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

[Nidratime]

I wonder how long NBC's going to drag out this story? CNN "searching for the lost plane" levels?

[blackwing]

9 minutes ago, Nidratime said:

I wonder how long NBC's going to drag out this story? CNN "searching for the lost plane" levels?

Oh, Costas is milking it.  He said the interview lasted 20 minutes and the two segments they aired were 14 of those minutes.  And the remaining portion would be aired on Monday on the Today Show.

And I'm sure they will seek interviews with the other 3.  If the other 3 are smart, just refuse to talk anymore.  They issued statements.  Just let it blow over and hope the media move on to the next story.

[MVFrostsMyPie]

16 minutes ago, Nidratime said:

I wonder how long NBC's going to drag out this story? CNN "searching for the lost plane" levels?

Seriously. I almost miss NBC's obsessive coverage on Phelps. 

[callmebetty]

1 hour ago, Dots And Stripes said:

 

Lochte should definitely be suspended from swimming. Again, this all happened while he was supposed to be repressing his country abroad. He should also spend a lot of time volunteering to mentor kids 

The last thing Lochte should be doing is mentoring children. I don't even think he should be trusted to give swimming lessons at the local YMCA. 

He is a lying liar who lies. Dumb as a box of rocks. And should shut his trap. 

[jjj]

56 minutes ago, blackwing said:

  Neither affected competition.  

It did not affect a specific event, but it sure has affected the Olympics. 

[FilmTVGeek80]

1 hour ago, Dots And Stripes said:

One thing I disagreed with Lauer on is him repeatedly saying it was just a negotiation. Maybe, but the presences of a drawn gun does change it a bit. Lochte clearly was unfair in his characterization but this wasn't exactly a normal settlement agreement either. 

 

I absolutely agreed with Lauer on this and am glad that he grilled Lochte about it. The presence of a gun may heighten the tension, but it doesn't change the fact that Lochte caused damage, the gas station wanted to call the police, but the swimmers didn't want that and agreed to pay for the damage. The translator explained all of this and there was no confusion. Even Lochte during this interview, during all of his dodging excuse giving, explained that they were aware of what they were agreeing to. It wasn't a robbery. So he flat out lied about that. So for him to still be sitting there saying that he couldn't say whether it was a robbery or not was complete stupid BS.

Maybe I was just projecting, but I swear there were times, especially when he had to keep explaining what a robbery is, that Lauer looked at Lochte like he was the dumbest person on the planet.

Count me on the side of not really buying Lochte's sincerity. He looked close to tears several times, but it seemed really fake. I still don't believe he really grasps everything he did wrong here.

[mightysparrow]

41 minutes ago, FilmTVGeek80 said:

I absolutely agreed with Lauer on this and am glad that he grilled Lochte about it. The presence of a gun may heighten the tension, but it doesn't change the fact that Lochte caused damage, the gas station wanted to call the police, but the swimmers didn't want that and agreed to pay for the damage. The translator explained all of this and there was no confusion. Even Lochte during this interview, during all of his dodging excuse giving, explained that they were aware of what they were agreeing to. It wasn't a robbery. So he flat out lied about that. So for him to still be sitting there saying that he couldn't say whether it was a robbery or not was complete stupid BS.

Maybe I was just projecting, but I swear there were times, especially when he had to keep explaining what a robbery is, that Lauer looked at Lochte like he was the dumbest person on the planet.

Count me on the side of not really buying Lochte's sincerity. He looked close to tears several times, but it seemed really fake. I still don't believe he really grasps everything he did wrong here.

Agreed.  Lauer looked at Lochte like Lochte smelled bad.  It was clear he was thinking 'I don't get paid enough for this shit'.

Lochte looked like he was going to burst a blood vessel trying to squeeze out tears in order to look 'sincere'.  Whoever is advising him is almost as stupid as he is because anyone with any sense would tell Lochte to say 'I'm sorry' and then shut the fuck up.  Dying his hair brown doesn't make him look more honest.  It makes him look like he's so full of shit, his hair turned brown.  If you were so concerned about your team-mates Ry-Ry then what about the 'funny' Instagram post while his pals were being taken off their plane.  

Up to now, Lochte has always been given the benefit of the doubt. He acts like an asshole but people say he's 'harmless'.  I think the interview with Lauer proved that Lochte isn't 'harmless'; he's an asshole.  He's a weak, stupid grown ass man who will look you in the eye and lie if he thinks it's going to make him look cool.  He'll run out on his buddies in a heartbeat and leave them to clean up his mess.  That's not harmless.

Edited August 21, 2016 by mightysparrow

[Dots And Stripes]

47 minutes ago, FilmTVGeek80 said:

I absolutely agreed with Lauer on this and am glad that he grilled Lochte about it. The presence of a gun may heighten the tension, but it doesn't change the fact that Lochte caused damage, the gas station wanted to call the police, but the swimmers didn't want that and agreed to pay for the damage. The translator explained all of this and there was no confusion. Even Lochte during this interview, during all of his dodging excuse giving, explained that they were aware of what they were agreeing to. It wasn't a robbery. So he flat out lied about that. So for him to still be sitting there saying that he couldn't say whether it was a robbery or not was complete stupid BS.

