Reply to Lochte Robbery Story: True or False

Forum Index » Off-Topic

Reply to "Lochte Robbery Story: True or False"

Subject:

Emoticons





More smilies

Text Color: Font: Close Marks

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Speaking as a publicist, I would NEVER have allowed Ryan to do this interview. At least not yet. He didn't need to "explain himself" to the public or to his sponsors - not like this. There was absolutely no need for him to take more time away from other Olympians and the end of the Olympic games. The proper protocol would have been for him to wait until AFTER the games, as he has already taken so much away from the games and other competitors. So much air time has been devoted to covering his shenanigans, that he just should've laid low for a few more days.

He was also completely unprepared and you can tell he had absolutely no media training prior to this. This is what happens when you use a lawyer for your crisis PR needs instead of pairing the lawyer up with a true publicist who is experienced in this realm. Ryan needed to work with a trainer this weekend on everything from his posture to his language to his enunciation. You can tell that they didn't prepare answers in advance either, as he kept going back to being intoxicated. His sponsors DO NOT want to hear this and they certainly DO NOT want to hear it repeated like an excuse.

It's so unprofessional that he was allowed to do this interview, and that he was allowed to do it without anyone to guide him. He ends up looking like even more of a loser and he did nothing that would make his sponsors think this is a guy they should keep on paying. I feel for him, I really do, and I hope he at least thinks about hiring someone in the PR world - not just for any future interviews he does, but also to control how he re-enters the world of social media and to prevent any future issues like his upcoming birthday party in Vegas that coincides with his gf's paid appearance. He needs to totally avoid any upcoming partying, he honestly needs to send the Playboy playmate packing for now as she's not a good look for him either, and he needs to do some major re-branding and re-imaging before re-emerging in the public eye. [/quote]

He does have a PR guy, and apparently a well known one: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/ryan-lochte-enlists-pr-guru-920853.

Honestly, I didn't think the interview was that bad.  Yes, he said he was drunk a lot, but, hey, he was being honest.  And he said "tantics," but probably just mixed a couple words (antics and tantrum maybe??)  I thought some of his answer were spot on -- e.g., when ML asked him what his punishment should be and he said something like "that's not my call."  ML was an ass, IMO -- acting like it's ridiculous for Lochte to think he was robbed -- like it's normal to get a gun pointed at you for damage to a poster.  All this ass kissing for Rio is so over the top.

And even the suggestion that Lochte should be banned from swimming for life is absurd.  Phelps got a DUI for driving 84 mph in a 45 zone, and he wasn't banned for life.  A number of swimmers at the Olympics had previously tested positive for banned substances, yet they weren't banned for life.  Kobe Bryant was accused of sexual assault, yet he has represented us at the Olympics more than once.  I'm sure the list could go on and on.  
[/quote]

As you can see, I addressed the "PR guy" he has in my post. [b]The guy he hired is a lawyer who handles crisis PR situation, but from the legal angle, not from the public relations angl[/b]e. There's a big difference. Yes, the lawyer is well-known, but in these situations, the best advice is to tag team with a lawyer and a publicist. A publicist knows the nuances of the interviews, [b]a publicist has done so many of these interviews that they can anticipate the questions or even use their connections to get a little inside scoop on the angle of the interview questions[/b], and they can work with the client on how to speak, what words to use and what things to maybe avoid repeating over and over again. The interview was actually really bad and I just hope he holds off on saying / doing anything more for a good while.[/quote]

Well Hiltzik must have a great PR guy because--even though Hiltzik is not a "real" PR guy, according to you--he's referred to a "PR guru," "PR expert," etc.

I could have anticipated the questions ML asked Ryan.  It's not like they were out of left field.  Lochte isn't an actor, he's not a politician -- he's  a swimmer.  He spends hours upon hours with his head in the water staring at a black line.  And I don't think he's especially quick or bright.  I don't think the best PR expert in the world could have made that interview any better.  Maybe the timing was off, maybe the apology in Brazil should have been later.  But the bottom line is Ryan Lochte is Ryan Lochte.  And while admitting that he was drunk may not be ideal, it's better than saying he was sober and just lied.  Plus, Phelps had a serious drinking problem and has plenty of endorsements still.  [/quote]

Hiltzik DOES have a great PR team behind him, yes. But just because someone is called something, it doesn't mean they have the background or credentials to do that work as well as someone who is immersed in it day in and day out. I'm not going to argue this back and forth with you - you can think whatever you want.

While the questions weren't out of left-field, you could tell that Lauer's tone caught Ryan off guard. Media training doesn't make someone an actor or a politician, but it does adequately prepare them for such interviews and it is even more imperative for people who typically aren't giving interviews, like Ryan. What I posted in no way says that he should have lied about anything or said that he was sober, but you can address the state of mind you were in without repeating that you were intoxicated. It's all about word choice, or lack thereof in Lochte's case. And with regards to Phelps, I distinctly remember that he lost Kellogs in 2009, as a result of his antics. He has much bigger star power than Lochte does though, and Lochte's single gold medal at these Olympics doesn't make him all that valuable to sponsors who can easily move on to another athlete. A younger one, a fresher and newer face, and one without Ryan's track record of being the fun party guy. [/quote]

I know Phelps lost some sponsors because of the DUI, but he's still doing fine.  And while Phelps is a bigger star than Lochte, in the swimming world, those two men are #1 and #2.  But for Phelps, Lochte would be the most decorated Olympic swimmer of all time.  He's not just another swimmer -- but you may not understand that if you don't know much about swimming.  You're right that the fact that he only won one medal at this Olympics could make sponsors turn away.  [b]But, if they want a male swimmer, where are they going to turn?  [/b]Maybe to Ryan Murphy -- but my guess is most people have no idea who that is.  Maybe the guy who beat Phelps in the 100 fly -- but that's only if he gives up his NCAA eligibility, which seems unlikely.  Of course, they may not want a swimmer, and then Lochte may be in trouble.  But that was maybe going to happen after these Olympics anyway because he didn't do well.  Kind of like poor Missy Franklin... [/quote]

At least they don't know who THAT Ryan Murphy is!  :lol:

All this banned-from-swimming talk is pretty funny to me.  In 2020, Lochte will be 36.  Not competitive.  Anthony Ervin was an exception this Olympics, and he only had to chug 50 meters to his gold at age 35.  Lochte's career was over before all this began.[/quote]

Wait, I forgot about Nathan Adrian....he would be a good choice.

[/quote]

If you want male swimmers right now - Nathan Adrian or Conor Dwyer. Adrian has been in 3 Olympics and has a bunch of big sponsors already - Coke, Citi, BP, BMW etc.[/quote]

I did notice throughout the Olympics that Nathan Adrian has a good smile and a twinkle in his eyes![/quote]

Options

	Disable HTML in this message
	Disable BB Code in this message
	Disable smilies in this message

Review message

Search Recent Topics Hottest Topics