/20/sports/olympics/ryan-lochte-apology-rio-olympics.html?_r=0

Edited August 19, 2016 by Noreaster

[blackwing]

18 minutes ago, jjj said:

Lochte will be paying for this for the rest of his life, into his obituary.  In any article henceforth, instead of the first phrase of his public biography/description being, "one of the most decorated Olympians of all time," it will be "who achieved notoriety at the Rio Olympics by falsely claiming to be robbed".  Unless he goes on to another remarkable accomplishment like finding a gene therapy that combats cancer.  (Yeah, sure.)  He hit a height almost no one ever has done or will do, and he has tarnished his reputation for the long haul.  This will evaporate from the headlines, but not from his personal narrative. 

I kind of doubt it.  I'm sure people might mention it, but it's going to be a footnote on his career and his life.  Much like Michael Phelps' bong photo and double DUI arrests.  People talk about these things but in the end, it seems to just get largely handwaved away.  Maybe it's the difference in the almost unwavering adulation by the media of Phelps vs. how they treat the "attractive but dim-witted" Lochte.  NBC showed Boomer in the stands after every race, but I haven't seen much coverage about Phelps' baby's mother, whether they plan to get married, why they haven't, etc.  NBC makes Phelps out to be the Second Coming and a role model to children, but absolutely nothing on his baby out of wedlock.  I guess times have changed and maybe it's not such a big deal.  But still.  

With respect to Lochte, everyone knows that he isn't the sharpest knife in the drawer, so I think this incident is just going to be one of the many that go along in the "Ryan is dumb as a box of hair" file.  Remember the penis picture he sent to some ex-girlfriend?  Some website was supposedly going to release it online if they got paid some high amount of money.  Not enough people cared.

The one thing this incident has done is to increase the visibility of these three other guys.  Apparently they are all medallists from the relays.  I watched the races and watched the heats online and still had absolutely no idea who they were until this story broke.

[jjj]

The difference between this and idiot things that others have done in the past, is the Lochte did this while at the Olympics and as part of the U.S. team.  This is not a personal-life incident that gets washed over by professional accomplishments.  This *was* Lochte doing the thing that made him famous.  And he did not have another medal-winning Olympics in him, even without this incident clouding his relationship with the USOC, so there is no redemption there.  Phelps got the redemption arc to show he was able to turn himself back to the discipline that got him to five Olympics.  I just do not see a redemption arc for Lochte in the Olympics, and that was the place that gave him fame.  And he pissed on it, excuse my language, but he literally did.   

[mehtotheworld]

13 minutes ago, blackwing said:

I kind of doubt it.  I'm sure people might mention it, but it's going to be a footnote on his career and his life.  Much like Michael Phelps' bong photo and double DUI arrests.  People talk about these things but in the end, it seems to just get largely handwaved away.  Maybe it's the difference in the almost unwavering adulation by the media of Phelps vs. how they treat the "attractive but dim-witted" Lochte.  NBC showed Boomer in the stands after every race, but I haven't seen much coverage about Phelps' baby's mother, whether they plan to get married, why they haven't, etc.  NBC makes Phelps out to be the Second Coming and a role model to children, but absolutely nothing on his baby out of wedlock.  I guess times have changed and maybe it's not such a big deal.  But still.

I feel like this is really unfair to Phelps. None of what he did was during the Olympics and none of what he did caused an international incident. At the end of the day, Michael Phelps' issues were mostly self-destructive (and thankfully no one else was hurt by his drunk driving). And no one's going to cause a flap over a baby out of wedlock if the two are devoted to each other and plan to get married (which they most definitely have covered).

Lochte's issue right now seems more self-serving and dishonorable because of his ego, self-absorption, and idiocy. He also helped get three of his teammates in trouble and seems to have been the ringleader in falsifying the story and playing up his role as a badass in the face of a gun. Up until now, with the grill and the hair and the dumb comments, he's been harmless and fun for most. Once he accuses the police of robbing him and plays on the host country's very real, very serious issues, it gets ugly for him. Unless he can truly come clean and make amends somehow, I don't see him being welcomed back by many.

[blackwing]

9 minutes ago, jjj said:

The difference between this and idiot things that others have done in the past, is the Lochte did this while at the Olympics and as part of the U.S. team.  This is not a personal-life incident that gets washed over by professional accomplishments.  This *was* Lochte doing the thing that made him famous.  And he did not have another medal-winning Olympics in him, even without this incident clouding his relationship with the USOC, so there is no redemption there.  Phelps got the redemption arc to show he was able to turn himself back to the discipline that got him to five Olympics.  I just do not see a redemption arc for Lochte in the Olympics, and that was the place that gave him fame.  And he pissed on it, excuse my language, but he literally did.   

