American swimming star Ryan Lochte was cleared Friday by a Brazilian court on allegations that he filed a false police report.
Lochte and three of his teammates were held at gunpoint and robbed of their money at a gas station during the 2016 Olympics in Rio. The incident became international news when Lochte was accused of falsifying a police report and making the robbery up.
In America, pointing a gun at somebody and taking their money is considered a robbery. In Brazil, it apparently is considered a legit way to do business. It’s the small cultural differences that tend to matter the most.
Police claimed Lochte and his teammates broke the gas station’s bathroom and vandalized the building. These claims were quickly disproved, and the credibility of the Brazilian police was brought under a microscope.
The saga is finally over after a Brazilian court decided in a 2-1 ruling that Lochte’s claims about what happened never broke Brazilian law, according to USA Today.
Lochte’s lawyer Jeff Ostrow told USA Today, “We are pleased that the court has finally dismissed the criminal prosecution against Mr. Lochte, while at the same time, appropriately recognizing that he committed no crime. It has been a long year, but in the end, justice prevailed.”
This saga is one of the most incredible sports and cultural stories in recent memory, not because of the actual alleged crime, but because the media wanted Lochte to be a villain so badly they ignored any and all evidence that supported him.
Who could ever forget the outstanding piece from Huffington Post titled, “Al Roker Goes In On Ryan Lochte, Becomes Internet Hero,” which praised Roker for shutting down Billy Bush for simply questioning the police’s narrative.
Lochte and his three teammates were robbed at gunpoint, and instead of the American media crying out for justice they instead threw the swimmers under the bus. In fact, I was essentially the only person in the media actively calling for President Obama and intervene on behalf of our American swimmers. I was even willing to leave the military option on the table if Brazil did not release the swimmers, who at one point were essentially being held as hostages until a ransom was paid.
While the rest of the media sold out as fast as they could so Lochte could metaphorically be executed in the eyes of the public for being a rich and successful white man, I was willing to die on the hill of truth and freedom.
So, congrats to all the media members out there who care more about their narrative than the truth. You have once again been exposed as nothing more than arrogant people who don’t give a damn about the facts. A lesser man would rub this in their face even more, but I’ve got a busy day ahead of myself.
I fought the good fight for a year. I was told repeatedly that I was an idiot for defending Lochte and his “white privilege.” I was constantly told I was wrong, but here we are on this fine Saturday morning. Feels like it would only be right to celebrate with an ice cold, American made beer.
I was right, Lochte was innocent and the media played themselves for complete fools. Job well done by everybody.