Friday, August 19, 2016

Ryan Lochte Statement

Although we do not have the complete story yet of Ryan the swimmer, let's consider his statement from the perspective of the reports we do have and his now released statement.  

He was out with the others at a sex party.
He was intoxicated. 
He and the team broke into a bathroom, damaging the door.
They were confronted by an armed security guard.
The armed security guard made them pay for the damage, on the spot.  

Think of this from the perspective (or expectation) of an American.  

To pay a guard for the damage would be akin to a bribe or payoff. 
To pay an armed guard, if there was no choice given, would be theft.  

Sex:  lights within a statement are sometimes indicative of sexual activity.  "Sometimes" means to the interviewer to explore.  


“We got pulled over, in the taxi, and these guys came out with a badge, a police badge, no lights, no nothing just a police badge and they pulled us over.  

It may be that they were at some form of sex party or brothel.  Some reports suggest prostitutes while others have mentioned transvestism.  

In any case, we noted the need to persuade as something embarrassing took place.  

They pulled out their guns, they told the other swimmers to get down on the ground — they got down on the ground. I refused, I was like we didn’t do anything wrong, so — I’m not getting down on the ground.
“And then the guy pulled out his gun


They pulled out their guns is given first, but then "the guy" pulled out his gun with the chronological error.  

"And then" skips over time, but if the guard was armed, the "gun" entered the language of the subject reliably.  

"The guy" is to specify a particular one of the group.  If we learn the guard was alone, we now may see that the plural was unreliable but the deception contained the reliable information about "the" guy.  

The use of the article "the" tells us that the subject had interaction with this specific "guy" prior to this moment in the statement.  

he cocked it, put it to my forehead and he said, ‘Get down,’ and I put my hands up, I was like ‘whatever.’ 

"he cocked it, put it to my forehead and he said" is reliably constructed.  What does this mean if it is false?

By itself, it stands strong.  Yet, the words that follow it (heroic description) do not fit:  "I was like 'whatever'"

This is not fitting language for such an unclose personal threat.  

If the guard did not cock it and put it to his forehead, it is a direct fabrication and it tells us:  our subject is very accustomed to lying, within his personality.  He is a habitual liar that fabricates reality.

He took our money, he took my wallet — he left my cell phone, he left my credentials."

We can see where this might have come from:  if they, the swimmers, did take their money to pay for the damage, this is technically truthful. That he "took" suggests against his will. 

Still, consider the source:

Originally we saw narcissistic like traits within the language but here, "he took our money" came before "he took my wallet."

Why?

Why would he put "our money" before "my wallet"?

A narcissist is going to be more concerned about his own rather than others, and although "our" includes him, the wallet has lots of personal information in it and it has money.  

Perhaps, "he took our money" came first because...

the guard did not take his wallet.  

Reliably we have "gun", "money" and "the" guy (singular), mixed with unreliable.  Consider this while reviewing his statement:  

"I want to apologize for my behavior last weekend – for not being more careful and candid in how I described the events of that early morning and for my role in taking the focus away from the many athletes fulfilling their dreams of participating in the Olympics. I waited to share these thoughts until it was confirmed that the legal situation was addressed and it was clear that my teammates would be arriving home safely. 

He does not say he was not robbed. This may be the justification of paying off an armed guard. 

He knew legal consequences could have impacted the others, hence the delay.  

Rio appears to be harping on this because of all the other failings they had including shootings, violence, pollution, and so on.  
It's traumatic to be out late with your friends in a foreign country – with a language barrier – and have a stranger point a gun at you and demand money to let you leave, 


Here he intimates kidnapping; that is, the armed coercion to stay and give money to leave.  

Yet, it is to "you" and not "me" or "us" with his team.  

He still does not admit lying, and we learn why he feels he was robbed at gunpoint. 

This is consistent with the analysis:  something happened that night, but not as described.  



but regardless of the behavior of anyone else that night, 

this refers to the behavior of others in relation to his own behavior.



I should have been much more responsible in how I handled myself and for that I am sorry to my teammates, my fans, my fellow competitors, my sponsors, and the hosts of this great event. 

As a victim of an armed hold up and kidnapping, what should he have done differently?

This is akin to the narcissism the original statement showed.  

