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

[ohjoy]

14 hours ago, NUguy514 said:

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?

My feelings exactly. I had to be calmed down to quit shouting at my tv during the 14 minutes that aired last night, of which I watched only two.

Thankfully there were some lovely Olympic moments to cleanse my mind of this crap.

[tanyak]

I'm about four minutes in and I'm cringing with second-hand embarrassment. This is awful!

ETA: Made it through. Never in the world did I think the day would come when I got tired of talking about Ryan Lochte, but it's here. My general takeaways:

1. I thought the sniffles were real.
2. I do think he's really sorry.
3. I don't think he fully and really understands where he went wrong. 
4. I think he was trying to stick to the the PR-fed lines and struggled with that, which is why he sounded even more doofy than usual in parts.
5. He comes off as a coddled, sheltered and clueless. And yes, immature.

Anyhoo, I hope the Closing Ceremonies go off without a mention of his name or this whole mess. It's taken up far too much time this week. 

Edited August 21, 2016 by tanyak

[Rina99]

Count me in as still feeling that Ryan Lochte is  full of shit, and that interview was just laughable. Particularly with this account from the person who helped translate. As I suspected, it was the swimmers who offered to pay in order to avoid having the police come out, so that makes any claims of "robbery" that they try to claim just complete and utter bullshit. 

http://abcnews.go.com/International/good-samaritan-olympic-swimmers-begged-police/story?id=41546590

Quote

Deluz -- who decided to intervene when he saw the guards having trouble communicating with the athletes -- said in the statement he asked the men to calm down and Bentz asked "how much money" and "no police please."

 

 

Edited August 21, 2016 by Rina99

[Kromm]

4 hours ago, mightysparrow said:

I want Al Roker to interview him.

Heh. Not a phrase that's been used very often before, is it?

[kili]

Quote

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.

While I would never do it myself, I have just come to accept that the homeless, the drunk, the small children and people who disagree with my personal standards will. It's not worth getting excited about. And I've seen women do it. They tend to squat behind the bushes or garbage cans or whatever. Men are more likely to do it, but when you have to go and there are no bathrooms...I think that cities/businesses could do more by providing access to bathrooms (I noticed that after most places stopped charging for bathrooms in Europe, the streets seemed less urine soaked - I still remember when I got into a rough situation in Germany. I'd given the last of my German currency to a homeless person and then my train out of the country was delayed six hours. Luckily, I found a mark on the bottom of my backpack or I might have had to beg for bathroom money myself (currency exchange was closed as it was fairly late)) but I realize that there is a cost to that.

Quote

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

I'm not ruining somebody's life over something I can hose off the sidewalk or bush. I may grumble about it, but life is too short. 

[Nidratime]

I think perspective needs to be the watch word here. Let's put this in perspective. No one's life needs to be destroyed over this, surely. It's not rape or murder.

[legaleagle53]

5 minutes ago, Nidratime said:

I think perspective needs to be the watch word here. Let's put this in perspective. No one's life needs to be destroyed over this, surely. It's not rape or murder.

No, but it's lying to authorities, lying to the public, insulting the host city and the host country, and STILL BREAKING THE LAW -- they're lucky they weren't also charged with vandalism, public intoxication, and even public indecency.  They don't get a pass just because nobody was injured, traumatized, or killed as a result of their actions.  As others have said, imagine if it had been a team from say, Morocco, Mexico, or Iran who had done something similar in the United States.  You think people in the US would have just shrugged it off with a "Well, at least they didn't KILL anybody!"?  More than a few people here would be calling for their heads, never mind sanctions in their home countries.

[Nidratime]

I don't think people in the U.S. would be that enraged over some foreign athletes who peed on a wall and teared down a poster. What I think all this hysteria might lead to is that all the other athletes of the U.S. being booed, disrespected, and called liars. Let's not forget that this was a very minor part of the Olympic games. Actually, it wasn't even a part of it.

Edited August 21, 2016 by Nidratime

[Kromm]

8 minutes ago, Nidratime said:

I don't think people in the U.S. would be that enraged over some foreign athletes who peed on a wall and teared down a poster. 

