# YOUR unOFFICIAL Ryan Lochte phony/not phony Olympic robbery thread! **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 18, 2016, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-unofficial-ryan-lochte-phony-not-phony-olympic-robbery-thread/763153 "2016-08-18T05:55:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Corry\_El](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecae2f/32.png) [@Corry\_El](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Corry_El)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2016, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-unofficial-ryan-lochte-phony-not-phony-olympic-robbery-thread/763153/21 "2016-08-18T14:34:33Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > Can I just point out how much the TV coverage has sounded like a rape allegation? > > ‘Yeah, he said he underwent a traumatic experience – but just look at this footage of him not long after, when he seemed happy and relaxed! And the details of the story changed between tellings – so let’s speculate as to why he would’ve made the whole thing up, claiming to be a victim of assault instead of just admitting he was out looking for a good time and did something embarrassing! So we all get why the police would want to detain the _accuser,_ right?’ Strikes me kind of that way too. And the people saying the Brazilian authorities have no reason to try to make the story look fake, if it wasn’t, can’t be serious. This isn’t another mugging in Rio. It’a mugging of Olympic athletes during the national show case of the Olympics, and potentially by the police. They have a very clear motive. Doesn’t prove they did though. ‘Such and such would have no reason to do X’ is a weak form of argument in general. The athletes don’t have a clear, rational reason to have made up this particular story from whole cloth either. But that doesn’t prove they didn’t. Even apparently normal people do weird stuff sometimes. But I don’t see much if any positive evidence the athletes made up the story. The video isn’t, nor is not having a lot of details or everything straight among them. They admit they’d been drinking. ---
**Author:** ![Corry\_El](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecae2f/32.png) [@Corry\_El](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Corry_El)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2016, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-unofficial-ryan-lochte-phony-not-phony-olympic-robbery-thread/763153/22 "2016-08-18T14:38:24Z")
I mean the video of them returning to the Village. If there’s a real video of a different set of events at the gas station, there you go. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Lowry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@Sam\_Lowry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Lowry)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2016, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-unofficial-ryan-lochte-phony-not-phony-olympic-robbery-thread/763153/23 "2016-08-18T14:39:24Z")
> [@Shearer](#): > > @mattgutmanABC > #BREAKING Brazil sources: #RyanLochte + 3 swimmers fabricated robbery story. Video shows swimmer “fighting” w/security at gas station @GMA > > Hopefully they face criminal charges. Do you have an actual link to an actual story instead of a tweet just copy and pasted? And even if there is video of them fighting with security at a gas station, I don’t see how that means that they made up their story about being robbed. If they did make up the story, I would be surprised if they were charged or received any punishment. Considering all the crime that happens, I wouldn’t think that reporting a false crime would rank very high usually, and I’m sure someone on the IOC or the USA team will get them out. And Ryan Lochte is already back in the US. ---
**Author:** ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2016, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-unofficial-ryan-lochte-phony-not-phony-olympic-robbery-thread/763153/24 "2016-08-18T14:49:08Z")
> [@Omar\_Little](#): > > Why do you think this was made up? Have you ever been to Brazil. In Rio and Sao Paulo, it is a free for all. There are numerous fake police around. It is a common ruse to rob unsuspecting tourists, etc. I don’t have an opinion on whether the story is made up or not. I was just agreeing with what others said, that if you _are_ going to make up a fake robbery, it seems counterproductive to add a detail like that, which is sure to spark more interest on the part of the police. The “random masked guy” angle seems like a safer and simpler story, if you’re lying. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2016, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-unofficial-ryan-lochte-phony-not-phony-olympic-robbery-thread/763153/25 "2016-08-18T14:59:20Z")
Well, there’s _a_ way it makes sense – you get to tell it like you totally would’ve kicked the guy’s ass if he’d just started trouble, because even if you’ve been drinking you’re a fit Olympian; but when a man with a badge asks for your ID, you slowly hand him your wallet to show that you’re not fooling around, and then he rushes off and you still have your cellphone and Hey I Don’t Think That Guy Was A Cop. I’ve heard worse stories. ---
