So all the pressure on the athletes made them cower and apologize as if nothing happened to them.

I've had @ssholes pull guns on me, I was scared. And no, I didn't do anything wrong. One was a verbal argument at an apartment complex, another was a ten year old telling me to take off my clothes.

The extent of the 'vandalism' was knocking a poster off a wall. No damage was done to the bathroom. They didn't even enter it. Reporters verified that.

To me, this calls the entire account by the police chief into question.

Lochte behaved like an ass it seems, but that doesn't give the cops license to hold an international press conference and blatantly lie about what happened.

In the US, we don't expect private security guards to point a gun at us, even if we're walking away from them. Frankly, if an off duty police officer or prison guard acted this way here, he'd likely be fired and the gas station sued for false imprisonment.

I thought it was gross and premature to pounce before all the facts were in. Frankly, it felt like the same spewers who bashed Bernie fans as privileged white dudes.

Note: I am not denying that Lochte behaved like a total moron. But I knew there was more to the story.

But I was astonished how quickly everybody accepted the police version so quickly.

My initial questions:

- What about that bathroom that wasn't vandalized. Why did the police chief make that part up?

- I can see the time clock on the security tape leap ahead a few times, once almost an entire minute. Why edit the tape...who edited it (police or gas station) and will the entire tape be released?

- This is the biggest question, which I would ask of the police chief: Is it appropriate and considered SOP to pull a gun out for a petty crime?

The police chief blatantly lied about this at the international press conference (he said that they would release all of it after an "investigation&quot . Suuuuuure. The missing footage just happened to edit out the crucial parts of the video. The fact that more people here (just think what we would be saying about police here in the U. S. holding visiting Olympic swimmers at gunpoint, demanding extortion money, and then lying about "missing" sections of video) didn't call out the lying Rio police chief amazed me. Yes Lochte is a jerk -- but the police were the ones with guns and demanding extortion money for an alleged act of minor vandalism. And on top of that another swimmer pays $11,000 so he can leave the country?!

And was promptly called out for preaching "American exceptionalism".

Because that's exactly what this is. Presuming that the Americans are the ones with the truth and the others must be wrong is American exceptionalism. It's a plague. It has infected millions of Americans from what I've seen.

Just look at the Nazis. n/t

... what American exceptionalism is.

It looks like you see this disgrace as something positive.

Terrible.

This guy took the spot light from the other medal winners and left his fellow swimmers to hold the bag. That was a dick move but that doesn't change the fact that it was obvious the official story from Brazil was bull.

... acting with arrogance, entitlement and sense of superiority.

I'm the person saying Americans are not above the others.

And both the police chief and that judge are now proven to be worse than these swimmers but there's no need to compare Americans to the Nazis.

...nobody is reverberating this bullshit of "corrupted cops extorting the poor swimmer baby", except Americans.

Well, when I see Americans full of ethnocentrism calling other peoples of "corrupted fuckers" and their nations of "shitholes", yes, I will call it what it is. If NAZISM it is, NAZISM is what I'll call it.

People are calling your country corrupt when you already admitted it is.

And you have no moral leg to stand on and call any other country of this planet corrupted. Any. At all.

... let alone corrupted.

I'm talking about citizens as a whole. And also officials.

Sure we do...

USA ranked 16th in least corrupt countries...

Brazil? ranked 76th...

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

Love these "corruption perception index".

Too bad their "percpetion" is quite limited.

The Rio officials promised to show the world the unedited gas station video since crucial parts are quite clearly missing (over three minutes in fact) yet that hasn't happened and never will because it will plainly show the swimmers being held at gunpoint, which the Rio officials even admitted.

Yet the fact that people here were ready to imprison Lochte (when there wasn't even proof that they vandalized a bathroom -- a MISDEMEANOR -- much less deserved to have a gun pointed at them and pay multiple amounts of $$$ including that $11,000 for one swimmer to leave the country) was really sad to me. Yes Lochte is a jerk. But defending such police tactics, here or elsewhere, is very nasty business indeed.

they say goes!