Because it's not in our nature, culturally, to be enraged as a first response.  It's more likely we'd feel smugly superior and condescending about what those "third world" people are up to if some of them acted like that while visiting some American city. 

I mean Americans do get enraged about stupid shit all of the time. But smug is usually the first option.  Rage is what we reserve for holding against our own minorities, sadly. 

Edited August 21, 2016 by Kromm

[izabella]

21 minutes ago, kili said:

when you have to go and there are no bathrooms...I think that cities/businesses could do more by providing access to bathrooms

The irony is they were at a gas station specifically to find a bathroom.  Which they found.  So there was no need to pee outside or on walls or anywhere else.

[legaleagle53]

3 minutes ago, Nidratime said:

I don't think people in the U.S. would be that enraged over some foreign athletes who peed on a wall and teared down a poster.

You'd better believe they would, especially in certain parts of the South and the Southwest.  There's a reason I picked those three countries as examples.  In fact, in certain parts of the US, those athletes would be lucky to be alive if certain people who believed in "shoot first, ask questions later" caught them doing what these four doofuses did in Rio.

[evilmindatwork]

A bunch of foreign athletes vandalizing a gas station or a convenience in the US would lead to extensive media coverage and national outrage. In fact, whole sections of the media would be calling them thugs. 

ETA: I don't even think this hypo should be limited to foreign athletes, I can readily imagine the national reaction to this if the basketball team or some in track were involved in this incident. 

Edited August 21, 2016 by evilmindatwork
I suck at proof reading

[KenyaJ]

3 hours ago, Shannon L. said:

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.  

Ironically, Phelps was suitemates with the Infamous 4. He and David Plummer must have been super thankful they decided to pass on hanging out with their suitemates that night.

[Nidratime]

I just think we've let ourselves be taken over by this one incident and all the other achievements by our athletes are being diminished by us. I don't blame Lochte. I blame us.

Edited August 21, 2016 by Nidratime

[legaleagle53]

4 minutes ago, evilmindatwork said:

A bunch of foreign athletes vandalizing a gas station or a convenience in the US would lead to extensive media coverage and national outrage. Additionally, whole sections of the media would be calling them thugs. 

ETA: I don't even think it should be exclusive to foreign athletes, I can readily imagine the national reaction to this if the basketball team or some in the track team were involved in this incident. 

At least our athletes would be speaking English and could make themselves understood.  If a group of Latino, Black, or Middle Eastern men who only spoke Spanish (Mexico), Arabic (Morocco), or Persian (Iran) did it, God save them from any trigger-happy "stand your ground" nut who felt it was his duty to take them out before they did God-knows-what.

[merylinkid]

As the Olympics come to a close, I am supremely thankful the biggest scandal was Lochte being Lochte.   Considering all the concerns beforehand about security and health, and general readiness of Rio to hold the games, I think they went off well.     I really thought someone would be dead (not that I really wanted a death.  I just was scared it would happen).   Instead we get passport seized and fines paid.   

[kathy42977]

By the way people were talking I was expecting this Olympics to be one screw up after another.

I think this has been a FANTASTIC  Olympics. 

Brazil should feel very proud and vindicated. 

[Kromm]

5 minutes ago, merylinkid said:

As the Olympics come to a close, I am supremely thankful the biggest scandal was Lochte being Lochte.   Considering all the concerns beforehand about security and health, and general readiness of Rio to hold the games, I think they went off well.     I really thought someone would be dead (not that I really wanted a death.  I just was scared it would happen).   Instead we get passport seized and fines paid.   

Green Pool Water was a close second though. 

If nothing else, the absence of any real terrorist action is a real win (although I think this means they should be doubly careful during the Paralympics, and I wonder if they realize or acknowledge that). 

[galaxygirl76]

I think the true scandal will be what's going to happen in Rio after the Olympics are over. I've been hearing on the radio all about how Rio is broke, police and fire department will go on strike because there is no money etc.