He is telling us that something he did was amiss.  Yet, he only owns not being "more careful" and "candid" at choosing his own words.   


I am very proud 

To which the analysis agrees...




to represent my country in Olympic competition and this was a situation that could and should have been avoided. I accept responsibility for my role in this happening and have learned some valuable lessons. 

I am grateful for my USA Swimming teammates and the USOC, and appreciate all of the efforts of the IOC, the Rio '16 Host Committee, and the people of Brazil who welcomed us to Rio and worked so hard to make sure that these Olympic Games provided a lifetime of great new memories. There has already been too much said and too many valuable resources dedicated to what happened last weekend, so I hope we spend our time celebrating the great stories and performances of these Games and look ahead to celebrating future successes."


Analysis Conclusion:

Something indeed happened but it is not as he described.  

As Americans, we would consider an armed guard demanding money, off hours, without an estimate and receipt, theft, as well.  

This is what made his statement helpful for some advanced work:  there are elements in it that were reliable ("gun, the guy, money") and some that were unreliable (order of being pulled over, guns being pulled out in plural, versus gun by the guy) which is to balance closely between some reliability and some deception. 

I continue to contend that there is still more to this story and the element of embarrassment is yet to be concluded.  

More candid?  "I'm sorry"?  

He does not own deception, nor the trouble that caused the incident, nor his condition that preceded the incident.  

Lesson:  In overall deceptive statements, there are elements that are reliable.  Even lies have an origin.  

34 comments:

Nic said...

When Locate said, "whatever" in his story, I think that's when everyone listening/reading to the report gave pause. We've all heard the advice: just give [them] whatever they want. As in, one's life is more valuable. Watches, rings, etc. can be replaced. So "whatever". But in reading about the moment, it was like, wow, there's some bravado. And if you think about it, he is second to Phelps, who is an exceptional athlete. If it wasn't for Phelps, how would Lochte rank? It must suck to be always be #2. He supposedly drives a Bentley, but he doesn't have the WW brand awareness Phelps does.

Nic said...

I would like to add that a Bentley is a classy car. Cars of that calibre are an extension of the driver's personality. IMO, Lochte is not a classy guy. He took the lead, lied on behalf of himself and his "friends", then ditched his "friends" and left them to suffer the consequence of *his* lies, while he ran home. I hope the three left behind got the message and in the future, put his calls on ignore.

Trigger said...

Whoa, Nic, I liked your response!

You are right on about all this. The false bravado here is exposed. The trio of athletes left holding the bag should learn a lesson from the "friend" who quickly made his own escape.

John Mc Gowan said...

Another point of view.

Nonverbal Communication No. 3659: Ryan Lochte's "Today Show" Interview regarding Alleged Rio Robbery - Body Language & Emotional Intelligence (VIDEO, PHOTOS)


http://www.bodylanguagesuccess.com/2016/08/nonverbal-communication-no-3659-ryan.html

Anonymous said...

"Cars of that calibre are an extension of a driver's personality"?!?! Really?!
More like a cover-up for someone's personality.
Cars are not "classy". Cars are objects. They can be classy-looking, which does not inherently reflect anything about the driver's personality WHATSOEVER.
Charm is often a disguise.

Anonymous said...

Also, for all Lochte's goofy persona, he revealed a lot through this incident. Not only is he a liar, who will continue even when caught, but he won't hesitate to throw friends under the bus, and also paint them to be cowards "the others got on the ground" while he was supposedly fearless.

Also, he's no idiot, he picked his companions wisely. What are the odds that Phelps would have gone along with that crazy story..?
These young men, 2 at their first olympics, all who may have been impressed by Lochte/his achievements...thinking they're in an inner circle with a senior decorated athlete... That is how predators & abusers work, people who take advantage of others.

The Bentley is borrowed class for image; a shiny object & distraction from the actions that show his true character. Lochte is not the harmless doofus that he seems.

Val

Bobcat said...

This is another good lesson about narcissism.

Ryan reminds me a bit of Davey Blackburn, except, with less brains, he has already achieved his fame. And, career wise, he has no need for a beard wife.

What's good about this story?

No one died.

Anonymous said...

Nic.
You are correct. Auto design & marketing professionals are in fact students of psychology. For a good reason. They can cater to certain personality types via design. GM's Hummer was designed to appeal to a domineering personality. Its a science. It works. You are correct

Anonymous said...

