"Ryan-ism" might not have the same ring to it as "Yogi-ism," but Ryan Lochte's wacky interview responses during the 2012 London Olympics put him in the running as the Yogi Berra for a new generation.
Lochte Admits To Urinating In The Olympic Warm-Up Pool
Lochte, a world-renowned Olympic swimmer, made national headlines this week for admitting that he urinates in the Olympic warm-up pool, and he's given plenty of outrageous and awesomely honest answers to interview questions in the past.
Some sports fans were left screaming "TMI" when Lochte told Ryan Seacrest this week that "I think there's just something about getting into chlorine water that you just automatically go. [I didn't] during the races, but I sure did in warm-up."
Other fans just chocked it up to "Ryan being Ryan." Let's just call it 'Ryan-ism No. 1," probably the first of many more to come.
Lochte has five gold medals, three silver and three bronze, to go along with a handful of world records, but sports fans are likely going to remember him for his charismatic personality. There's not many other athletes in the world that would freely admit to peeing in the Olympic warm-up pool.
The Yogi Berra Of Swimming?
Whether Lochte does it by accident or on purpose, there's no denying that his bizarre interview responses are a real breath of fresh air. Unlike Michael Phelps' stale, formulaic answers, Lochte lets it all hang out and provides the media with all the juicy, quotable comments they can handle.
So, you ask, what is it that makes him the Yogi Berra of our generation? Berra, a New York Yankees legend, is a 13-time World Series champ and 18-time All-Star, but it was his unintentionally hilarious quotes that made him a fan favorite long after his playing days were done.
Berra made headlines over the past 60 years for comments like "Baseball is ninety percent mental and the other half is physical," and "Always go to other people's funerals, otherwise they won't come to yours." Those are the kinds of comments that only Berra could get away with, as nobody cared that they didn't make sense simply because they knew he was a wacky character who had a real quirky personality.
In this day and age, with athletes like Tim Tebow providing slick, polished interview responses with the precision of a veteran politician, you have to give Lochte credit for staying true to himself and letting his genuine personality shine through.
Let's just hope his next "Ryan-ism" is a tad less gross.
Eric Holden has been covering Long Island high school and youth league swimming since 2009, and he's a lifelong fan of the USA Swimming National Team. Follow him on Twitter @ericholden.