I guess we will have to agree to disagree.  I don't think his reputation is tarnished in the least, he was already known as a dim bulb idiot to begin with.  This is the guy who had a TV show called "What Would Ryan Lochte Do?" which chronicled the adventures of his life.  Many people loved his appearance on "30 Rock" as an even dimmer and more idiot version of himself.  It's not like he was a Rhodes Scholar who got caught in this scandal and therefore people changed their perceptions of him.  I truly don't think there needs to be a "redemption arc" for him, because to me there just doesn't seem to be any need for him to go anywhere.  He doesn't need his image rehabilitated because it's not like it was stellar to begin with.

Look at all of the so-called "scandals" that many Hollywood celebrities have had.  Or the stupid things that people say.  The U.S. is a beauty and money obsessed culture.  It's a culture that makes stars out of twits like Kristin Cavallari and Kim Kardashian, people who are uber-famous for no good reason other than being on a TV show where they did nothing.  Look at all the unfortunate things that Cavallari in particular has said over the past several years.  People still follow her and like her and talk about how hot she is, despite the fact that she appears to be a completely worthless and vapid human being.  Or for that matter, Donald Trump.  He is an enormously successful businessman, but 1the things that come out of that man's mouth are often times appalling.  Yet here he is, one of the final two major nominees for President of the United States.  I think Ryan Lochte is going to be just fine.

[tanyak]

Right. The last impression of Phelps is all of his success and gold medals. Despite Lochte's own success, he's never come close to reaching Phelps' name recognition among people who don't really pay attention to swimming. For lots of folks, their introduction to Lochte was this entire mess. And it's a huge mess. Of course it will die down, but I think this will always follow him in some way. Especially since I think his last hurrah in swimming will likely be Worlds next year--if he isn't suspended. I just don't see Tokyo in his future.

[Constantinople]

I don't blame Lochte and the other swimmers for pissing on the gas station wall.

Obviously they were suffering from uromysitisis

Edited August 19, 2016 by Constantinople

[evilmindatwork]

6 minutes ago, Constantinople said:

I don't blame Lochte and the other swimmers for pissing on the gas station wall.

Obviously they were suffering from uromysitisis

Urine from Olympic Gold medal swimmers is liquid gold. The gas station people just didn't understand because of the language barrier. 

[windsprints]

11 minutes ago, Constantinople said:

I don't blame Lochte and the other swimmers for pissing on the gas station wall.

Obviously they were suffering from uromysitisis

They could have died! Guess their public urination pass wasn't valid in Rio. 

(thanks for making me crack up today, appreciated!)

Quote

 I think Ryan Lochte is going to be just fine.

I think so too. His reality show is already replaying.  I would not be at all shocked to see him get another reality show or appear on an existing one.

I'm also guessing there will be some big interview with the group (or at least Lochte) after the Olympics conclude.  I can easily see Dateline, 20/20, 60 Minutes, etc. having them all on to tell their side of the story.

Edited August 19, 2016 by windsprints

[blackwing]

15 minutes ago, Constantinople said:

I don't blame Lochte and the other swimmers for pissing on the gas station wall.

Obviously they were suffering from uromysitisis

They were pouring out a bottle of very tepid water, and that sounds very much like a person urinating.  And thus it was just an amusing case of mistaken identity.  That's all it was.

[mtlchick]

Quote

I would not be at all shocked to see him get another reality show or appear on an existing one.

"Ryan, you have Dancing with the Stars on line 1..." if there is one way to redo your image in a hurry, it's there.  Unless you're Hope Solo.

[bosawks]

3 hours ago, mtlchick said:

I applaud Ryan's PR person that wrote his Instagram post since I doubt he managed to write more than maybe 3 sentences in there total. 

His PR person's probably used to spotting him the "yan" when he writes his name..........

[dcalley]

31 minutes ago, Constantinople said:

I don't blame Lochte and the other swimmers for pissing on the gas station wall.

Obviously they were suffering from uromysitisis

This, for people who may not know:

Do watch until the end.

[satrunrose]

I think how this will affect Ryan Lochte in the long run depends very much on what he wants to be famous for. There are plenty of celebs (mostly not athletes in sports that only get heavy-duty attention at the Olympics, though) who are famous for being idiots and other things Ryan has done suggest that he doesn't mind putting himself in that role. On the other hand, If he wants his legacy to be "Ryan Lochte, celebrated Olympian" I'm not sure that's possible now.