**Author:** ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2016, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-unofficial-ryan-lochte-phony-not-phony-olympic-robbery-thread/763153/26 "2016-08-18T15:02:52Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > Well, there’s _a_ way it makes sense – you get to tell it like you totally would’ve kicked the guy’s ass if he’d just started trouble, because even if you’ve been drinking you’re a fit Olympian; but when a man with a badge asks for your ID, you slowly hand him your wallet to show that you’re not fooling around, and then he rushes off and you still have your cellphone and Hey I Don’t Think That Guy Was A Cop. > > I’ve heard worse stories. That’s a fair point. ---
**Author:** ![Banquet\_Bear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banquet_bear/32/373_2.png) [@Banquet\_Bear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banquet_Bear)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2016, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-unofficial-ryan-lochte-phony-not-phony-olympic-robbery-thread/763153/27 "2016-08-18T15:03:07Z")
…here you go: > **[US Swimmer Fought With Security Guard on Night of Alleged Robbery: Police Source](https://abcnews.go.com/International/us-swimmer-fought-security-guard-night-alleged-robbery/story?id=41481840)** ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2016, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-unofficial-ryan-lochte-phony-not-phony-olympic-robbery-thread/763153/28 "2016-08-18T15:22:05Z")
Hmm, if the security guards demanded the swimmers pay for damage done to the gas station, that would explain a) why only their money was gone b) why they might want to lie and c) why the first lie to come to mind might be “fake cops robbed us”. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Lowry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@Sam\_Lowry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Lowry)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2016, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-unofficial-ryan-lochte-phony-not-phony-olympic-robbery-thread/763153/29 "2016-08-18T15:29:05Z")
> [@CarnalK](#): > > Hmm, if the security guards demanded the swimmers pay for damage done to the gas station, that would explain a) why only their money was gone b) why they might want to lie and c) why the first lie to come to mind might be “fake cops robbed us”. That would make some sense. Did they report that just their money was taken or their whole wallets? And depending on how much money was taken, I would have thought they just wouldn’t say anything, or would say that they spent too much money on drinks or food or something. They could be lying, or the Rio officials could be lying, or some combination, I don’t know. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2016, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-unofficial-ryan-lochte-phony-not-phony-olympic-robbery-thread/763153/30 "2016-08-18T16:33:36Z")
Oy, do they sound like complete tools. [QUOTE=NYTimes] “This incident has caused so much damage to Rio’s brand abroad that I think Brazilians deserve a clear, consistent account of what happened,” said Brian Winter, vice president for policy at Americas Society and Council of the Americas. The entire episode, Winter said, “has tapped into one of Brazilians’ biggest pet peeves — gringos who treat their country like a third-rate spring break destination where you can lie to the cops and get away with it.” [/QUOTE] Lochte has come across as a tool for a while - I remember starting this thread a few years ago when he got a grill: [Really Ryan Lochte?! A Grill?! - The Game Room - Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=660215) ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Lowry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@Sam\_Lowry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Lowry)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2016, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-unofficial-ryan-lochte-phony-not-phony-olympic-robbery-thread/763153/31 "2016-08-18T16:54:07Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > Oy, do they sound like complete tools. > > > [@](#): > > > > Originally Posted by NYTimes > > “This incident has caused so much damage to Rio’s brand abroad that I think Brazilians deserve a clear, consistent account of what happened,” said Brian Winter, vice president for policy at Americas Society and Council of the Americas. > > > > The entire episode, Winter said, “has tapped into one of Brazilians’ biggest pet peeves — gringos who treat their country like a third-rate spring break destination where you can lie to the cops and get away with it.” So Lochte and the others (possibly) lying about being robbed damaged Rio’s brand, but not [a British athlete being robbed](http://www.bbc.com/sport/olympics/37115269), or [a Russian athlete being robbed](https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/rio-olympics-2016/1592146/rio-olympics-2016-olympic-swimmer-evgeny-korotyshkin-takes-chilling-picture-of-gun-slinging-masked-children-as-they-rob-him-in-rio/), or [an athlete being robbed by an Olympic Village worker](http://sports.yahoo.com/news/athlete-robbed-by-olympic-village-worker-who-is-arrested-164134737.html), or [athletes being robbed after being evacuated because of a small fire](http://edition.cnn.com/2016/08/01/sport/fire-thefts-olympic-village/), or any other number of crimes that has happened. If they did lie and drunkenly attack property at a gas station, then that is obviously wrong and bad, but it is strange to me that the police are evidently investigating this much harder than other crimes going on. ---
**Author:** ![Asimovian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asimovian/32/172_2.png) [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2016, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-unofficial-ryan-lochte-phony-not-phony-olympic-robbery-thread/763153/32 "2016-08-18T16:56:08Z")
> [@Sam\_Lowry](#): > > If they did lie and drunkenly attack property at a gas station, then that is obviously wrong and bad, but it is strange to me that the police are evidently investigating this much harder than other crimes going on. I think video evidence and the suggestion of official police involvement are likely reasons for that distinction. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Lowry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@Sam\_Lowry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Lowry)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2016, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-unofficial-ryan-lochte-phony-not-phony-olympic-robbery-thread/763153/33 "2016-08-18T17:18:19Z")