[selkie]

17 minutes ago, merylinkid said:

As the Olympics come to a close, I am supremely thankful the biggest scandal was Lochte being Lochte.   Considering all the concerns beforehand about security and health, and general readiness of Rio to hold the games, I think they went off well.     I really thought someone would be dead (not that I really wanted a death.  I just was scared it would happen).   Instead we get passport seized and fines paid.   

Someone did die:

 

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/rio-2016-olympics-stefan-henze-german-canoe-slalom-coach-dead-saves-four-lives-organ-donor-a7195516.html

Quote

Stefan Henze, the German Olympic canoe slalom coach who died after a car crash in Rio, has saved the lives of four people by being an organ donor.

Henze was involved in crash near the Olympic park in the Brazilian city last Friday. He was taken to hospital with head injuries and underwent emergency brain surgery but died on Monday as a result of the injuries.

[MVFrostsMyPie]

I'm assuming those insisting on fining/persecuting/imprisoning public urinators don't live in or near a city. That's like the last thing people worry about. Avoiding human poop on the sidewalk is part of my daily routine while walking to work. I guess you learn to pick and choose your battles, and that is a beyond losing one, no matter how many accessible restrooms you install. 

I also think we've beaten the what ifs and different scenarios to death. It's getting worse than NBC in here. It happened. The people involved have and will continue to deal with the consequences. Both sides did questionable things of varying degrees. This is will be old news soon. People (except here) have short attention spans. Me, I'm personally more upset by the 12-14 year old suicide bomber at a wedding in Turkey who killed several people. That is absolutely tragic.

I think the most annoying thing about Brazil specifically was the Brazilian peoples' constant booing at other athletes who were competing against their athletes. It may be a cultural thing in football/soccer, but it was pretty messed up to do that while other athletes performed in other sports. I don't recall that during other Olympics, but they are spread out too much to remember them all. ;) Anyway, on to the next one! Glad these Olympics are almost over, in a bittersweet way.

Edited August 22, 2016 by MattDuffysCat

[ratgirlagogo]

On 8/20/2016 at 3:01 PM, Sew Sumi said:

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

Given that shotputting isn't popular enough to even have earned a topic thread here on PTV, that doesn't surprise me.  Gabby Douglas had a TV movie made of her life, had her photo on a cereal box,  wrote an autobiography that made the NYT Bestseller List, appeared on the MTV Music Awards, etc. etc. Does anyone seriously think any one of these things will happen for those two beefy white guys?  Me neither.   I don't think she should be attacked for choosing to show respect in her own way either (the same way, as you've pointed out,  that other US athletes did) but for better or for worse that kind of fame puts you in a fishbowl. People who don't even watch the Olympics know who she is.

Edited August 22, 2016 by ratgirlagogo

[Kromm]

2 minutes ago, ratgirlagogo said:

Given that shotputting isn't popular enough to even have earned a topic thread here on PTV

Undoubtedly shot put is less popular than any form of gymnastics, but if we're being totally equal about how they're addressed here, it is addressed on the board by a Track & Field topic the same way that the various events that Gabby Douglas competes in are addressed by an overall Gymnastics thread. It is true that gymnasts move between various events and compete in multiples, and for the most part (other than Decathlon) Track and Field people don't, but I think it's mostly tradition and those uber-categories explaining why it didn't get it's own category rather than ONLY it's relative lack of popularity.

That said, your overall point (that really people don't care enough about it to fuss) wasn't really about that qualifier, I know.  It was more about what followed in your post--that nobody cared because it was obscure. 

Except... we're also dealing with the mass media here, who inflate in importance whatever appeals at the moment, and Social Media, where all it takes is a few people noticing and bitching about stuff to catch fire. I think your point about it being less watched/noticed would definitely apply... if the Gabby Douglas thing hadn't come first. I DO think it was peculiar that so few commented on these guys in the wake of the Douglas situation, because that comparison was hanging out there for everyone to see.  Commenting on them (or not) had less to do with Shot Put and how little anyone cares about it, and more to do with the fact that people should have been (theoretically) hyper-aware of the situation.