Yes, when gas station dudes pulled a gun, they kind of escalated things exponentially and unnecessarily. Too bad about the lack of forthcomingness of the Rio officials -- too bad that it fits the stereotype of how funky we expect shit to go down, down south.

Too bad it couldn't end up a "beer summit" moment Or do you remember when NBA star Ron Artest got into fight with a fan during a game and was suspended for a year and eventually made up and became friends with that fan. It would be nice if it could be resolved nicely. Make it a learning moment.

Finally, I forgive Lochte because lets face it and like it or not, athletes are different than us, psyches, mindsets, etc. All are different and some like Lachte are wired like an Arabian racehorse. Political correctness aside, It's how he ticks. The same thing that makes him a bit of a fuck up is what makes him a winner. As a sports fan and a forgiving person, I get it.

on edit.....

And as a sports fan I also know there is a chance for a redemption. For a third act. I smell an awesome 30 by 30 documentary five years from now.

Any citizen can make an arrest in Brazil. Any citizen.

We don't expect gun pointed at us even if we do damage something in a store or a bathroom.

Let it go, America.

Last edited Mon Aug 22, 2016, 12:23 PM - Edit history (1)

was robbed to the media. It's his own fault that this became an international incident.

was also exaggerated, they still put themselves into conflict with the security guard by acting like idiots in the store.

I don't have sympathy for anybody involved.

deal, way overhyped interview with him.

As much as I'm embarrassed for the US by Lochte's behavior, that ridiculously long and drawn out (and way overhyped) public shaming of an interview with him was over the limits of appropriate. Lochte just sat there and took hit after hit, it was appalling of Lauer to treat him that way when the guy was clearly (if belatedly) owning his stuff. And why the hell isn't the media spending this effort covering other, non-celebrity issues!? Or on better stories about the Olympics?

Lochte should make the gas station owner whole, Lauer should've asked him if he would do that, end of story. I don't know about his intelligence but he was sure made to look dumb. Over and over.

the obnoxious interviewing the obnoxious.

Lauer ought to be ashamed of his own self.

Why exactly isn't gas station owner whole to begin with? Lochte damaged a plastic sign (there is a crack in it), and they already gave these guards however much money (reports vary on how much exactly) but I presume it's more than enough to cover the price of a new sign. How much do you think that thing cost?

we don't necessarily know all the details, or at least I don't, including the money exchanged by whom/to whom... The point is just to be done with it, get it off our damned airwaves.

is that it is often possible for more than one party in a dispute to be wrong. Sounds like there's more than enough blame to go around in this case.

but your response was informative.

eom

How are facts revisionist?

... and will insist in this "argument" (HA), because... well... "USA IS NUMBER ONE, GO TEAM USA, WE ARE THE BEST".

It's quite childish.

You are just repeating Lochte's lies.

Ever heard about Francisco Cruz?

He's a Brazilian who joked about a bomb in the airplane. He was arrested and stayed in prison in the United States for one year, plus paying 250,000 dollars.

You cry too much. Lochte should be grateful for not spending a single hour in prison.

'You cry too much'. Really.

His acting like a jerk is not an excuse for the Brazilian authorities to embellish and outright lie to the world about happened.

... for a YEAR, without trial, for a prank.

Yep, you cry too much.

Either you believe it or not, Brazil has laws. He broke them. He pays for it. Stop crying.

and now Ryan Lochte is collectively guilty for the unfair behavior by some other Americans?

Some Americans, including those in government, have done a bunch of stuff I strongly disagree with. I sure hope nobody finds me guilty for the bad behavior of those Americans.

He is guilty of false communication of crime and vandalism.

The story I mentioned is just to show how hypocritical is the reaction of some Americans.

It's the sense of entitlement that is the problem.

NOT AMERICA'S

Ryan Lochte has gotten vary bad press in the US. It's all out of proportion to what he actually did.

ever heard of STEREOTYPING? That is exactly what you are doing.