Maybe I was just projecting, but I swear there were times, especially when he had to keep explaining what a robbery is, that Lauer looked at Lochte like he was the dumbest person on the planet.

Count me on the side of not really buying Lochte's sincerity. He looked close to tears several times, but it seemed really fake. I still don't believe he really grasps everything he did wrong here.

IMO, you cannot make a contract with one party pointing a gun at the other. If Matt goes in for another deal with NBC, no way do the NBC executives put a gun on the table. It's absurd. I think Lochte hedged there bc he probably still thinks it was wrong for the other party to use a gun but knows he can't say so. He's messed up this situation so much that he can no longer point fingers. (And for the record I do think Lochte screwed up badly and multiple times here) So he dodged. 

I've seen different accounts about how the "settlement" was reached. It could very well have been extortion if the guys felt they had paid enough for the damage and they were being told that the price needed to be higher. There is no free will or voluntary agreement where a gun is being pointed at one side. A stranger explaining why the gas station employees wanted the money still would not negate the use of a gun in my opinion. What can the translators say? They won't shoot you they just want more money for the sign. No pressure there.

[evilmindatwork]

1 hour ago, jjj said:

It did not affect a specific event, but it sure has affected the Olympics. 

It definitely cast a heavy shadow. The general public has been much more focused on this story than the achievements of those medaling and competing over the last few days. 

I actually do have sympathy for everyone involved, especially the younger swimmers, but I hope they are appropriately disciplined. I don't want anyone to lose their career but I worked late night shifts at a 7/11 , and I don't think I can articulate how terrifying it often was to deal with belligerent drunk people, some of whom were much larger than me. 

I think if Lochte was close to tears, it was probably because he knows that he's going to do penance heavily to get back into the public's good graces. I hope he treats this as a learning experience. I think this is probably the first time he's had to deal with consequences for acting like an entitled douchebag.

ETA: I just realized my old job probably contributed to my (over?)reaction to this episode. Sorry all! 

Edited August 21, 2016 by evilmindatwork

[jjj]

18 minutes ago, evilmindatwork said:

It definitely cast a heavy shadow. The general public has been much more focused on this story than the achievements of those medaling and competing over the last few days. 

I actually do have sympathy for everyone involved, especially the younger swimmers, but I hope they are appropriately disciplined. I don't want anyone to lose their career but I worked late night shifts at a 7/11 , and I don't think I can articulate how terrifying it often was to deal with belligerent drunk people, some of whom were much larger than me. 

ETA: I just realized my old job probably contributed to my (over?)reaction to this episode. Sorry all! 

I had the same kind of job in college (late shift at a fast food place), and nothing was more scary than drunk young men who liked to push around the service staff -- spilling things, complaining, etc. -- and it was always the third-string managers and staff in the late hours, because the guys with seniority and authority had gone home hours earlier.  And there was always a drunk leader goading the others along.  I had not even thought about that until I read your post, and it makes me mad all these years later! 

[Irlandesa]

3 hours ago, Arynm said:

What I learned from this interview was that Jimmy Feigen really did lie to the police, not just a " language barrier" issue or anything else that could be spun. He said he was asleep in the cab the entire time and didn't see anything. Because of that , I'm not sure Lochte owes him a thing. He wasn't covering for Lochte he was covering his own ass.

His lie was absolutely about covering for Lochte.  The incident happened and it was over until Lochte kicked up the dust by telling his robbery story to NBC.  That sparked an investigation by Brazilian police.  The other swimmers were then put into a difficult position.  They either a) tell the truth but end up ratting out their friend/teammate/theirLochte or they b) back up their friend/teammate/theirLochte's claims but that would mean making a false crime report to the police which most people feel is a pretty big deal.  I think Feigen's middle ground solution was to pretend like he didn't know what happened.  He's still lying to the police but he's not ratting out his teammate nor is he making a false robbery report. 

The police weren't investigating their actions at the gas station initially.  They just wanted to get the details right on the robbery.

3 hours ago, Mittengirl said:

I don't follow swimming other than at the Olympics, so other than a suspension that would last through 2020, what would a shorter suspension do to Lochte?  How many meets would he miss and would that really kill his career?  Wasnt Anthony Ervin effectively out of the sport for over 10 years?

His age is more likely to kill his career than this incident.  He could still train during a suspension. He just couldn't compete. 

57 minutes ago, Dots And Stripes said:

IMO, you cannot make a contract with one party pointing a gun at the other. If Matt goes in for another deal with NBC, no way do the NBC executives put a gun on the table. It's absurd. I think Lochte hedged there bc he probably still thinks it was wrong for the other party to use a gun but knows he can't say so. He's messed up this situation so much that he can no longer point fingers. (And for the record I do think Lochte screwed up badly and multiple times here) So he dodged. 