[Ohwell]

30 minutes ago, MattDuffysCat said:

I'm assuming those insisting on fining/persecuting/imprisoning public urinators don't live in or near a city. That's like the last thing people worry about. Avoiding human poop on the sidewalk is part of my daily routine while walking to work. I guess you learn to pick and choose your battles, and that is a beyond losing one, no matter how many accessible restrooms you install. 

I also think we've beaten the what ifs and different scenarios to death. It's getting worse than NBC in here. It happened. The people involved have and will continue to deal with the consequences. Both sides did questionable things of varying degrees. This is will be old news soon. People (except here) have short attention spans. Me, I'm personally more upset by the 12-14 year old suicide bomber at a wedding in Turkey who killed several people. That is absolutely tragic.

I think the most annoying thing about Brazil specifically was the Brazilian peoples' constant booing at other athletes who were competing against their athletes. It may be a cultural thing in football/soccer, but it was pretty messed up to do that while other athletes performed in other sports. I don't recall that during other Olympics, but they are spread out too much to remember them all. ;) Anyway, on to the next one! Glad these Olympics are almost over, in a bittersweet way.

Well said.  Every word.

[ratgirlagogo]

12 minutes ago, Kromm said:

Except... we're also dealing with the mass media here, who inflate in importance whatever appeals at the moment, and Social Media, where all it takes is a few people noticing and bitching about stuff to catch fire. I think your point about it being less watched/noticed would definitely apply... if the Gabby Douglas thing hadn't come first. I DO think it was peculiar that so few commented on these guys in the wake of the Douglas situation, because that comparison was hanging out there for everyone to see.  Commenting on them (or not) had less to do with Shot Put and how little anyone cares about it, and more to do with the fact that people should have been (theoretically) hyper-aware of the situation.

 My point about the PTV thread was, yes, shotputting is obscure- so obscure that even the obsessives here aren't terribly obsessed with it as an event.  On the other hand people could and plainly did comment on the Gabby Douglas thing who didn't even watch the Olympics once it made its way onto social media.  To compare and contrast all the other events that followed would involve watching literally hundreds of different events, many of which didn't appear on NBC television.  

Edited August 22, 2016 by ratgirlagogo

[KenyaJ]

4 minutes ago, ratgirlagogo said:

To compare and contrast all the other events that followed would involve watching literally hundreds of different events, many of which didn't appear on NBC television.  

Point taken, but that medal ceremony aired in prime time. And, at least on my Twitter TL, people took note of it and the lack of comment by the same people who attacked Gabby on Twitter.

[ratgirlagogo]

1 minute ago, KenyaJ said:

Point taken, but that medal ceremony aired in prime time. And, at least on my Twitter TL, people took note of it and the lack of comment by the same people who attacked Gabby on Twitter

And information received, thank you.  But since she is as I said famous even to people who don't watch the Olympics I'd bet money the bulk of the Twitter assholes didn't see her on the Olympics - they're just jumping on board behind some jerk they follow on Twitter.

[dcalley]

8 minutes ago, KenyaJ said:

Point taken, but that medal ceremony aired in prime time.

And on the same night as Bolt ran in the 200m final, so that medal ceremony (probably) had a big audience.

Edited August 22, 2016 by dcalley
some wording changes

[jjj]

It should be noted again that this incident is not about peeing on a wall.  It is not even about tearing down a poster.  It is about lying.  It is about lying that pandered to the stereotype of "dangerous Rio" and blamed imaginary thugs that of course made most of us shake our heads ("those poor kids" "they should have known better than to be out in dangerous Rio") .   It is fear-mongering that is also insulting to the hosts. 

Rio is a problem-ridden city trying to put on a world-class event.  If Detroit had tried to resurrect its proud past by hosting the Olympics, and some entitled French athletes (for example) made up a story about being set upon by Detroit muggers *that never existed*, and skedaddled (that is Le French term) out of the country while still blaming dangerous Detroit internationally and overshadowing the great event -- yes, Detroit would be right to try to get some justice.  And no one would care about the urine part of the story. 