Stereotyping is what AMERICANS are doing by saying that all cops in Brazil are corrupted. That the judge is corrupted. That the prosecutor is corrupted. I believe even the UOC, and US embassy in Brazil are corrupted, because they were here, following everything and didn't say a word about this revisionism you guys are making.

So everybody in Brazil is corrupted and Lochte was a "kid" (LOL) being a kid extorted by the terrible Brazilians.

Really. You should just stop it. It's getting each time worse.

IN FACT, VERY FEW ARE

GET YOUR FACTS STRAIGHT!!!

does this sound like "we" think he's just a wayward kid?

http://money.cnn.com/2016/08/22/news/companies/ryan-lochte-speedo/

Most Americans think Lochte is an entitled ASSHOLE and a DISGRACE to America

STOP STEREOPTYPING US

According to this story he did not break any laws.

Who was, for a time, the main suspect in the Atlanta bombing. Turns out, he was completely innocent, but they ruined his life.

Now, Lochte is not innocent, exactly. But neither are the officials.

And the one guy having to pay 10,000 to charity just to leave seems like a shake-down to me.

I said before I wouldn't be surprised if the police were not being 100% truthful, but these guys lied, got caught, and then apologized for lying. We have little reason to believe anything they say this point. As far as I am concerned, they are liars who cannot be trusted and there isn't much they can do to change that. It seems their only hope is to prove the police are liars too, but that's on them to do.

Apparently, Rio's police are the most corrupt in Brazl:

http://www.insightcrime.org/news-briefs/rio-police-most-corrupt-in-brazil-govt-survey

And, some rent-a-cop did wave a gun at them and attempt a shakedown. So people are bending over backwards to villify these people only because they seem to verify everyone's preconceived notions of the "ugly American" stereotype, when I think the story is maybe more complicated than that. Lying isn't good, but why are are we practically calling for the death penalty over what is essentially a misdemeanor? In fact, they never actually filed a police report, so that particular crime in a non-starter. Lying to mom isn't the same thing at all. The so-called vandalism amounted to a poster. That's it. So sure, pay for the damage, but don't shakedown these people to the tune of $10,000. Now THAT is corrupt.

"But neither are the officials." --- According to whom?

.. by the terrible, corrupted, brown-skin people of Brazil... and your USOC says "sorry Brazil, our bad"... because they're idiots?

The embassy of the United States in Brazil that was following up the case since the start and LEGALLY HELPING the swimmers about what to do didn't say a word about extortion or abuse because they are idiots too, I presume...

But the "USA Today" has done a "research"... which seems to be, basically, repetition of arguments appologist of the Lochte have used.

That's it. You don't need the FBI or CIA any longer. You got "USA Today".

Last edited Tue Aug 23, 2016, 09:31 AM - Edit history (3)

Each of those entities has a role in life, but only one has a role in this incident.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation is charged with investigating crimes on the Federal level. The Central Intelligence Agency is charged with gathering intelligence outside the country an analyzing that intelligence.

The television networks in the United States exist to provide entertainment and encourage you to buy things. A lot of what they portray as news is actually a pitch for a program that's coming up on that network later that night. ("And you can watch that later tonight right here on this same NBC channel.&quot

A network's worst nightmare is that you become disenchanted with the things you see on that network. You might change the channel or, in extreme cases, turn off your TV. Along those lines, NBC is doing everything it can to see that you do not become so discouraged with its coverage that you stop watching. It certainly wants you primed to watch again in another four years.

Broadcast journalism usually consists of reading an article in The Wall Street Journal., repackaging it, and reading it off a teleprompter three days later. There are exceptions, but they are getting to be few and far between.

USA Today, and by proxy the entire print journalism establishment, tends to employ people who do not accept what they are told. If Donald Trump says "I'm worth $10 billion," journalists are supposed to say "yeah, right" and start looking into that claim. Sometimes this happens more often in theory than in fact, but not always.

I do not see what role that either the FBI or CIA has to play in this incident. I do see what role print journalism has to play in this incident. It's the job of journalists to ask questions.