I've seen different accounts about how the "settlement" was reached. It could very well have been extortion if the guys felt they had paid enough for the damage and they were being told that the price needed to be higher. There is no free will or voluntary agreement where a gun is being pointed at one side. A stranger explaining why the gas station employees wanted the money still would not negate the use of a gun in my opinion. What can the translators say? They won't shoot you they just want more money for the sign. No pressure there.

It's true that the guards had the most power here.  But it wasn't just the gun that gave them the most power, it was the fact that the swimmers had just done something wrong.

So I don't think characterizing it as a negotiation is off base.   There were three options.  The swimmers just wanted to leave.  The guards made what I guess I see as a "citizen's arrest" and the swimmers just leaving wasn't an option.  The guards were going to call the police but that was a no go for the swimmers.  The compromise amenable to both parties was some money for damages.  If the guards wanted too much money then the police could always be brought in.  If the swimmers felt they weren't being treated fairly or legally...again, the police option was on the table.

As for the interview, it was bad.  I think he only regrets that this whole thing blew up in his face.  You would think he would have been better prepared but there are just some people who either won't or are incapable of following the advice of a PR person. 

Edited August 21, 2016 by Irlandesa

[greyhorse]

I think he did appear very contrite and genuinely sorry for his actions.  We'll have to see what kind of punishment if any he will face, and how long it will take the public to forgive him and rebuild his image.  He should realize that he is a 32 year old adult that should be setting an example for his younger teammates - so the first thing he needs to do is stop with the stupid hair color, the all-night partying until 6 am, and the public urination.  What an embarrassment he has brought to himself and the US swim team.

Has Michael Phelps or any of the other swim team members made any public comments since the lie was exposed? 

[NUguy514]

No, Bob.  No, I will not be tuning in Monday to see the conclusion of that interview.  I started feeling super stabby while watching it tonight and had to go into a fugue state to make it through without doing myself or my television a harm.  Why would I want to revisit that awful sensation?

That was some of the worst acting I've seen in a while.  The strain to produce tears...Ry-Ry, baby, you don't have it in you, and that's OK.  What's not OK is how you can't just admit you lied and how you can't even say that you vandalized property.  What's not OK is how Matt Lauer had to ask you directly to apologize to Rio and Brazil and how you still didn't apologize to the place of business you vandalized.  What's not OK is how you are still couching the restitution for the damage caused as maybe robbery or extortion or "whatever" still.  (By the way, $50 is not a sum I would categorize as disproportionately large, and the presence of a gun doesn't make it extortion; the choices were to pay restitution right then or wait for the police, so I don't know how that can be categorized as robbery or extortion.)  What's not OK is how you are so infuriatingly stupid that I feel dumber just hearing you talk!!  If I ever see you in person, I will likely punch you in the nads.  Until then, please take one billion seats and shut. your goddamn. piehole.

I'm going to go meditate or something now.

Edited August 22, 2016 by NUguy514

[legaleagle53]

6 hours ago, OSM Mom said:

And he says "over exaggerated" a lot too.  It's called lying.  Dumbass. 

He's got a brilliant career in politics ahead of him.

[katisha]

2 hours ago, legaleagle53 said:

He's got a brilliant career in politics ahead of him.

If George Dubya can become POTUS, Lochte could definitely get somewhere in politics.

Edited August 21, 2016 by katisha
Lost in translation!

[kili]

Quote

I imagine they have to worry about more than just criminality. The USASwimming code of conduct is likely stricter than just "don't break the law." Didn't they also urinate outside of the bathroom?

Urinating outside of the bathroom isn't even remotely something somebody should be suspended for. It's too incredibly common. I have been around the world and everywhere you go, you are likely to find some place accented by Eau d'Urine. I was just in DC which has to be the cleanest most sterile place I've been in a long time (at least around the Mall area), but even there I found the unmistakable smell (underpass a block away). My hometown went through a drought. They banned washing cars and watering lawns. Still, they hosed down the main pub area every morning because of what everybody knows happens. A cave in Petra, a highway pull-over in Italy, a metro station in Dublin, an underpass in KL, an alleyway in Lima, a rock outcrop in Auckland, alcoves everywhere - that sticky brownish stain is probably exactly what it smells like. 

Yes, I know it is illegal in many places and unpleasant everywhere, but it if we start suspending people from competition for peeing on a bush behind a gas station, we are going to have to start suspending them for going 5 km over the speed limit too. 

[Noreaster]

Just watched the 6-minute interview clip on NBC's website.  I guess I was hoping Ryan would be more apologetic and that his story would be a bit different.  That maybe he was just so drunk that night that he didn't realize the vandalism and thought the security guards were holding them there for no reason.  And that now, after seeing the videos and hearing what the police and witnesses had to say, he realized he was wrong.  

But no, it was simply that he "over-exaggerated" and he was sorry because he got caught and got his friends in trouble. So he really did know what he was doing all along and holy crap, he is a dumbass.  