Edited August 22, 2016 by jjj

[KenyaJ]

2 minutes ago, ratgirlagogo said:

And information received, thank you.  But since she is as I said famous even to people who don't watch the Olympics I'd bet money the bulk of the Twitter assholes didn't see her on the Olympics - they're just jumping on board behind some jerk they follow on Twitter.

Yeah, I'm sure that's true. Once it ends up on right-wing blogs, game over. And, of course, none of those blogs would dare call out two white guys as being unpatriotic.

[walnutqueen]

39 minutes ago, MattDuffysCat said:

I'm assuming those insisting on fining/persecuting/imprisoning public urinators don't live in or near a city. That's like the last thing people worry about. Avoiding human poop on the sidewalk is part of my daily routine while walking to work. I guess you learn to pick and choose your battles, and that is a beyond losing one, no matter how many accessible restrooms you install. 

I also think we've beaten the what ifs and different scenarios to death. It's getting worse than NBC in here. It happened. The people involved have and will continue to deal with the consequences. Both sides did questionable things of varying degrees. This is will be old news soon. People (except here) have short attention spans. Me, I'm personally more upset by the 12-14 year old suicide bomber at a wedding in Turkey who killed several people. That is absolutely tragic.

I think the most annoying thing about Brazil specifically was the Brazilian peoples' constant booing at other athletes who were competing against their athletes. It may be a cultural thing in football/soccer, but it was pretty messed up to do that while other athletes performed in other sports. I don't recall that during other Olympics, but they are spread out too much to remember them all. ;) Anyway, on to the next one! Glad these Olympics are almost over, in a bittersweet way.

^^^ Bravo/Brava.

I've not commented on Lochtegate, and don't really want to open a can of worms; but with all the outrage about urination and vandalism and lies, I'd like to point out that a gun is a lethal weapon and not to be brandished about or used as a casual threat or deterrent.  The first thing I learned in the good old USA gun safety course was you NEVER point it at anything or anyone you are not prepared to KILL.  A perspective that seems lost these days, at least in this country, and possibly in other countries as well.

The first thing I learned in good old Canada is that it is rude to boo, especially during an Olympic event.

Winter 2018, here we come!

[MVFrostsMyPie]

@jjj I'm pretty sure we are all aware it's not about the urinating... and my opinion still stands. :)

Edited August 22, 2016 by MattDuffysCat

[evilmindatwork]

1 hour ago, MattDuffysCat said:

I'm assuming those insisting on fining/persecuting/imprisoning public urinators don't live in or near a city. That's like the last thing people worry about. Avoiding human poop on the sidewalk is part of my daily routine while walking to work. I guess you learn to pick and choose your battles, and that is a beyond losing one, no matter how many accessible restrooms you install. 

 

Hm. Not really, I grew up in San Francisco,  now live Chicago, have lived in other large cities. Basically spent my entire life in cities except for a few years in a college town. Not necessarily annoyed about the peeing as much as about the lying, the disrespect to their host country, and the entitlement. 

Edited August 22, 2016 by evilmindatwork

[MVFrostsMyPie]

Right, that was my response to the things people were saying *specifically* about the urination part.

[paperplate]

This olympics has had just enough scandals to keep me interested.  I'm glad that nothing worse (i.e. Terrorist attacks) happened. 

[MaKaM]

43 minutes ago, KenyaJ said:

Point taken, but that medal ceremony aired in prime time. And, at least on my Twitter TL, people took note of it and the lack of comment by the same people who attacked Gabby on Twitter.

The real issue is people assigning authority/credibility to racists and judgemental assholes from social media. The people who bitched about Gabby are not in positions of authority, they have no position to dictate or complain about her life and outside of having access to social media, would not have been noted by anyone (and should not in the future). Social media is gossip, not news no matter how frequently the news reports it as such. If the USOC had said something to Gabby (and the shot putters), that would be one thing. "More patriotic than thou" dumbasses who have twitter accounts should not be given the opportunity to weigh in. Gabby Douglas could have stood on that podium and belted out a perfect operatic rendition of the national anthem and the racists who criticized her would complain that her toes weren't pointed or some shit. Stop giving them credibility and attention, they deserve neither.