Depending on what turns up, someone could be in line for a Pulitzer Prize. The prospect of winning a Pulitzer Prize sets off a reporter the same way a fluttering red flag sets off a bull.

I do not know what happened in Brazil. I will wait and see. Would it surprise anyone to learn that no one's account tells the whole story?

I hope this helps.

Their sole propose in life is to brainwash people.

ALL media? Again, you are STEREOTYPING. Please stop; you are embarrassing yourself.

In my opinion, all of you defending this dickhead are embarassing yourselves. It's all a question of perspective.

Perhaps in your fourteenth reply you can tell us why that is.

Or at least it was the last time I sat down to read it, some ... how many years ago was that? Gee, I can't recall. It must have been the last time I stayed somewhere, and there was a stack of them in the lobby.

That leaves lots of other papers, both within and outside the Gannett family.

If this were the SATs, the correct answer would probably be "USA Today is to in-depth journalism as NBC is to uninterrupted coverage of the Olympics."

Thanks for writing.

The way they were confronted really does sound like a shakedown by corrupt cops looking to pocket the money. In civilized countries you pay a fine to a magistrate, not directly to the cop.

And that ain't all.

... when real Nazi concepts such as "civilized countries" are being used.

So let's get right to that:

But pointing that out in 2015 as if it applies to current conditions is, um, grasping for straws, as has been said elsewhere in this thread.

One might as well link to an Eisenhower speech. Things are very different today.*

* Edited after listening to the lyrics.

I hope so.

Not so sure from what I've seen here. It's not that different from Free Republic, honestly.

Ethnocentrism is screaming loud here.

which is the connection most people would make.

Correction: I should have said "things are different today":

However, one of the authors is too quick in drawing his conclusions given that there are missing/omitted accounts from the guards and cab driver who spoke to the Brazilian media and authorities.

If you listen to the podcast within the article you will see that the author has his own preconceived opinions and intentions. Exonerating Lochte seems to be very important.

On the included podcast, the author is bothered by the fact that the media was quick to accept the police's narrative. I agree with him that is a bad thing and a huge mistake by our lazy media since how can you draw conclusions without looking further into the issue to make sure all sides are using actual facts?

But the author is doing the same by creating a narrative of his own with half information trying to exonerate Ryan Lochte and rationalize that Lochte didn't lie in his initial interview with Billy Bush.

To exonerate Lochte, the author needs the premise that the guards acted as vigilantes to stick.

Well, It is easy to accept that the guards acted as vigilantes to extort $50 from the swimmers at gunpoint. After all, the guards are Brazilians therefore the guards must be corrupt too. There is no chance that the notoriously stupid swimmer, who had been caught exaggerating a story, lied again or misread the situation at the very least.

One of the guards spoke to Jornal Nacional (Brazil's main networks' nightly news) and he admitted that he and his partners drew their guns. But the guard said that he only drew his weapon when one of the swimmers became very aggressive. The guard claimed that he was intimidated by the size of the swimmers.

I am not denying the possibility that the two guards acted as vigilantes and held the swimmers at gunpoint for $50. Like the local lawyers and judge mentioned in the article, I also agree that the police was hasty in their conclusions and actions.

But I think the accounts from the guards should be considered as well with the account from the cab driver and the translator. The latter said in the article that the guards would likely let the swimmers go with a mere apology.

Either way, this is a complex situation and it will be interesting to see the result of this when there are more developments.

all night, got shit-face drunk, pissed on the side of a building and damaged property with his cohorts.

The fault is ENTIRELY theirs.

He then obstructed justice and lied to the police and saying that he was robbed by one of their own.

He should be happy, if a Brazilian did that here, they'd likely have been shot

and the alcohol made the whole business far worse.

Did Lochte et al. not realize that a guy in a uniform with a badge just might be a real cop? Honestly, if they were that drunk, none of the rest of that night or subsequent fallout is their problem. Alcohol is.

It has been reported in several places that there was a person there translating to them in English that the security guard wanted them to pay for damages or they would call the police.