Edited August 21, 2016 by Noreaster

[Noreaster]

8 hours ago, pennben said:

I would love if we had a public relations person here that could comment on this interview; both from a perspective of (a) lordy, lots of buzzwords there Ryan and (b) serious, stern Matt to rehab him and the network for not challenging (or reporting/digging into his story) before giving him basically the full endorsement of the network to spin his nonsense all last week. 

Seriously, not a massive crime (and something all sides should have let go of once the swimmers left the station), but the interplay of the media is always fascinating to me.

Here's a NY Times article looking at NBC's coverage of the events.  I found it odd myself that NBC did not figure out the inconsistencies sooner and that they didn't vet the story before airing the interview.  But seeing that Billy Bush, an inexperienced news reporter, did the initial interview, it kind of makes sense. Still, NBC should have done its due diligence following the breaking news.    

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/21/sports/olympics/ryan-lochte-robbery-story-nbc.html?ref=sports&_r=0

[Haleth]

17 hours ago, Sew Sumi said:

Didn't hear a peep about these guys, unlike the outcries about Gabby. 

 

Thank you!  I was searching all over the internet for a pic of these guys to say the same thing!

I haven't seen the whole Lochte interview yet, (frankly I'm over the whole thing) but I don't think Ryan is smart enough to cry crocodile tears.  In the clip I did see he seemed sincerely sorry and aware that he had screwed up, even if he doesn't quite get that "over exaggerating" the incident is what caused the whole mess.

Edited August 21, 2016 by Haleth

[Noreaster]

Not really important, but why are people saying it was $70?  I thought the reports were $50 total (comprised of US dollars and reais).

[Daisy]

13 hours ago, BlackberryJam said:

So...I just watched that 30 for 30, 9.79* 

Carl Lewis and his agent/coach come off so so poorly in that. And it seems justifiably so. Ben Johnson is resigned to his fate.

Then, I caught a Deadline article about the Lochte/Lauer interview. Apparently, Ryan says he "over exaggerated." Is if there is some level of exaggeration about this incident that would have been acceptable. *sigh*

I'm watching it too the 9.79*. it's really good. but yah, Carl and his Agent/Coach (the one who has all of Carl's scrapbooks?) come off so badly. 

[doodlebug]

11 hours ago, Arynm said:

What I learned from this interview was that Jimmy Feigen really did lie to the police, not just a " language barrier" issue or anything else that could be spun. He said he was asleep in the cab the entire time and didn't see anything. Because of that , I'm not sure Lochte owes him a thing. He wasn't covering for Lochte he was covering his own ass. Which is fine, but he still lied to the Police. Is Lochte supposed to pay anything or are the Police just chalking this one up to stupidity not lying. I think he really is sorry and my heart went out for him. I must be a soft touch. I do believe he deserves whatever punishment is meted out . US  swimming has to make sure this kind of stuff never happens again

I got the impression that Feigen also lied because he knew that Lochte had already spoken to the police and told them a bunch of lies and he didn't want to dig it any deeper; so he tried to cover for Lochte's story and protect himself by claiming to have slept through the whole thing.  I think it was a frat boy bro thing, but I do think he was trying to help Lochte, too.

As for Lochte's interview with Lauer, he looked more desperate and panicked about losing his lifestyle than contrite or humble to me.  Sure, he was emotional at times; but I never got that he really understood what he'd done nor that he'd even given a thought to the guy who owned the service station or to whoever was going to have to clean up his mess.  It was self-serving and self-pitying, IMO.  Lochte seems like a guy who has always liked the lifestyle and semi-celebrity status he got from swimming and THAT is what he is sorry about; that he might lose it because he's a drunken idiot.

[doodlebug]

1 hour ago, Noreaster said:

Not really important, but why are people saying it was $70?  I thought the reports were $50 total (comprised of US dollars and reais).

The swimmer who issued the first real apology says he gave the guards $20 US while the other college swimmer had about 50 bucks in Brazilian money that he handed over.  Interestingly, the two multimillionaires, Feigen and Lochte, apparently didn't give a dime.  Even more interesting since even Lochte has admitted that he committed the property damage by himself and every account of the incident seems to indicate that guns weren't drawn until one of the bros, Lochte by all accounts, started shouting and behaving aggressively.  So, if Lochte was so very traumatized by having a gun pointed a him that he couldn't tell the difference between a robbery and a transaction; perhaps he shouldn't have tried to intimidate the guys with the guns in the first place.  You behave like an a** hole, you get treated like one.

Lochte, was, by all accounts, the ringleader and instigator of the bad behavior and thus far, hasn't spent a dime to fix it; other than whatever he paid his PR people and attorneys to help him get out of the mess.

Edited August 21, 2016 by doodlebug
I hate Spellcheck

[KenyaJ]

Don't lie to your mother. And if you do lie to your mother, hope she doesn't immediately have a chance encounter with a reporter.

[doodlebug]

2 hours ago, kili said:

. Yes, I know it is illegal in many places and unpleasant everywhere, but it if we start suspending people from competition for peeing on a bush behind a gas station, we are going to have to start suspending them for going 5 km over the speed limit too. 

