Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Why don't these guys get that they weren't in Rockville or Charlotte anymore? Sure -- in the US if you go somewhere and cause damage and the owner isn't happy about it, he doesn't have guards hold you at gunpoint until you pay -- rather he calls the police, presses charges etc. Surely they must have realized that the developing world is different from the U.S. and it's perfectly ok to hold people at gunpoint and demand money -- whether that falls under the American definition of robbery or not. I know these aren't the brightest knives in the drawer but did they REALLY think everyplace in the world functions the same as the U.S.??
They didn't go to the police or file a report. Lochte complained to the media, the others said nothing. It's the press that made this into a big deal, and the Rio police requiring "small" charitable donations to make the incident go away.
Anonymous wrote:The hits just keep on coming:
Two Olympic swimmers are banned from the Games' Closing Cermonies after a night out in Rio ended in missed curfews and a robbery on Tuesday, reports say.
Josh Palmer and Emma McKeon are banned from the ceremony after a night out in Copacabana in which the athletes failed to return to the Olympic Village on time and Palmer was robbed for $1,000, CNN reports.
"McKeon chose to stay the night with swimming friends in the Copa district without informing Team Management," Australian Olympic Committee chief Kitty Chiller said in a statement according to CNN.
"[Palmer] headed to a beach kiosk with a friend and continued drinking."
Swim team officials have also imposed a 2 a.m. curfew on all swimmers, a security measure implemented in light of the alleged robbery scandal surrounding swimmer Ryan Lochte, CNN reports.
Palmer told officials that after his friend left, a man approached him and forced him to withdraw $1,000 from a nearby ATM, USA Today reports.
He was found later "disoriented" and without his wallet and phone, according to USA Today. He was taken to the Australian consulate.
"Palmer and McKeon's behavior was unacceptable and they breached disciplinary protocols," Chiller said in the statement, according to USA Today. "I have raised the need for the swimming team leader to ensure he is aware of his athlete's whereabouts when leaving the Olympic Village."
Anonymous wrote:Why don't these guys get that they weren't in Rockville or Charlotte anymore? Sure -- in the US if you go somewhere and cause damage and the owner isn't happy about it, he doesn't have guards hold you at gunpoint until you pay -- rather he calls the police, presses charges etc. Surely they must have realized that the developing world is different from the U.S. and it's perfectly ok to hold people at gunpoint and demand money -- whether that falls under the American definition of robbery or not. I know these aren't the brightest knives in the drawer but did they REALLY think everyplace in the world functions the same as the U.S.??
Anonymous wrote:Brazil is protecting other athletes by making an example of these guys. They know how dangerous their country is and they do not want them straying "off campus". They do not want problems. Some athletes don't understand where they are. As others have said, maybe they are suburban dodo birds.
That charity donation aspect sounds shady AF. No one looks good in this story: the swimmers are white male privileged asshats and Brazil is definitely a banana republic.
What a joke.
All the Brazilians I've seen posting on various news articles (not representative, I know), are outraged that Americans would trash a bathroom, disbelieve the guard pulling a gun because that would be wrong of him, and think justice was well served by yanking the two off the plane and now requiring a $10k charity donation from Feigen. That's their system of justice and, though they complain about corruption, they are happy with it.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:There is no more doubt. I believe Brazil tv footage and even the US OC apologized, which it would not do if there was a chance the 'foursome' had some truth in their story
It is a shame that they will be remembered for this instead of their swimming achievements
Or they are doing what they have to do publicly to try and get their swimmers home.
You think the Brazilians meant to keep them there for a long time? No. Brazil may be corrupt, but they are not complete fools. They want to send a message that pulling a "Lochte" will not be tolerated. I think the message was heard. Yes, Brazil has a lot of crime and theft and they have a hard time controlling that. But the last thing they need are people from outside (millionaire Olympic medalists no less) coming to commit more crime and lying and getting away with it. It doesn't sit well with the natives (just as it doesn't and wouldn't here). They had to set the record straight and the US OC understood that and the truth was out there. They never meant to keep them there . . . and the US OC knew that. Lochte crossed a big line that Brazil could not turn away from.
+1000 Lochte lied. So embarrassing. Glad Brazil stayed on top of this.
Anonymous wrote:There is no more doubt. I believe Brazil tv footage and even the US OC apologized, which it would not do if there was a chance the 'foursome' had some truth in their story
It is a shame that they will be remembered for this instead of their swimming achievements
Or they are doing what they have to do publicly to try and get their swimmers home.
You think the Brazilians meant to keep them there for a long time? No. Brazil may be corrupt, but they are not complete fools. They want to send a message that pulling a "Lochte" will not be tolerated. I think the message was heard. Yes, Brazil has a lot of crime and theft and they have a hard time controlling that. But the last thing they need are people from outside (millionaire Olympic medalists no less) coming to commit more crime and lying and getting away with it. It doesn't sit well with the natives (just as it doesn't and wouldn't here). They had to set the record straight and the US OC understood that and the truth was out there. They never meant to keep them there . . . and the US OC knew that. Lochte crossed a big line that Brazil could not turn away from.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:There is no more doubt. I believe Brazil tv footage and even the US OC apologized, which it would not do if there was a chance the 'foursome' had some truth in their story
It is a shame that they will be remembered for this instead of their swimming achievements
It's a shame they were robbed at gunpoint with video footage yet people don't believe them.
Being forced to pay for things you broke is not robbery. It's not how the US would've handled things but it's not like they were innocent, well behaved Angels visiting this gas station and feeding the poor and homeless.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:There is no more doubt. I believe Brazil tv footage and even the US OC apologized, which it would not do if there was a chance the 'foursome' had some truth in their story
It is a shame that they will be remembered for this instead of their swimming achievements
It's a shame they were robbed at gunpoint with video footage yet people don't believe them.
Being forced to pay for things you broke is not robbery. It's not how the US would've handled things but it's not like they were innocent, well behaved Angels visiting this gas station and feeding the poor and homeless.
The unaired 3min of that tape are more likely to destroy that argument than support it. If the unaired 3 min showed anything positive in The swimmers' favor, their lawyers would have leaked it by now.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:There is no more doubt. I believe Brazil tv footage and even the US OC apologized, which it would not do if there was a chance the 'foursome' had some truth in their story
It is a shame that they will be remembered for this instead of their swimming achievements
It's a shame they were robbed at gunpoint with video footage yet people don't believe them.
Being forced to pay for things you broke is not robbery. It's not how the US would've handled things but it's not like they were innocent, well behaved Angels visiting this gas station and feeding the poor and homeless.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:There is no more doubt. I believe Brazil tv footage and even the US OC apologized, which it would not do if there was a chance the 'foursome' had some truth in their story
It is a shame that they will be remembered for this instead of their swimming achievements
It's a shame they were robbed at gunpoint with video footage yet people don't believe them.
Being forced to pay for things you broke is not robbery. It's not how the US would've handled things but it's not like they were innocent, well behaved Angels visiting this gas station and feeding the poor and homeless.