Official Lloyd Irvin Statement

[deadlizard]

I think that statement is probably the best thing we could get at this point. That still doesn't make it good.

I understand why he glossed over the details of the 1989 incident. No matter what his side of the story is, the fact remains that at the very minimum he stood by and watched while several of his friends raped a 17 year old girl. He also wanted to join in. That's not something that can ever be minimized.

As for his blatant attempts to cover up the details of these events, he admitted 100% fault so there is not much more he can do there. Again, it's not something that can really be minimized at this point. It's just there.

People will just have to choose for themselves whether they can still support him or not. I don't think I can at this point in time. Maybe I will change my view in the future, but it seems unlikely.

At the very least, this statement will probably put aside some of the more immediate drama. Lloyd has now spoken on the issue which releases a lot of the daily pressure.

What is left is to deal with the facts. Lloyd as a 20 year old man wanted to join in a gang rape happening right in front of him. Lloyd as a 43 year old man tried to cover up details of that rape for several weeks. He has expressed remorse for those actions.

How people react to those facts is going to be determined by their individual consciences.

The voice of reason on sherdog strikes again!

The statement gave some closure. For me at least. I think it was an acceptable response. I may or may not support him in the future depending on my mood.

I, however, will still never support the Avellans.

 

[DCLXVI]

I wish the best for those on TLI not involved. I also want to see Lloyd crash and burn, preferably with Marcos Avellan.

 

[Goat Gobbler]

Just out of curiosity did that area suffer from significant racism 20+ years ago? could be the route this "version of the truth" is going, since the girl was white and the guys weren't.

 

[Goat Gobbler]

I wonder what Irvin would be saying if there was a third man on NYE who watched but didn't participate?

funny you say that... since he wrote this:

"I will go to my grave wishing someone ELSE from my team
would have been there for her that night." -LI

Clearly he is writing that he wishes someone would have been there to save her..

 

[Yeska805]

Do any of you guys even train BJJ? It seems like your all either black belts, attorneys, judges, prosecutors, and god on the Internet. Discussing discretion, theory, and rumor.

Go train and actually be a contributing member to the grappling section.

 

[KGB256]

Just out of curiosity did that area suffer from significant racism 20+ years ago? could be the route this "version of the truth" is going, since the girl was white and the guys weren't.

What is your source of that information? Never saw that confirmed. Both the victim and all of the assailants attended traditionally black colleges, with enrollments that were over 75% African American IIRC.

 

[deadlizard]

Do any of you guys even train BJJ? It seems like your all either black belts, attorneys, judges, prosecutors, and god on the Internet. Discussing discretion, theory, and rumor.

Go train and actually be a contributing member to the grappling section.

So how's Lloyd doing these days?

 

[dmesser2]

Really the only thing of value is that he admits that he used internet tactics to try to save face immediately after the news of the event broke. I'm glad he admitted to this and apologized for it.

Where his real strategy comes out is how he constantly tries to change the argument of the people whom are speaking out against him to an argument he can actually win. It's called "straw man fallacy". He constantly brings up, that if he could have, he would have stopped the new years eve events. Well no shit, anyone would have, and that's not what anyone is outraged about. People are mad that he appeared too worried about his image and business in a time of tragedy. Also, people are mad about his involvement in the '89 rape. He skated right past the real issues as usual, but that's a loosing fight for him anyway and nothing he could say about it would change anyone's opinion.

 

[Saenchai]

damn! the internet is the truthhhhhh.
lloyd was apart of it even though he didnt do wahtever; it dont matter! he was apart of it!

 

[MyBodyHurts]

This reads like Lloyd's marketing materials. The elipsis. The vertical style of the article. Certain words being capitalized to add emphasis. The short sentences that flow into blocks.

It reads exactly as this...

And we ALL know this is how you
write marketing material...

This is the MOST effective
method for producing EXCELLENT results...

Why does LI have to write like this?
Why can't LI write like a NORMAL person?

Maybe he can give us the TRUE reason.

Is this really marketing in 2012?
Is this the real life?

I agree with this. When I saw this first posted (by a friend on Facebook) I thought it might read as a sincere apology or something similar but instead reads as an attempt to save a product/image with persuasion techniques (primarily by trying to get the reader to feel pity for his family/friends, then the victim, then himself).