I don't think they will be suspended for that.  It's the lying to the police (Lochte and Feigen) and failing to come forward and tell the truth when their bros lied to the police (the other two guys) that will get them suspended and rightly so.  There was no reason the other two guys couldn't have gone to a US team official, told them what really happened, and got the team to help them get the story straight. Of course, maybe they did, the USOC aren't known for their integrity either.  These guys behaved badly while in Brazil representing their country; competing for the US is a privilege, not a right. 

[selkie]

53 minutes ago, doodlebug said:

The swimmer who issued the first real apology says he gave the guards $20 US while the other college swimmer had about 50 bucks in Brazilian money that he handed over.  Interestingly, the two multimillionaires, Feigen and Lochte, apparently didn't give a dime. 

Feigen is hardly a multimillionaire. Despite an individual silver medal at the 2013 world championships, he's been hit or miss when it comes to being fast enough to get the $40-$50K that 'fully funded national team' status since then. I'd guess he makes somewhere around $50K-$80K a year counting endorsement money. The amount the Brazilian prosecutor wanted to get from ($54K)  his could easily be more than his net pay for a year. 

As for global sanction, I will note that Otylia Jędrzejczak actually killed someone and was never sanctioned by FINA or the IOC and was back in international competition as soon as she recovered from the injuries. And what she did in her moment of stupidity was definitely far more serious than what happened here. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otylia_Jędrzejczak

[BlackberryJam]

3 hours ago, kili said:

Urinating outside of the bathroom isn't even remotely something somebody should be suspended for. It's too incredibly common. I have been around the world and everywhere you go, you are likely to find some place accented by Eau d'Urine. I was just in DC which has to be the cleanest most sterile place I've been in a long time (at least around the Mall area), but even there I found the unmistakable smell (underpass a block away). My hometown went through a drought. They banned washing cars and watering lawns. Still, they hosed down the main pub area every morning because of what everybody knows happens. A cave in Petra, a highway pull-over in Italy, a metro station in Dublin, an underpass in KL, an alleyway in Lima, a rock outcrop in Auckland, alcoves everywhere - that sticky brownish stain is probably exactly what it smells like. 

Yes, I know it is illegal in many places and unpleasant everywhere, but it if we start suspending people from competition for peeing on a bush behind a gas station, we are going to have to start suspending them for going 5 km over the speed limit too. 

I cannot with this. I just cannot. It is NEVER ACCEPTABLE TO PEE ON SOMEONE'S PROPERTY. NEVER. NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE. Just because it's common for men, and let's be real here, it is incredibly awkward and messy for a woman to cop a squat, to whip out their dicks and mark their territory with urine. It is not okay. It should be discouraged, not just with public shaming, but with fines and charges.

These were not four homeless men with no other options who actually end up sleeping in these alleys. These were four entitled men who should have peed before the left the club or held it like respectful human beings.

If someone peed either on my home or place of business, you'd better believe I'd want them prosecuted, fined and humiliated. 

2 hours ago, Daisy said:

I'm watching it too the 9.79*. it's really good. but yah, Carl and his Agent/Coach (the one who has all of Carl's scrapbooks?) come off so badly. 

Yeah, that Agent/Coach looks like a total lying sleazebag. I didn't believe Ben Johnson's story before about being slipped drugs so he would test positive, but now I do. It's clear Johnson was doping, but he was doing it in such a way as he should have been able to pass the test. I fully believe he was set up to fail. I still fully support his punishment and ban because he was doping.

[galaxygirl76]

The story I always heard about why he got caught was that they gave him the drugs too close to the Olympics and it didn't have time to get out of his system.

[merylinkid]

14 hours ago, maraleia said:

It's a code not a law that has to be followed. There's a difference.

Code is another word for law.   It's the United States Code that puts out all federal law.

Now should everyone put their hand over their heart?   Sure.   But if you stand there respectfully, no fidgeting, I'm good.   Especially women.   Putting our hands over our hearts can look like you're grabbing your breast.   You might not want that look at that particular moment.

[Noreaster]

2 hours ago, doodlebug said:

The swimmer who issued the first real apology says he gave the guards $20 US while the other college swimmer had about 50 bucks in Brazilian money that he handed over.  Interestingly, the two multimillionaires, Feigen and Lochte, apparently didn't give a dime. 

No, it's $50 USD based on Bentz's statement, which admittedly reads a little confusing.  Looking at the Brazilian real/USD exchange rate, 100 Reais = ~$30 USD.  So $20 in US currency + $30 in Brazilian currency = $50 total.  This is consistent with all the early reporting.  

From Bentz's statement http://www.georgiadogs.com/sports/c-swim/spec-rel/081916aac.html : 

Quote

"A man that I believe to be a customer approached us and offered to help as he spoke both English and Portuguese. Understandably, we were frightened and confused during this time. Through the interpreter, one of the guards said that we needed to pay them in order to leave. I gave them what I had in my wallet, which was a $20 bill, and Jimmy gave them 100 Reals, which is about $50 in total. They lowered the guns and I used hand gestures to ask if it was okay to leave and they said yes. We walked about a block down the street and hailed another taxi to return to the Village.