I dont get the fixation with the antics of athletes. I never have. This guy is a swimming machine. Is he himself not being exploited? Do any of us care about him, his feelings? No. We objectify him and expect him to be swimming machine. Perhaps we are all guilty. Occcassionally I can see how an individual's behavior is EVERYONE'S fault.

John Mc Gowan said...

EXCLUSIVE: So much champagne and vodka they couldn't remember where they were or what time it was:
Sworn statements of Lochte's teammates reveal their shame


Gunnar Bentz and Jack Conger pointed the finger at Lochte for the fiasco in their statements to Brazilian police
The swimmers spent the night drinking champagne and vodka in a private box at Club France in Rio
The statements show their incredulity at seeing Lochte lie to the press about how the group had been held up in a 'robbery'
After the events Conger called his mother to tell her a situation had happened 'involving his name'


Read more:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3749259/Sworn-statements-Ryan-Lochte-s-teammates-Bentz-Conger-reveal-shame.html#ixzz4HopIJj51

Anonymous said...

The world press revealed & announced the incident. ICYMI. Its been a topic of discussion here for 2 days.

Anonymous said...

Mr Mcgowan. Continue posting news clips. They're good reference.

Anonymous said...

DJTrump visited victims of catastrophic Louisiana flooding. HRC phoned in encouraging words. Pres O? Too Busy. Golfing. The photo shows Seinfeld creator L David (hollywood elite)few steps behind mr Pres O.

Anonymous said...

Donald is already President in my eyes and in the eyes of most. Obama is too much of a little pansy to provide strength for this nation. He's too busy getting spanked by Michelle in the Oval Office.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for this update John.

It will be interesting to see what happens with Lochte regarding sponsorships, endorsements and so forth.

Anonymous said...

Thank you John. Lochte is a piece of deceitful scum. He let down his whole country for 5 minutes of frivolous pleasure with a transvestite. I couldnt be more outraged.

Trigger said...

I don't think that a discussion about observation and analysis about the behavior of an athlete, that represents American interests in an Olympic event, that is caught on video doing something distasteful or destructive, then lying about it to get himself excused from responsibility is hate.

A difference exists between observation and indictment when a public person does something inappropriate in public then places blame on another person by intentional lying, then gets caught. The cover is removed for all to see and analyze.

Anonymous said...

Thanks 758, that was 2 min of my life I'll never get back reading that.

Eliza Bellina said...

Ive got a statement I need examined. The statement is "Im really sorry (smiley face followed by smiley face with heart eyes followed by kissy face emoticon). I need all words examined for sensitivity including emoticons. TIA.

Eliza Bellini said...

OK, now Im totally freaked out. Text says "My life feels so dark without you. Let's just let it be water under the bridge". Please I need experienced on this one ASAP.

Eliza Bellini said...

I need experienced analysts ASAP (sorry for typo).

Deborah said...

Anon,

I'm sorry for what you're going through. It does sound like the texter may be telling you a falsehood, and I would also be wary of the water, light, and door references. It sounds like a potential madman. You could invest in pepper spray or there are many free and actually fun self-defense classes offered in many areas. You could look at your local library for specific information about these classes.

Anonymous said...

Ryan Lochte robbery story translator opens up on Brazil incident

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/ryan-lochte-robbery-story-translator-opens-up-brazil-incident/?ftag=CNM-00-10aab6a&linkId=27866025

Ode said...

Published today, yt below// titled Olympic Narrative: US Male Athlete-Entitled, Cheater, Fame-Whore, Hasbeens

The narrative when America was told Pres Wm Clinton bold face lied to you!
All was forgiven of Slick Willie, by the media, he paid no penance.
Once he answered Dan Rather the proverbial question

Mr. President *former, why did you lie, cheat,..? his response: Just Because I could
he on video interview with Rather 2004, as he says his reply ' one on one'

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/clinton-cheated-because-i-could-16-06-2004/


His breech of trust as an authority figure, as Pres of the US,
he without punishment, he the highest authority (esp to kids)
He changed the coarse of the players. Lying became a honed skill. People paid to create the lie, to spin the wheel, distraction the key. As long
as there was a comeback kid story to follow at a later date ..bringing in Millions
for the persons handlers.