[Matt K]

I'm pretty certain Lochte has no issue with being seen as stupid and vacuous.   See 

http://www.avclub.com/article/jeah-case-file-68-what-would-ryan-lochte-do-241273

Edited August 19, 2016 by Matt K
Fixed Link

[Ohwell]

Wow.  That author spent waaaaay too much time analyzing Lochte.  

[BitterApple]

I think Ryan sees himself as the eternal frat boy, so this incident plays into his image quite nicely. He already tried one attempt at a shlocky reality show, so this latest foolery might just be the shot in the arm his entertainment career needed.

[jjj]

The frat boys do not celebrate the frat bro who hung his brothers out to dry, which is what Lochte did.  It is not even his escapade that is the problem, but that at least two (maybe three) were left in the dust by Lochte and his fabrication of what really happened.  If he had just said that night what really happened, or maybe did not tell his MOTHER who apparently has international media on speed-dial, this would have blown over by now. 

P.S. -- now that we have seen the gas station video, I have to wonder if the taxi driver was the one who decided to stop there, as the taxi was at a gas pump.  I have never been in a cab that needed to go to the gas station, but The Amazing Race has taught me that it can be a questionable move by taxi drivers in other countries.  ("You need to buy me a tank of gas to get where we are going.") 

Edited August 19, 2016 by jjj

[roamyn]

To refer to some who think Lochte won't be affected long, over this, I believe you aren't thinking abt the monetary. 

He might not lose the remaining sponsors he has, but more importantly he won't be re-signed, nor will any future sponsors have anything to do with him.  He's radioactive media & publuc perception wise.

So it WILL affect his earning power in that regards.

Edited August 19, 2016 by roamyn

[blackwing]

56 minutes ago, Matt K said:

I'm pretty certain Lochte has no issue with being seen as stupid and vacuous.   See 

http://www.avclub.com/article/jeah-case-file-68-what-would-ryan-lochte-do-241273

So the author of this article decided to do write a review of a TV show that was cancelled three years ago and just posted it online today?  He obviously has a lot of contempt for Ryan Lochte and spends much of the review criticising him for being stupid and vacuous.  This author is a guy who writes for the A.V. Club.  The google search page for A.V. Club describes itself as "pop culture obsessives writing for the pop culture obsessed".  By definition, this guy is one of the celebrity obsessed media, the same people who have made stars out of dimwits like Kristin Cavallari and Kim Kardashian.  And he's calling Lochte stupid and vacuous?  I think he should look into the mirror.

I don't condone the actions of Ryan Lochte at the gas station.  I think he's not that bright.  I have no problem believing that he and the others broke a mirror in the bathroom.  But I do think there is some semblance of truth in their story.  The original story was that they were forced out of a car at gunpoint and robbed of money.  Some aspect of that seems true to some extent.  In their minds, some guy who was not in uniform brandished a gun at them, told them to get out of the car, and made them turn over money.

What I'm not exactly clear on is why the $11,000 fine for "filing a false report".  If the report said what they thought happened (some guy who was not in uniform brandished a gun and told them to get out of the car and took money from them), why is that necessarily a "false report" if that was their interpretation of what happened?  A lot of stuff might have been lost in translation.  Some above have said it's perfectly acceptable to fine someone for breaking the law and likened this to getting a fine for a speeding violation.  But $11,000 seems a bit excessive.  I'm fairly certain the report wouldn't have accused anyone specifically, it would have said that "some guy who was posing as a cop pointed a gun at me and took my money".  Is the $11,000 because the reputation of Rio as a collective whole was besmirched?  Is that a standard fine there>  How was it calculated?

[biakbiak]

It's difficult to say about Ryan's endorsements because their are some brands that like the "bad boy" crap and who knows about tv but the fact that they are already rearing his reality show specifically because of this incident says a lot.

I think Ryan gave up being remembered as a great Olympian after he failed to live up to his part of the Phelps rivalry.

Edited August 19, 2016 by biakbiak

[Raachel2008]

3 hours ago, BitterApple said:

Yeah, I have a feeling that 11k is going straight into some official's back pocket and not a charity like they're claiming. That seems like a ridiculously high fine for lying to the police. It's payola to get Feigen released and nothing more.

Yeah, because of course there are only corrupt people and thieves in Rio, a city where four trustworth gold medalists were robbed at gunpoint while coming back from a party... OH, WAIT.