[mtlchick]

Al Roker is the NBC guy who is going to against the grain and said "Ryan lied" AND essentially told Billy Bush to STFU.  Snerk.

 

[jjj]

An NPR reporter in Rio said that the Lochte "diplomatic incident" has cast a shadow over the Games, with articles still appearing in the Brazilian press every day.  And they said he had done an interview with Brazilian television yesterday, also, which "did not cut it" with Brazilians.  And that he probably should not go on vacation there anytime soon.  http://www.npr.org/2016/08/21/490819578/the-rio-summer-olympics-wrap-up-sunday-night 

About Michael Phelps, I posted yesterday that video paparazzi had caught him at a Starbucks in Phoenix and asked about Lochte.  Phelps said he had not talked to Lochte.  Did not sound like it was on his to-do list. 

[doodlebug]

2 minutes ago, jjj said:

An NPR reporter in Rio said that the Lochte "diplomatic incident" has cast a shadow over the Games, with articles still appearing in the Brazilian press every day.  And they said he had done an interview with Brazilian television yesterday, also, which "did not cut it" with Brazilians.  And that he probably should not go on vacation there anytime soon.  http://www.npr.org/2016/08/21/490819578/the-rio-summer-olympics-wrap-up-sunday-night 

About Michael Phelps, I posted yesterday that video paparazzi had caught him at a Starbucks in Phoenix and asked about Lochte.  Phelps said he had not talked to Lochte.  Did not sound like it was on his to-do list. 

The only other comment I heard Michael Phelps make about the whole thing was that he had hired a driver in Rio so he didn't have to worry about cabs and such. In other words, he's smart enough to know how to keep out of trouble, unlike Lochte.  I don't think Lochte and Phelps have ever been best buds, though.

Al Roker is my hero, no 'overembellished' BS for him.  And, of course, Natalie Morales was right there with him.  She's of Brazilian descent, speaks the language and undoubtedly has been very aware of how the Brazilian public has reacted to this story.

[Noreaster]

Billy Bush is an idiot.  He is part of the reason why this story got out of hand.  Based on that NY Times article that I linked to earlier, he was excited to get the scoop with Ryan Lochte and filmed that impromptu interview.  He didn't ask good questions at the time, and later as more details came out, Billy became defensive about his story and tried to defend Ryan. That clip with Al Roker is hilarious.  

[doodlebug]

11 minutes ago, Noreaster said:

Billy Bush is an idiot.  He is part of the reason why this story got out of hand.  Based on that NY Times article that I linked to earlier, he was excited to get the scoop with Ryan Lochte and filmed that impromptu interview.  He didn't ask good questions at the time, and later as more details came out, Billy became defensive about his story and tried to defend Ryan. That clip with Al Roker is hilarious.  

Yep, he ran into him shortly after hearing the story and, in hopes of getting the first interview, asked to talk to Lochte right then and there in the street, using his iPhone to record it.  Granted, Billy Bush is no way an investigative reporter and undoubtedly NBC wouldn't have give him the interview if they'd had time to arrange it; but it was at least in part his eagerness to get the story ASAP that lead to the dissemination of the lies.  If Lochte was still drunk as he claims, and presumably been up all night partying, a better reporter might've gotten those facts into the interview, too.

Matt Lauer, a day or two after his initial interview with Lochte, at least expressed scepticism about the story.  Billy Bush was insisting the fact he caught Lochte just an hour or two after the incident made it likely that the story he got was the truth.  Meanwhile, Lauer disagreed and said that, while his impression during the interview was that SOMETHING had happened; he had a feeling that Lochte was at the least exaggerating his actions.  This was the interview where Lying' Ryan said the other 3 dove to the ground when the gun came out while Ryan stood his ground with a gun pressed to his forehead.  Yeah, right!

 

Quote

Now should everyone put their hand over their heart?   Sure.   But if you stand there respectfully, no fidgeting, I'm good.   Especially women.   Putting our hands over our hearts can look like you're grabbing your breast.   You might not want that look at that particular moment.

Maybe I am just dumb, and I realize ignorance of the law is no excuse, but I never knew that placing the right hand over the heart was the legally correct way to stand for the anthem.  I am 59 years old and have been to quite a few sporting events and I must say, that I only sometimes put my hand over my heart and that I've only seen it become commonplace over the past few years.  Maybe Gabby Douglas didn't know it was the law, either?  I thought paying respectful attention was enough.  The things I learn online.  And I still think people need to leave Gabby Douglas the he** alone; she seems like a perfectly decent person to me, more introverted than her team mates but no less proud of them or the team because of it.  You do you, Gabby.

Edited August 21, 2016 by doodlebug

[Bewitched]

The hand over the heart thing came up in the gymnastics thread.  It seems that the code changed sometime in the last 20 years to add the salute.   

