U.S. swimmer Ryan Lochte on Friday morning addressed the ongoing controversy about an incident early Sunday morning at a Rio gas station. He wrote in an Instagram post, "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." He notes it is "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." However, he writes, "Regardless of the behavior of anyone else that night, 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" (INSTAGRAM.com, 8/19). In N.Y., Simon Romero notes Lochte "did not give a full account of what happened during the episode, or explain the ways in which his earlier depictions of events were inaccurate" (NYTIMES.com, 8/19). USA Today's Christine Brennan reports an apology from Lochte was the "only way" he would not be "banned for life by no-nonsense USA Swimming." A final decision is not expected until the end of the Rio Games (TWITTER.com, 8/19).
LOCHTE'S PERSONAL RAY DONOVAN: Lochte's apology comes after he hired Matthew Hiltzik, a "top crisis publicist with ties to the worlds of entertainment, sports and politics." The HOLLYWOOD REPORTER's Matthew Belloni noted Hiltzik has repped "several sports leagues and franchises," and worked with Phillies 1B Ryan Howard when he was accused of using PEDs and Chargers LB Manti Te'o during his fake-girlfriend scandal. Lochte has "taken a beating in the international press, so it's no surprise he has brought in a media specialist to help handle the crisis" (HOLLYWOODREPORTER.com, 8/18). SI's Michael McCann notes Lochte's attorneys "no doubt had to approve his apology," as he "needs to preserve legal defenses." SI's Richard Deitsch wrote, "Would love to know how many people/entities vetted Ryan Lochte's statement before it went public. Six? Dozen?" (TWITTER.com, 8/19).
NOT QUITE BUYING IT: The apology has predictably garnered plenty of reaction on Twitter. The L.A. Times' Nathan Fenno writes, "Not in Lochte's apology: being sorry for the alleged damage the group caused at the gas station." USA Today's Brennan writes, "Lochte apology also goes into another explanation of 'traumatic' events. Maybe just say sorry and leave it at that?" AP's Tim Reynolds: "Lochte says it's 'traumatic' to be out late with friends and with a language barrier. Which explains why he went to ... Club France." Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Jeff Schultz: "Lochte also said he held off talking until knowing teammates were 'home safely' I seriously want to slap him." ESPN's Bomani Jones: "My goodness, what a load of hooey that second paragraph is." Toronto Star's Bruce Arthur: "My favourite part of the Lochte apology is where he learns valuable lessons." Minneapolis Star Tribune's Jim Souhan: "Only correct response to Lochte statement: Whatever. Dude" (TWITTER.com, 8/19).
IS IT TOO LATE TO SAY I'M SORRY NOW? Prior to the release of Lochte's statement, many newspaper columnists were calling for a full apology from the 12-time Medalist. In Salt Lake City, Kurt Kragthorpe writes Lochte "should come back to Rio and apologize in person" (SALT LAKE TRIBUNE, 8/19). In K.C., Vahe Gregorian writes the actual reality of the situation "has insulted one country, embarrassed another, hurt friends and demands an apology to all" (K.C. STAR, 8/19). USA TODAY's Brennan writes Lochte and his three teammates "owe literally thousands of people an apology," including Rio Olympic officials, the IOC, USOC and, "most of all, the athletes of these Games" (USA TODAY, 8/19). In St. Louis, Jose de Jesus Ortiz writes the four swimmers "are fortunate to have escaped that encounter relatively unscathed." They "owe the people of Brazil an apology." They "should also apologize to the USOC and the IOC." Ortiz writes the four swimmers "should never be allowed to represent the U.S. again" (ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH, 8/19).