[Ohwell]

Question:  Did Lochte & Crew actually admit to vandalizing property at the gas station?   

[Noreaster]

The AV Club is a site not much different from this one.  It recaps TV shows and there are comment sections available for people to discuss.  Some people overanalyze stuff, just like here.  

Lochte himself said, in his updated version of events to Matt Lauer (not the initial interview to NBC), that they stopped at the gas station in order to use the restrooms.

The two swimmers detained admitted to the vandalism when they spoke to the police.  The US Olympic officials also mentioned that in their comments.

The NY Times links that I posted earlier has all of this information.  I found other reports that came out yesterday to be less reliable as many rushed to get out the breaking news and some clearly didn't verify the information before reporting.

[evilmindatwork]

If you look up the NY Times story, it outlines who admitted to what.

36 minutes ago, Raachel2008 said:

Yeah, because of course there are only corrupt people and thieves in Rio, a city where four trustworth gold medalists were robbed at gunpoint while coming back from a party... OH, WAIT.

Right? Every official ever in Brazil is a corrupt ogre, looking to make an international spectacle out of their country in order to screw up the lives of innocent and honorable US swimmers. 

[Occasional Hope]

On 15/08/2016 at 10:17 PM, Occasional Hope said:

It turns out that part of the way they kept costs down, and to pay to remedy the diving pool issues, was to take money that was supposed to be sent to help teams from poorer countries travel to the paralympics.  Now as many as 50 countries may not be able take part.  This is a real scandal imo.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/disability-sport/37074810

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/ap/article-3739493/Paralympics-chief-demands-Rio-pays-overdue-cash-nations.html

And now, although they've managed to pay the travel grants, the Paralympics as a whole is going to have last minute, and pretty major, budget cuts.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/disability-sport/37135083

[Ohwell]

So according to the news I'm listening to right now, Feigen said that Lochte "ripped off some boards."  Nothing about urine and broken mirrors, which could have already been damaged before they got there.  So certainly Lochte should have paid for the damages that he caused and, apparently he did pay, but he and the others didn't lie about having a fucking gun pointed at them, and perhaps them thinking it was "robbery" instead of "restitution" for damages.   This was all some bullshit that Lochte should have told the truth about from the beginning.  That's all.

[evilmindatwork]

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/20/sports/olympics/ryan-lochte-apology-rio-olympics.html?ref=sports

Quote

In sworn statements to Brazilian investigators, Mr. Lochte’s teammates said that he was drunk and disorderly, had damaged property and was in need of calming down as they discussed the situation with an armed security guard.

Two of the swimmers — Gunnar Bentz, 20, and Jack Conger, 21 — described public urination, vandalism and other drunken antics by the swimmers, the police said.

 

[Ohwell]

It's still bullshit.  In the first sentence, it seems like it's only Lochte who did damage.  Then in the next sentence, it seems like they all did damage.   Sounds like they really didn't know who did what. 

Edited August 19, 2016 by Ohwell

[GinnyMars]

Among the damages, from an article posted by someone earlier:

Quote

You can see the bathroom door appear to burst out of its wooden frame on the security video, presumably when one of those oafs couldn’t open it and decided to kick it.

[Noreaster]

Here's more detail from the same article:

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/20/sports/olympics/ryan-lochte-apology-rio-olympics.html?_r=0

Quote

In his testimony, Mr. Bentz said that the situation spiraled out of control shortly after the swimmers left a party in a taxi early Sunday morning and stopped at a gas station to go to the bathroom. Once there, the men urinated around the bushes and Mr. Lochte damaged a sign, according to a police description of Mr. Bentz’s account. The police said a bathroom door and a soap dispenser were also damaged.

Fernando Deluz, a DJ who was passing by the gas station, said he translated for the swimmers, none of whom speak Portuguese, in an attempt to prevent the situation from escalating.

“There was a moment when they tried to escape, and that’s when the security guards stopped them,” Mr. Deluz said in nationally televised comments. “At no moment did anyone brush up against them,” he added. And when employees of the gas station discussed calling the police, the swimmers pleaded with them not do so, Mr. Deluz added.

“They were saying, ‘Please, please, no please,’” Mr. Deluz said, explaining that the swimmers began asking in English how much they needed to pay for the damages done to the gas station. The swimmers then handed over Brazilian and American currency totaling about $50 to Mr. Deluz, who said he gave the money to a security guard, who then passed it to a gas station employee.

“Then I talked to them and said, ‘That’s O.K., bye bye,’” Mr. Deluz said.