Many of us over 30 were taught to place your hand over your heart for the pledge and stand at attention and sing for the anthem.  As long as you do something to show respect, I don't care where your hands are.  

As to Lochte, the only thing that isn't sitting well with me is that Brazil has not asked him to pay a fine.  Having Fiegen pay the fine in order to leave the country reads like extortion even if it isn't truly.  Why not go after the guy who truly is the root cause?  

Crossing my fingers that USA swimming  steps up and helps to reinforce to  Lochte that what he did was unacceptable. 

[mightysparrow]

Al Roker is the hero in this clusterfuck (and I never thought I'd live to see this day|).  He's the only one who is calling Lochte what he is; a LIAR.

This whole thing isn't because Lochte and his minions peed in some bushes or vandalized a gas station bathroom.  This is because Ryan Lochte went on international television and told the world that a Brazilian police officer held a cocked gun to his head and demanded money.  There isn't a country on the face of the earth where that would be okay.  Lochte knew Brazil's reputation; I'm sure the whole Olympic team had been briefed on crime in Brazil.  Lochte used his interview with that simpleton Billy Bush to achieve what he hadn't been able to do in the pool; make the Olympics about him. 

If Lochte does go on the Today show, I want Al Roker to interview him.

[jjj]

11 minutes ago, Bewitched said:

As to Lochte, the only thing that isn't sitting well with me is that Brazil has not asked him to pay a fine.  Having Fiegen pay the fine in order to leave the country reads like extortion even if it isn't truly.  Why not go after the guy who truly is the root cause?  

Crossing my fingers that USA swimming  steps up and helps to reinforce to  Lochte that what he did was unacceptable. 

Oh, yeah, he knows sanctions are coming, and he is rightly concerned.  I cannot imagine that pretending to cry on the Today Show is helping make his case, but apparently that is what his brain trust suggested.  As others have said above, truly the PR advice he has received is dreadful.  You do not half-apologize on Instagram and Twitter and think that will do the trick, then let Matt Lauer lecture you on what a "robbery" is.  He really is trying to present himself as an inexperienced kid, and I half-expect him to show up wearing one of those beanie caps with the little spinning propeller on top.  

Edited August 21, 2016 by jjj

[Daisy]

okay. i am going to chalk this up to the Olympics and everything makes me cry... I've only been able to see clips so i didn't see the full Lochte interview with Lauer, and i can't access it on USA websites.. was he authentic? he looked really sad/weepy, which started the waterworks. (man I can not wait until Hockey starts. that will toughen me up again *giggles*)

[Macbeth]

Well Lochte doesn't have that many working brain cells.  So he douses those cells in alcohol and we have an international incident.

I am sure those guys were completely surprised to have anyone call out their behavior with a gun.  I, with a legion of thousands, have had to deal with the frat boy, entitled mentality, so I have no sympathy for them at all.

However, if security felt fine with drawing a gun on an Olympian, an American Olympian, with cameras rolling, God help the regular Brazilian. 

[DollEyes]

I never thought I'd say this, but three cheers for Al Roker! His putting Billy Bush on blast for defending Lochte's lying to him gave me life like my mama! That Lochte lied to Bush while he was still drunk is hilarious, to say the least. Lochte's sit-down with Matt Lauer was even more cringe-worthy.  Lauer was already suspicious about Lochte's story, but when Lochte still wouldn't admit that he lied and Lauer had to explain to him what a robbery is and had to shame him into finally apologizing to Brazil, if Lauer wanted to smack Lochte upside his newly-brunette head, I wouldn't have blamed him. 

  Lochte's latest fuck-up makes me have even more respect for Michael Phelps, who's made some big mistakes in his own right, but he admitted them (not like he had much choice, in fairness), did his time, paid his dues and IMO earned his redemption honestly. As for Lochte's future, people may forget what he did, but unfortunately for him, the internet never forgets. His ignorance is preserved for posterity for eternity. 

[xaxat]

Does anyone know about the health of the open water swimmers/sailors.

Coming into the Olympics, it sounded like they were all going to come down with the plague if they were in the water without a hazmat suit.

[maraleia]

38 minutes ago, DollEyes said:

I never thought I'd say this, but three cheers for Al Roker! His putting Billy Bush on blast for defending Lochte's lying to him gave me life like my mama! That Lochte lied to Bush while he was still drunk is hilarious, to say the least. Lochte's sit-down with Matt Lauer was even more cringe-worthy.  Lauer was already suspicious about Lochte's story, but when Lochte still wouldn't admit that he lied and Lauer had to explain to him what a robbery is and had to shame him into finally apologizing to Brazil, if Lauer wanted to smack Lochte upside his newly-brunette head, I wouldn't have blamed him. 

  Lochte's latest fuck-up makes me have even more respect for Michael Phelps, who's made some big mistakes in his own right, but he admitted them (not like he had much choice, in fairness), did his time, paid his dues and IMO earned his redemption honestly. As for Lochte's future, people may forget what he did, but unfortunately for him, the internet never forgets. His ignorance is preserved for posterity for eternity. 

