2012 Summer OlympicsMedia Monster

Ryan Lochte Almost Didn’t Receive Bling On His Neck Because Of Bling In His Mouth

by Jordan Rabinowitz | 1:26 pm, July 29th, 2012

Before Ryan Lochte took the podium Saturday to receive his gold medal for the 400 IM, an Olympics official (who undoubtedly hates the music of Paul Wall) warned Lochte that he would not receive the medal if he took the stand with his signature red, white and blue grills lining his teeth. According to Wayne Drehs of ESPN:

Lochte told me he tried to wear his grill on the podium only to have an Olympics official tell him if he did so he wouldn’t get his gold.

— Wayne Drehs (@espnWD) July 28, 2012

Personally, if Lochte wanted to wear his grills (or grillz, for those of you more familiar with the colloquial spelling), I’d go ahead and let him. I’m not really sure how much integrity the games would lose by allowing Lochte to adorn those pearly whites in braces on the medal stand, which I presume was this particular official’s logic in giving Lochte the ultimatum, but come on, at least let the guy have a little fun.

I understand the degree of ceremonial sanctity that goes along with receiving Olympic gold. The world watches (on tape delay) as you stand tall above the runners-up while your national anthem plays loudly and proudly in the background. It’s an age-old ritual that traditionalists want medalists to respect and take seriously, and I get that. But to deny a guy a medal because there might have been an unexpected shine reflecting from his teeth as he mouthed along to his country’s anthem?

Let traditionalism take a back seat to a gold medalist who just wants to savor the moment in his own unique way. No doubt Lochte will have a few more opportunities in London to upset a few more disgruntled officials.

[Yahoo Sports, photo: Getty]

http://dailydisgrace.com/ Mike Debauched

That’s a bunch of hogwash. I chalk it up to Olympic officials hating on USA, just like always.
Anonymous

Glad they did that. They have already been too lenient on these low-class clowns that are disgracing the whole event.
Mp2

you cant buy class…
Scottwb19k

If you think wearing a grillz is low class, can you afford to buy one.
Anonymous

“If you think wearing a grillz is low class, can you afford to buy one.”

Now THAT is just announcing you have no class.
Liwick05

Arrogant, classless, wanta-be rapper! You represent the United States of American, young man.
Grow up! Your mother is embarrassed.
Scottwb19k

So you think wearing grillz means you dont have class, are you at the Olympic Games, no.
Anonymous

Don’t think so, I know so.
Scottwb19k

If the man want to wear some grillz to rep the US, Stop hating on the man, I dont see u doing anything to REP the US so let him do what he wants, Ur just hating on the man becuz u aint in his shoe smh what a shame u r
Theontodd

Lochte is the coolest swimmer there. So what if he wants to wear a grill, would you penalize a man for wearing a certain type of shoes ?
http://www.facebook.com/ace.buzby Ace Buzby

This article says the “World watches on tape delay”. No, the world does not. Only the USA has tape delay. The rest of the world gets it live