[merylinkid]

1 hour ago, selkie said:

Someone did die:

 

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/rio-2016-olympics-stefan-henze-german-canoe-slalom-coach-dead-saves-four-lives-organ-donor-a7195516.html

I am sorry about that.   Condolences to his family.    Good for him being an organ donor.

But this wasn't because something went wrong with the Olympics.   Car crashes happen all the time.   

Good point whoever said it above.   WHat happens to Rio when the cameras are no longer focused on them?    We know the favelas were pretty much barricaded in for 2 weeks.   What happened in them during that time?  

[biakbiak]

4 hours ago, jjj said:

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.'' ' 

After having seen so many exposes of the IOC, I can't take any of their members trying to act superior over this incident when you can literally find multiple members of the Senior leadership who have committed worse crimes and lied more aggregiously while "representing" the Olympics than any of these four dudes and haven't been reprimanded.

[magdalene]

2 hours ago, Nidratime said:

I just think we've let ourselves be taken over by this one incident and all the other achievements by our athletes are being diminished by us. I don't blame Lochte. I blame us.

Personally I do blame Lochte for the mess he is in.  I certainly don't blame myself.

And somebody up thread mentioned the most recent horrible suicide bombing as an example of why we should not get our collective panties in a twist over Lochte.  You can't compare the two. 

I can find suicide bombings and terrorist attacks abhorrent and awful and still believe that Lochte shouldn't get a pass.  Most bad things people do will be less awful than terrorist acts just because the level of awful involved - but that doesn't mean people should be getting away with crimes.

Edited August 22, 2016 by magdalene

[Nidratime]

Spoiler

Personally I do blame Lochte for the mess he is in.  I certainly don't blame myself.

You blame Lochte by the way "we" react to Lochte? By the way every other American athletes' accomplishment is diminished because we can't keep our salacious interest off of him and every other accomplishment, unrelated to him, is tarnished by this focus on him? Just asking?

ETA: I just asked because an American wrestler, Helen Margoulis, who won a gold medal was asked about Lochte -- of all things -- which has nothing at all to do with her or her sport.  That's why I couldn't bother to watch anything else involving the Olympics, because it's not all about him even though nothing else had anything to do with him or swimming. It's ridiculous.

Edited August 22, 2016 by Nidratime

[magdalene]

21 minutes ago, Nidratime said:

  Reveal hidden contents

Personally I do blame Lochte for the mess he is in.  I certainly don't blame myself.

You blame Lochte by the way "we" react to Lochte? By the way every other American athletes' accomplishment is diminished because we can't keep our salacious interest off of him and every other accomplishment, unrelated to him, is tarnished by this focus on him? Just asking?

I blame Lochte for his actions in Rio.  I have no salacious interest in Lochte and I am not diminishing other athletes by having made one comment up thread about Lochte's actions.  And I only responded to your post because I don't think it's fair that everybody posting here gets lumped into the "we" and "us". 

I did not see the edited part of your post until now - obviously other medal winners should not be questioned and harassed about Lochte.

Edited August 22, 2016 by magdalene

[BitterApple]

3 hours ago, Nidratime said:

I think perspective needs to be the watch word here. Let's put this in perspective. No one's life needs to be destroyed over this, surely. It's not rape or murder.

I agree. Lochte's a douche but he isn't Adolf Hitler ffs. I don't understand the vitriol over this. He lied and should be held accountable, but beyond apologizing and paying for damages I don't understand what people expect him to do. 

[Dots And Stripes]

USA Today has a new, very detailed article. Includes insight from Brazilian attorneys and a judge. It also includes quotes from the man who served as the interpreter during the incident. 

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/olympics/rio-2016/2016/08/21/investigation-ryan-lochte-rio-olympics-authorities/89082232/

[MaKaM]

11 minutes ago, BitterApple said:

I agree. Lochte's a douche but he isn't Adolf Hitler ffs. I don't understand the vitriol over this. He lied and should be held accountable, but beyond apologizing and paying for damages I don't understand what people expect him to do. 