You said exactly what I've been thinking about Phelps vs Lochte. Whereas I believe Phelps has the intelligence to acknowledge his mistakes and work on himself I don't see that in Lochte especially with the way he acted on his reality show. He has no depth and that will be his undoing.

[jjj]

14 minutes ago, xaxat said:

Does anyone know about the health of the open water swimmers/sailors.

Coming into the Olympics, it sounded like they were all going to come down with the plague if they were in the water without a hazmat suit.

I heard on NPR this morning that one sailor did get sick, and it was a sailor from Belgium.  Officials now are saying that she actually contracted an infection while training in Rio before the Games started -- but whether she was infected during or prior to the Games, there appears to be no doubt that the problem started in Rio.  Here is an article about how they stopped pumping sewage and landfill into open water during the Olympics -- and how the water will go back to its filthy state afterward.  http://www.wkbw.com/sports/olympics/rio-2016/water-to-remain-filthy-in-rio-after-olympics 

Quote from article:  'World Sailing gave extensive hygiene guidance beginning a year ago after sailors fell ill in Rio at a test event. "Everyone has been very careful in using hand hygiene, washing down clothing, boats and so on," Hunt said.'

Edited August 21, 2016 by jjj

[Shannon L.]

1 hour ago, jjj said:

He really is trying to present himself as an inexperienced kid

I've been following this thread ever since the news that it appeared to be a big lie, but haven't weighed in on it.  Needless to say, I'm on the side of those who think the behavior and the lie were inexcusable,  his apology and subsequent interview were ridiculous, and that he needs some sort of sanctions against him.  I quoted JJJ, though, because THIS! is exactly what was going through my head last night when I watched the interview.  Even if he was sincere (which he may have been, I don't know) and if the tears were real (which, again, maybe, maybe not), he still came across as a kid.  I kept rolling my eyes and saying "You're 32! Act like it!".  I can't even place my finger on why it felt that way, but it did.  Even my 15 year old thought something was off. 

 

3 minutes ago, maraleia said:

Lochte's latest fuck-up makes me have even more respect for Michael Phelps, who's made some big mistakes in his own right, but he admitted them (not like he had much choice, in fairness), did his time, paid his dues and IMO earned his redemption honestly.

I said on FB that there was a huge difference in Michael Phelps from 2000 to this Olympics.  He seemed more mature, more at peace and more of a big brother (at times, he was almost paternal).  I liked this Michael Phelps more than any other year I've watched him.  

[Daisy]

Holy crap. In protest to the loss, Mongolian coaches stripped down. (not butt naked). but still. wow. 

[jjj]

This article has a video clip from Lochte's Brazilian TV-GLOBO:  http://www.espn.com/olympics/summer/swimming/story/_/id/17359335/scott-blackmun-us-olympic-committee-ceo-says-ryan-lochte-fellow-swimmers-disciplined 

And has this quote from a US member of the IOC, Anita DeFrantz:  ' "They have forever put themselves on the kind of list that you don't want to be remembered for,'' she told The Associated Press. "I wish I could feel sorry for them. Instead I feel that they should have been honest from the beginning. What they did was wrong, but what was even more wrong, it was ridiculous that they didn't stand up and tell the truth. ``Who would have it hurt to tell the truth? No one. And who did it hurt not to tell the truth? It insulted a whole nation.'' ' 

[dcalley]

17 minutes ago, Daisy said:

Holy crap. In protest to the loss, Mongolian coaches stripped down. (not butt naked). but still. wow. 

(This was the bronze wrestling match.) Don't celebrate your win before the match is over, kids.

[Daisy]

1 minute ago, dcalley said:

(This was the bronze wrestling match.) Don't celebrate your win before the match is over, kids.

yeah sorry, I was so like OMG i forgot to give the details. LOL
that was so sad, bad, and amusing. 

[selkie]

Possibly the bravest Olympic moment in Rio. I hope he can get his family to Kenya soon.

http://www.letsrun.com/news/2016/08/bravest-olympian-rio-ethiopias-feyisa-lilesa-speaks-killings-oromo-protesters-ethiopia-earning-olympic-silver-marathon/

 

Quote

As Lilesa crossed the finish line in 2:09:54 to earn the silver medal, he threw his hands above his head to form an “X”. Afterward, at the post-race press conference on a dais 50 yards from the marathon finish line, he spoke slow, powerful, chilling words, explaining the gesture was meant to demonstrate his solidarity with his Oromo people in Ethiopia. Amnesty International reports that at least 97 Oromo were killed in peaceful anti-government protests earlier this month. This is the latest in a string of protests that Human Rights Watch estimates have resulted in over 400 deaths in all. In addition to the killings, many more have been arrested and detained by the government.

By speaking out Lilesa said he cannot return to Ethiopia because his life or freedom would be in jeopardy. “If I go back to Ethiopia, maybe they kill me,” Lilesa said. “If not kill me, they put [me] in prison. If not put me in prison, they block me at airport. After that I don’t move anywhere.”