03 Blue 07

August 18th, 2016 at 11:04 AM ^

Hang on. An ABC journalist (whom I'd never heard of before this morning) tweeted that an unnamed Brazilian official is claiming Lochte, et al, fabricated the entire story from whole cloth. Here's the tweet from the journalist: https://twitter.com/mattgutmanABC/status/766268427661029376?ref_src=tws…

My question: Why does everyone just immediately assume that THIS is the truth? And, how would the security footage of a fight with security guards...exclude the possibility that a gun was pointed at Lochte and crew and that they were robbed? The two aren't mutually exclusive at all, and the former actually might make the latter more likely-- i.e., someone was like "fuck this drunken American, I'm going to rob his ass before he leaves this gas station." 

Just like people may have been to quick to believe everything Lochte said, I think people are also too quick to believe the unattributed source in the Brazilian gov't with a vested interest. The truth is probably somewhere in the middle; for now, I'm still believing that there was a gun pulled on Lochte and the others. 

(Note: I'm thinking the sources are Brazilian because of the phrase "Brazil sources," rather than noting that this info comes from American sources in Brazil. I guess what I'm saying is I have a very difficult time trusting the Brazilian government, whom I believe to be the journalist's source(s)). 

Joined: 07/01/2008

MGoPoints: 3427

03 Blue 07

August 18th, 2016 at 11:16 AM ^

Wait, I think I figured it out. They get drunk, go to the gas station, cause some damage. The people at the gas station demand money for the damage. They refuse/argue. The people at the gas station pull a gun and rob them of the "money for the damage" (yes, this would be robbery, at least in the U.S.; you don't settle civil disputes with martial force, you settle them via the civil courts). Lochte then gets back, tells his mom to cancel his credit cards because he was robbed and then she posts to social media, and then all hell breaks loose. Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-olympics-rio-lochte-police-idUSKCN10T…

 

Joined: 07/01/2008

MGoPoints: 3427

MGoBender

August 18th, 2016 at 11:50 AM ^

Don't generalize all millenials!  If I told my mom to cancel my credit cards she'd laugh and hang up on me. 

Lochte has a running reputation with being creepy close with him mom, right?  Like, she knows all about and approves of his sexual exploits?  It's weird.

Joined: 03/26/2010

MGoPoints: 15128

03 Blue 07

August 18th, 2016 at 2:27 PM ^

You guys crack me up. Also, the dislike of millenials by the generation(s) older than them...is nothing new whatsoever. Remember when the Baby Boomers were in their 20's? Remember what "the silent majority" of Americans thought about those long haired hippies at the time? Yeah, similar thing here. Or, remember when Gen X were a bunch of slackers in the 90's and the generation older than the Boomers couldn't stand them? It's just the same cycle that repeats itself. Millenials will someday complain about the generation after them as well, and the circle of life shall be complete. 

Joined: 07/01/2008

MGoPoints: 3427

Optimism Attache

August 18th, 2016 at 11:26 AM ^

Lochte has reported varying versions of what happened that night a number of times now. He is clearly lying about at least part of this. So now that I know Lochte has definitely lied about it,  I am much more inclined to believe the Brazilian official's version for now, at least until more evidence comes to light. Lochte is like a -4 on the UFR right now and the police are at +1. 

Joined: 09/13/2011

MGoPoints: 23981

maizerayz

August 18th, 2016 at 2:49 PM ^

Lochte already lied through his teeth about getting pulled over en route. He left out ANY details of the gas station door incident. Their stories don't match about the number of 'robbers', and the gun pointed at his head.

As much as you'd love to believe the American boy is true and all Brazilians are corrupt, I find it hard to believe Lochte.

Joined: 05/05/2015

MGoPoints: 2345

stephenrjking

August 18th, 2016 at 10:41 AM ^

This headline is poor. Reports have emerged of video that shows swimmers breaking down a door and fighting with a security guard. That would suggest that they are actually guilty of low-level crimes apart from lying about what happened.

I strongly suggested in the previous thread that Brazilian authorities were overplaying their hand and risking a serious publicity backlash in holding the two remaining swimmers in the country. If this is true, my statements are probably incorrect. Citizens of Brazil may have actually been wronged beyond their reputation.

There's still stuff that we don't know, like why Lochte needed to cancel his credit cards (edit: did he? Or was he just explaining why he lost a watch?). And this is, ultimately, a relatively minor event (consider that Brian Griese committed crimes that were worse in Ann Arbor prior to leading Michigan to a national title) that has been blown up in publicity. But right now Lochte and friends don't look like sympathetic figures.

Joined: 03/15/2012

MGoPoints: 20143524

I Like Burgers

August 18th, 2016 at 10:42 AM ^

My guess is he lost his wallet during the scuffle at the gas station. Also, Lochte is as dumb as they come so who knows why he does anything.

I do think this all ends soon. All the Brazilians really want is a public apology. My guess is the three swimmers still here roll over on Lochte at some point today, agree to a public apology, Brazilians and Brazilian media run it nonstop and everyone feels better and goes home.



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Joined: 10/06/2012

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03 Blue 07

August 18th, 2016 at 11:07 AM ^

Hmm, says who? Unless the police made a contemporaneous recording, or wrote down what Lochte told them immediately, how does anyone know, truthfully, what Lochte told them? It's he said, he said. Thank God he got out of there, as this would likely turn into an episode of "Locked Up Abroad" if he hadn't. They're out for vengeance. 

Joined: 07/01/2008

MGoPoints: 3427