Zika, drugs, and medals: The Rio Olympics thread

[Berkut]

Claiming not just that you were robbed, but you were robbed by people pretending to be law enforcement officers, is a pretty direct attack on the integrity of the country.

And now real law enforcement officers got $10K out of them. 

'See what happens when you falsely claim to have been robbed by officials?'

It really is quite the racket they have going!

[dps]

Claiming not just that you were robbed, but you were robbed by people pretending to be law enforcement officers, is a pretty direct attack on the integrity of the country. Now, it works because that integrity is pretty questionably to begin with, but I am not at all surprised at how sensitive they would be to what turns out to be a false accusation.

Also, I suspect, though I don't actually know (perhaps CdM can confirm) that police pretty much anywhere aren't happy when people falsely claim to be victims of crimes.

[grumbler]

It certainly bothers me, I can't imagine how that can be justified.

On the other hand, I am not at all surpised at their over-reaction.

Claiming not just that you were robbed, but you were robbed by people pretending to be law enforcement officers, is a pretty direct attack on the integrity of the country. Now, it works because that integrity is pretty questionably to begin with, but I am not at all surprised at how sensitive they would be to what turns out to be a false accusation.

But, in reality, the false story wasn't that far from what's now being reported as apparently the true story as to what happened:
(1) the swimmers needed to use the restroom at the gas station their taxi stopped at (whether the taxi stopped to get gas or let them use the can isn't clear and isn't important)
(2) the restroom was closed, or something, so lunkheads decided to either tear down the "do not use" sign, or just piss on the exterior wall, or both.  Plus, somehow, a soap dispenser and another fixture got damaged.  This was the vandalism we've heard about. 
(3) the gas station employees called "security."  The police say this security wasn't a cop, but it may have been one.  Pictures are not clear.  May have been more than one rent-a-cop or cop.
(4) the rent-a-cop/cop pulled a gun during this process.  After that, the swimmers paid the rent-a-cop/cop for "damages." They apparently felt like they had been shaken down.
(5) naturally, in telling his side of it to his mom (still not clear why he was telling her anthing), lunkhead Lochte leaves out all the part where he vandalizes the restroom, instead turning this into a straight robbery.

The story the Brazilians are putting out, that the pulling of the gun was just to calm the Americans down, and that they voluntarily paid several hundred dollars for a broken soap dispenser and a torn "do not use" sign, stinks about as much as Lochte's.  Add in the "voluntary" payment of a $10,000 ransom, and I'm even less sympathetic to them.

Lochte acted like an ass at the gas station, and Brazil would be entirely correct to ban him for five years or whatever.  But the country's officials have made it clear that only a moron would go to Brazil with any money (and that only a moron would go there without any).  The IOC should make it clear they will never award the games to Brazil again.  Brazilian authorities' phony "hurt feelings" don't impress me at all.

[grumbler]

Do people in Brazil really walk around with rounds unchambered?  Seems like a fatal mistake to me.

Walking around with a chambered round in a non-locking holster seems even more like a fatal mistake, though.  The guy the cop is wrestling with seems far more likely to want to shoot instantly than the cop.

[garbon]

Claiming not just that you were robbed, but you were robbed by people pretending to be law enforcement officers, is a pretty direct attack on the integrity of the country. Now, it works because that integrity is pretty questionably to begin with, but I am not at all surprised at how sensitive they would be to what turns out to be a false accusation.

Also, I suspect, though I don't actually know (perhaps CdM can confirm) that police pretty much anywhere aren't happy when people falsely claim to be victims of crimes.

Do they typically then turn to extortion?

[alfred russel]

But the country's officials have made it clear that only a moron would go to Brazil with any money (and that only a moron would go there without any).  The IOC should make it clear they will never award the games to Brazil again.  Brazilian authorities' phony "hurt feelings" don't impress me at all.

Because of this? 

Thousands of Americans go to Brazil without serious incident. There are hot women there. Michigan Man Tom Brady even found a wife from Brazil that some people classify as attractive.

[grumbler]

Thousands of Americans morons go to Brazil without serious incident. There are hot women there.

There are probably hot women in North Korea, as well.

Now, odds are not even 50-50 that you will get shaken down by a corrupt cop or government official if you go to Brazil, but only a moron takes the risk.

Michigan Man Tom Brady even found a wife from Brazil that some people classify as attractive.

Ah, yes, he married her in that most Brazilian of cities, Santa Monica, California.

[Admiral Yi]

Only 2 brunettes on the Swedish women's fodbol starting 11.

[Admiral Yi]

Women's 4X100 meter relay: smokin hotties running a smokin hott race.  USA USA USA!

[Drakken]

US got disqualified on the Men's 4x100 relay. Japan got second place, fair and square.

Tennô Heika Banzai! Banzai! Banzai!

[Liep]

Didn't the US's women get disqualified too for dropping the stick?

[Eddie Teach]

No, Brazil impeded them.

[CountDeMoney]

Also, I suspect, though I don't actually know (perhaps CdM can confirm) that police pretty much anywhere aren't happy when people falsely claim to be victims of crimes.

Yes, they find that tremendously irksome, regardless of nationality or years of non-stop criticism in anticipation of something like the Olympics.

[garbon]

I just finally got my TV setup and the Olympics were on. Apart from the US women's gymnastics team crushing it, watching Tom Daley choke just now are the only bits I've seen.

[Grey Fox]

NBC ratings are down, 20% in some cases, maybe that will make them learn to just show the damn things & stop trying to build stories.