Clinton his message to kids, " oral sex is not sex" said by the Pres of the United States of America, youth heard him loud and clear and believed him. The after school sex parties to become a standard of middle school, some even younger, that he said it was not sex...the same kids asked about kissing, their reply kissing is gross. They though admitting they (like a sport) were engaged countless acts of oral sex with no conscience. It's not like kissing, it's not love.

Clinton, cheating, adultery isn't cheating unless you get caught, it's still not cheating, LIE and use persuasive language to empower your lies. His narrative there are no victims. He unscathed, millions of youth confused encapsulated, some held accountable. All by his narrative " set out" to all any any: their reaction to his statements, lies, scandals, became His bank.

Another side, point of view, his analysis of Ryan Lochte " messages sent", narrative spun to global youth. The Media is an equal opportunity offender. The Truth is Boring? The Truth cannot be argued, therefore it's not a stay tuned. The media isn't paid to tell anyone anything, it's the reaction of you, the audience, they make bank on. #Truth The past 2.5, Generations were changed, this isn't human involuntary evolvement, today is proof of psyop (thru media/ads/consumerism) works well done. Paid by you their sponsor.


https://youtu.be/cleYOGugKmE

Anonymous said...

Ode, honestly the Bill Clinton affair scandal is a dead horse that's been beaten long enough. Cheating is wrong but there's no way in hell Hillary was putting out for Bill during those years, so can you blame him? Even if she was, can you imagine how horrifying it would be?! Give the guy a break. Please.

Michael said...

Hillary looks like Marilyn Monroe if you down a gallon of tequilla and wash it down with a sheet of LSD.

Maria said...

For God's sakes! It's not about looks! It's about the sacred love-knot they tied at the altar you sexist deviants!

Anonymous said...

Lochte lied to his mom first, then she told people. If he wouldn't have told his mom a lie the whole thing wouldn't have even been noticed probably.
Let this be a lesson to never lie to your mom lol

Anonymous said...


http://edition.cnn.com/2016/08/20/sport/us-olympics-swimmers-reported-robbery-future/index.html?sr=cnnifb

Ryan Lochte: 'I over-exaggerated' Olympics robbery story

John Mc Gowan said...

Lochte: ‘I Overexaggerated’ Robbery Story, Says He Was ‘Intoxicated’ During First T.V. Interview

Full interview:

13 mins.

http://lawnewz.com/video/lochte-i-overexaggerated-robbery-story-says-he-was-intoxicated-during-first-t-v-interview/

Anonymous said...



https://www.yahoo.com/sports/news/speedo-terminates-sponsorship-with-ryan-lochte-161903695.html


Anonymous said...

High school sports now as corrupt as college sports?

A high school football stadium in Texit costs taxpayers $70,000,000? Texit. Go ahead cede.

Anonymous said...

News say Ryan be losing more sponsirs.

Jon The Layman said...

I see now that news has broken that the Brazilian police lied about what happened as well.

"In a huge twist, it has now been revealed the swimmers never entered the bathroom or approached the door."

Just some random thoughts about this whole incident.

1) The Brazilian Police seemed more concerned with protecting the image of Brazil, particularly with the bad press surrounding the Rio Olympics
2) Western media seem more than happy to oblige with the narrative that "Rio, Brazil isn't that bad" despite there being numerous reports from athletes of blatant broad daylight crimes.
3) Western media also seems more than happy to question the integrity of this swimmer, Lochte, but seem to show a more accommodating readiness to believe people, let's say, who may be not as successful, not white or male or lord forbid, cis gendered.
4) But then the regressive left media seem to be more concerned with this type of identity politics than they do with the actual merits of what happened and saw it as just another opportunity to punish someone they view as outside of their precious protected classes of people.

I think it says more about the agenda of media than it does about Lochte and his story that no-one seems to be concerned by the fact that he appears to at least have genuinely have been held at gunpoint, even if all of the circumstances weren't described truthfully by him.

3rd Feminism catchphrase is "listen and believe" - then defend that person if they happen to fall into a certain category tooth and nail even when that person is lying, or nail that person to the cross if that person falls outside a certain category and claim the moral high-ground to support their own moral narcissism (great article btw Pete).