The swimmers then went on their way to the athletes’ village, where they were captured on camera joking with one another and in possession of their phones and watches, items that are often taken from victims of armed assaults in Rio.

Mr. Bentz said the swimmers tried to leave the station, having sensed that they could get into trouble after employees witnessed their behavior, the police said. But two men with guns — security guards at the gas station — approached the car, brandished their weapons and prevented them from leaving, Mr. Bentz said. The group of swimmers, which also included Jimmy Feigen, 26, then got out of the car.

After being told by the gun-wielding guards to sit down, “Ryan got up and began talking to the men,” Mr. Bentz told investigators. At that point, Mr. Bentz said, he “asked Ryan to calm down and sit down again.”

In his testimony, Mr. Conger told investigators that he described the episode to this mother after arriving back at the athletes’ village and having breakfast with Jimmy Feigen, the other American swimmer involved in the episode. He then saw Mr. Lochte’s accounts in the news media, telling investigators that he “perceived that Ryan was lying about what had happened.”

[Ohwell]

So they were drunk, damaged some property, paid for the damages, security guard took the money, everything is okey dokey--then other security guards show up brandishing guns basically saying "not so fast."  Why?  Why weren't they allowed to leave without a gun being brandished in their faces if they had already paid for the damages?  Did they want more money?  

I'm done commenting on this but, as I said, this is some bullshit.

Edited August 19, 2016 by Ohwell

[windsprints]

Quote

To refer to some who think Lochte won't be affected long, over this, I believe you aren't thinking abt the monetary.

I'm someone who said I think Ryan will be fine and yes, I thought about the money.  I do think Ralph Lauren and Speedo will drop him when the deal runs out if not sooner.  I'm not sure how many new endorsement deals he would have gotten mainly because how many products will hire Olympic swimmers and I would place Phelps & Ledecky as the ones most sought after right now.  Even if he had some new endorsements coming his way that he lost I still think he'll be fine.  I think his earnings will shift from endorsements to reality tv, which may even be an avenue to redeeming him - someone upthread mentioned DWTS as an example.

There's also other factors. The news cycle moves quickly and America moves onto the next story.  A couple of well placed interviews with him explaining he had been drinking, didn't know the language, wasn't aware the men were guards & thought he was being robbed, I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have been drinking, etc, etc, etc. and some passage of time and he could land future endorsements. It would be harder if he was the symbol of the All American Golden Good Boy but he never has been. He wasn't officially charged with any crime or arrested.  There's a Presidential election and a slew of other issues the American public will be far more concerned about (IMHO) than Lochte & Co. getting drunk, peeing and lying.  Of course we won't know for months how it will all shake out for him and the other three; time will tell.  

I am curious to see if their statements remain the same once the Olympics are over and they are all back in the US.

Edited August 19, 2016 by windsprints

[Silje]

57 minutes ago, Ohwell said:

So they were drunk, damaged some property, paid for the damages, security guard took the money, everything is okey dokey--then other security guards show up brandishing guns basically saying "not so fast."  Why?  Why weren't they allowed to leave without a gun being brandished in their faces if they had already paid for the damages?  Did they want more money?  

I'm done commenting on this but, as I said, this is some bullshit.

It seems the right order from the article is "damaged some property, tried to leave because they knew they had messed up, were stopped by the security guards with guns, the gas station employees discussed calling the police, the swimmers didn't want that so they gave them $50 and then they were free to go".

If this was a robbery the robbers must have been piss poor at it since the swimmers got to keep their watches and phones.   

Edited August 19, 2016 by Silje

[Kromm]

2 hours ago, Raachel2008 said:

Yeah, because of course there are only corrupt people and thieves in Rio, a city where four trustworth gold medalists were robbed at gunpoint while coming back from a party... OH, WAIT.

I think the issue is complicated by the fact that there are so many eyes on it now. I have no idea personally what might normally happen with fees or penalties paid this way there, but it does seem excessive to expect misconduct under this kind of scrutiny.  It just doesn't make sense, right?  The officials involved will in fact cleverly net a nice bit of great P.R. by showing and crowing about where the money is going to the American news outlets (and why shouldn't they?)

[blackwing]

What about the Australian swimmer who was forced at gunpoint to withdraw $1000 from an ATM?  Or the reports that a British athlete was mugged?   What is the Brazilian police doing about these incidents?  Are they sending out their teams to canvass the area and interview people and look for video camera footage? Are they going to hold press conferences to update us on all that they are doing to pursue justice?

I think I already know the answer.