FULFILLING GLOBAL STEREOTYPES: In Jacksonville, Gene Frenette wrote what the swimmers did was "give the world another reason to think Americans suffer from a sense of entitlement" (JACKSONVILLE.com, 8/18). In Miami, Linda Robertson writes in crafting their initial story as victims, the swimmers gave off an "air of entitled superiority" that the U.S. "is No. 1 and your third-world banana republic is uncivilized compared to us" (MIAMI HERALD, 8/19). In DC, Sally Jenkins writes there is a "special category of obnoxious American 'bro' that Lochte represents." Jenkins: "Is there anything worse, in any country, than a bunch of entitled young drunks who break the furniture and pee on a wall?" (WASHINGTON POST, 8/19). ESPN Radio's David Jacoby said, "Americans have a reputation of being loud, being entitled and being sort of like rude. When you go into a gas station, kick down the door and break the soap dispenser and pee on or outside of the toilet and act ignorant like that, it just perpetuates this stereotype" ("Jalen & Jacoby," ESPN Radio, 8/19). In S.F., Ann Killion writes, "Congratulations to Ryan Lochte for winning the final race of his Olympic career: the race for most embarrassing American athlete" (S.F. CHRONICLE, 8/19).
POSTER CHILD FOR THE UGLY AMERICAN: NBC's Billy Bush, who on Sunday got the interview with Lochte in which he said he was held up at gunpoint, said Lochte has become the "face" of the "ugly American that travels abroad" ("Today," NBC, 8/19). In L.A., Bill Plaschke writes Lochte preyed on Rio's reputation "to improve his image." It is the "worst kind of opportunism, one that defines 'Ugly American,' and one that should cause reflection in everyone attending these Games" (L.A. TIMES, 8/19). In N.Y., Mike Vaccaro writes, The Ugly American is alive and well in 2016 thanks to this dope" (N.Y. POST, 8/19). In Boston, John Sapochetti writes under the header, "Ugly Americans Overshadow Good In Rio." Lochte's quickly sinking story is "erasing all the good feelings" runner Abbey D'Agostino "brought to the USA for helping a fellow fallen 5,000-meter runner" (BOSTON HERALD, 8/19). In Denver, Mark Kiszla writes "concocting a lie to make Rio look bad disgraces the red, white and blue uniform Lochte has worn at four Olympic Games" (DENVER POST, 8/19).
OPEN WOUND: Americas Society & Council of the Americas VP/Policy Brian Winter said the episode "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" (N.Y. TIMES, 8/19). In West Palm Beach, Dave George writes Brazilians "hear enough about their crime problems without somebody piling on" (PALM BEACH POST, 8/19). SI.com's S.L. Price writes intelligence "was less the problem here than cynicism." Lochte "apparently felt that Rio’s well-publicized crime problems were so common, so exhausting, that no one could check his story -- and no one would care" (SI.com, 8/19). CNBC's Aaron Ross Sorkin said the Olympics are a “showcase for this city, and this is something that had damaged the city and its reputation” ("Fast Money Halftime Report," CNBC, 8/18). NBC's Bob Costas said, "They don't want this to besmirch their reputation when they’ve done a generally good job of hosting an Olympics” ("Today," NBC, 8/19). ESPN’s LZ Granderson said, “To have one (of) the Olympics' greatest swimmers of all-time claim to have been held up at gunpoint crushes the spirit and hopes that Rio would come out of it in a better light” ("Nightline, ABC, 8/19).
DON'T BLAME IT ON RIO: USA TODAY's Nancy Armour writes Lochte "deserves every bit of the criticism and reprisals coming his way." However, his lies "are not the only problem in this saga." Brazilian authorities for five days "devoted considerable time and resources to unraveling the various versions of Lochte’s story." Time and resources that, "given the serious security concerns Rio has, could have been better spent" (USA TODAY, 8/19). A BOSTON HERALD editorial states the police and the Brazilian government "were embarrassed because this time a high-profile athlete had alleged a robbery." That "ignores the previous -- and very real robbery of members of the Australian sailing team before the games began and the robbery of a British athlete just this week, causing that team to ask their athletes to stay in the Olympic Village after dark" (BOSTON HERALD, 8/19). In Nashville, Joe Rexrode acknowledges Rio officials "have more pressing matters than this," but he does not "blame them for making this a thing." Rexrode: "Bad publicity has ramifications. They don’t need more of it because of a bad-behaving, self-serving, fame-starved liar" (Nashville TENNESSEAN, 8/19).