I want him to go away. I don't expect it though.

 

ETA: Well the float dancers at the closing ceremonies were almost a boob scandal!

Edited August 22, 2016 by MaKaM

[Kromm]

53 minutes ago, Dots And Stripes said:

USA Today has a new, very detailed article. Includes insight from Brazilian attorneys and a judge. It also includes quotes from the man who served as the interpreter during the incident. 

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/olympics/rio-2016/2016/08/21/investigation-ryan-lochte-rio-olympics-authorities/89082232/

Part of what's so sad about this situation is that we even have to debate if the following is true:

Quote

Seven days after an incident that will in part define the Rio Olympics

I mean for Americans I suppose it's definitively true. But it will be really sad if it's equally true for non-Americans (because that would define the scope of the Olympics in a really crappy way, wouldn't it?)

[selkie]

1 hour ago, MaKaM said:

 

ETA: Well the float dancers at the closing ceremonies were almost a boob scandal!

 

I was kind of cheering for a nip slip because it would have been amusing  to hear repeat freak outs over 'what about the chirrun' like we got with Janet Jackson.

[sassykattt]

First of all, shot putters were not the only American winners who stood at attention instead of hand over heart during the anthem.  Go back and look at all of them.  Wouldn't have happened to a white athlete, and didn't.  It was designed to take her down a peg.

Second, good job, Rio!  Congrats.

[Irlandesa]

4 hours ago, Nidratime said:

I just think we've let ourselves be taken over by this one incident and all the other achievements by our athletes are being diminished by us. I don't blame Lochte. I blame us.

I wasn't thinking of Lochte today when Galen Rupp got the bronze in the marathon.  In fact, I don't recall a focus on Lochte today in the coverage I watched.  Instead, it was on the fact that an American did so well in an event he had only competed in once.  It was on the surprising emotion of the basketball team while getting their medals. (I didn't watch the game, though.)  It was on how everyone wanted to take a picture with Simone Biles. 

My point is that I think we can walk and chew gum at the same time.  This scandal is both offensive and kind of fun because of the abject stupidity of the whole thing.  That makes it easy to talk about.  But no one got hurt and I don't think it has enough substance to overtake Phelps getting more medals, Simone Biles absolutely dominating gymnastics, the success of Americans in distance running or the speed of Usain Bolt.  The coattails of these games will be an athlete on DWTS (probably not Lochte) and endorsements (definitely not Lochte).  Five or ten years from now, I just don't see the scandal being the defining moment of these games.  It won't be forgotten but it'll be a footnote not the story.

[katisha]

49 minutes ago, Irlandesa said:

Five or ten years from now, I just don't see the scandal being the defining moment of these games.  It won't be forgotten but it'll be a footnote not the story.

I agree with this. I mean, it's even before MY time but legendary Aussie swimmer Dawn Fraser allegedly stole an Olympic flag at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. She was arrested and later released. It's still mentioned occasionally but not anywhere near as much as her groundbreaking swimming achievements. And that's how it should be. (Mind you, these days Dawn is better known for foot-in-mouth remarks about immigration *facepalm*)

[NUguy514]

5 hours ago, MattDuffysCat said:

I'm assuming those insisting on fining/persecuting/imprisoning public urinators don't live in or near a city. That's like the last thing people worry about. Avoiding human poop on the sidewalk is part of my daily routine while walking to work. I guess you learn to pick and choose your battles, and that is a beyond losing one, no matter how many accessible restrooms you install.

That's quite an assumption.  I haven't seen anyone here insisting these four be punished (and I haven't seen anyone advocate for their imprisonment) only for public urination.  What I've observed is that people think their destruction and defacement of property (which would include, but not consist entirely of, the urination) and, especially, their stupid and unnecessary lies to both the public and the Brazilian authorities (to whom those lies were also unlawful, which is reason enough for punishment) about said destruction and defacement of property are what deserve some sort of punishment.  The Brazilian authorities have already meted out their punishment; we'll just have to see what punishment the USOC or FINA decide to impose on the four.

Oh, and I live in LA.