> [@Asimovian](#): > > I think video evidence and the suggestion of official police involvement are likely reasons for that distinction. I couldn’t tell much from the video, [but apparently the two in custody admitted that Lochte lied](http://deadspin.com/report-ryan-lochte-and-his-rowdy-swimming-pals-defiant-1785452472): > [@](#): > > American swimmers Ryan Lochte, Gunnar Bentz, James Feigen, and Jack Conger peed on the Barra da Tijuca gas station in defiance after being told to use the bathroom, according to the gas station owner who spoke with O Globo. > > \ > > The Associated Press is reporting that Conger and Bentz have admitted to police that Lochte fabricated the story. The AP’s police source says that a security guard had a gun, but didn’t brandish it. I really wonder about the intelligence of the other swimmers if they let Lochte come up with a story and followed his lead. ---
**Author:** ![joebuck20](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/74df32/32.png) [@joebuck20](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joebuck20)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2016, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-unofficial-ryan-lochte-phony-not-phony-olympic-robbery-thread/763153/34 "2016-08-18T17:18:25Z")
Hypothetically speaking, if the Brazilians made a big enough stink about this, could Lochte be extradited? ---
**Author:** ![Asimovian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asimovian/32/172_2.png) [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2016, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-unofficial-ryan-lochte-phony-not-phony-olympic-robbery-thread/763153/35 "2016-08-18T17:24:25Z")
> [@joebuck20](#): > > Hypothetically speaking, if the Brazilians made a big enough stink about this, could Lochte be extradited? The extradition treaty between the US and Brazil [[link](https://www.oas.org/juridico/mla/en/traites/en_traites-ext-usa-bra.pdf) — WARNING: PDF] has a clause for perjury. I’m not sure if lying to the police in an official investigation qualifies (see Item 22 under Article II). I didn’t see anything else on the list that would come close. ETA: Actually, reading further, it sounds like even the crime of perjury would be eligible for extradition ONLY if the crime would be illegible for a year or more of imprisonment in BOTH the US and Brazil. So it seems incredibly unlikely. ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2016, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-unofficial-ryan-lochte-phony-not-phony-olympic-robbery-thread/763153/36 "2016-08-18T17:26:05Z")
> [@Sam\_Lowry](#): > > So Lochte and the others (possibly) lying about being robbed damaged Rio’s brand, but not [a British athlete being robbed](http://www.bbc.com/sport/olympics/37115269), or [a Russian athlete being robbed](https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/rio-olympics-2016/1592146/rio-olympics-2016-olympic-swimmer-evgeny-korotyshkin-takes-chilling-picture-of-gun-slinging-masked-children-as-they-rob-him-in-rio/), or [an athlete being robbed by an Olympic Village worker](http://sports.yahoo.com/news/athlete-robbed-by-olympic-village-worker-who-is-arrested-164134737.html), or [athletes being robbed after being evacuated because of a small fire](http://edition.cnn.com/2016/08/01/sport/fire-thefts-olympic-village/), or any other number of crimes that has happened. > > If they did lie and drunkenly attack property at a gas station, then that is obviously wrong and bad, but it is strange to me that the police are evidently investigating this much harder than other crimes going on. What’s that evidence? That you’re hearing more about it? Man Bites Dog principle. ---
**Author:** ![Noelq](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/noelq/32/16438_2.png) [@Noelq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Noelq)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2016, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-unofficial-ryan-lochte-phony-not-phony-olympic-robbery-thread/763153/37 "2016-08-18T17:31:16Z")
I completely believe Ryan’s version. Ryan, bless his heart, just ain’t that bright enough to make up a story and stick to it. I watched his reality series. He’s got the creativity of a fence post. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2016, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-unofficial-ryan-lochte-phony-not-phony-olympic-robbery-thread/763153/38 "2016-08-18T17:35:07Z")
Lochte sounds like a real joker. That explains the green hair. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Asimovian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asimovian/32/172_2.png) [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2016, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-unofficial-ryan-lochte-phony-not-phony-olympic-robbery-thread/763153/39 "2016-08-18T17:49:40Z")
> [@Asimovian](#): > > ETA: Actually, reading further, it sounds like even the crime of perjury would be **eligible** for extradition ONLY if the crime would be **illegible** for a year or more of imprisonment in BOTH the US and Brazil. (bolding added) I should never reread anything I type, ever. Not sure how I managed that mental error in the same _sentence_ where I’d gotten it right previously. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2016, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-unofficial-ryan-lochte-phony-not-phony-olympic-robbery-thread/763153/40 "2016-08-18T17:55:01Z")
> [@Noelq](#): > > I watched his reality series. He’s got the creativity of a fence post. I think I remember _trying_ to watch his reality series, but I had to turn it off as I felt the brain cells dying as I watched it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-unofficial-ryan-lochte-phony-not-phony-olympic-robbery-thread/763153.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-unofficial-ryan-lochte-phony-not-phony-olympic-robbery-thread/763153.md?page=3)