Of course, he anticipates people are going to see through this and gives himself an out (like he's done his whole career with "haters") with:

"From this point forward I anticipate that anything I say will be ripped apart and shredded by those who either have an axe to grind, aren’t focused on prevention of violence/rape against women or even may simply not care about the truth. I don’t expect ANYTHING less."

This is basic coercion where you set up your position by using a strawman. In other words, me even writing this shows I have an axe to grind with Lloyd, I'm not focused on the prevention of rape/violence against women, or I just don't care about the truth (since Lloyd's obviously telling it...wink, wink, nudge, nudge). It's pathetic and Robert Cialdini would not be proud.

Without going into the whole letter, in my view at the end of the day this letter means very little since Lloyd now has little to no credibility. He is not going to convince any reasonable person he's spent every minute of the last two weeks concerned with the victim, his family, and his team, unable to take a few minutes to write that an official letter or statement would be forthcoming, especially when, as he acknowledges, he spent some of that time within 24 hours of it making news creating a website to try to hide his past and get people to attend his seminars.

Oh, but two weeks later...he's...sorry...no...SORRY...SO SORRY. Unfortunately for Lloyd, real life doesn't work like a college freshman paper where "..." and caps makes everyone think he's suddenly sincere and a deep thinker.

 

[Senshi]

But revisiting & rehashing every detail from the case 23 years ago would be nothing but selfish on my part (especially a case whose conclusion found me innocent of all charges)

that little end note drew the line for me

 

[Wanderlei Industries]

Do any of you guys even train BJJ? It seems like your all either black belts, attorneys, judges, prosecutors, and god on the Internet. Discussing discretion, theory, and rumor.

Go train and actually be a contributing member to the grappling section.

Bro, do you even lift?

 

[GiBurns]

Do any of you guys even train BJJ? It seems like your all either black belts, attorneys, judges, prosecutors, and god on the Internet. Discussing discretion, theory, and rumor.

Go train and actually be a contributing member to the grappling section.

 

[BJJArsenal]

I don't care what Lloyd says about the 1989 rape, it's clear he was in the wrong and any one with a moral conscience would agree.

Like Ryan Hall says:

An attempted murderer is no better than a successful one—he’s just a worse shot.

 

[KJGould]

I don't care what Lloyd says about the 1989 rape, it's clear he was in the wrong and any one with a moral conscience would agree.

Like Ryan Hall says:

"I wanted to shoot him, but the gun wouldn't fire. I'm innocent!"

 

[DanOfEarth]

Horribly written and doesn't actually say anything.

 

[Title Fight Productions]

Do any of you guys even train BJJ? It seems like your all either black belts, attorneys, judges, prosecutors, and god on the Internet. Discussing discretion, theory, and rumor.

Go train and actually be a contributing member to the grappling section.

Scram!!!!

 

[indulf]

i thought up until i read the letter that TLI was done for.

now, i think he'll come back stronger than ever. he's going to get away with 1989 all over again, and he'll get out of this spot because he's a master manipulator. he'll be richer and more powerful than ever.

i wouldn't piss on him if he was on fire. when i saw him at the atlanta open he reminded me of the black version of private pyle. I.... AM.... IN A WORLD OF SHIT.

 

[The K1000]

"From this point forward I anticipate that anything I say will be ripped apart and shredded by those who either have an axe to grind, aren’t focused on prevention of violence/rape against women or even may simply not care about the truth. I don’t expect ANYTHING less."

Basically if you disagree you're either a rape apologist, "hater", or just don't believe what I say.

Lloyd's apology is limp and doesn't do it for me.

 

[Vitamin C]

Trying to read Lloyd's marketing enjambment is like trying to read e.e. cummings poetry.
I hate e.e. cummings too.

I am glad he took responsibility for the purely shit timing on his rape prevention seminar testimonials. Glossing over the 1990 case is to be expected.
Nothing he says can repair the damage done by the outspoken members of the community, and the revelations concerning Ryan Hall's depature from TLI. Of course not that his statement was meant to do that.
Regarding his environment. He attracts questionable characters to his team. The public perception of Jordon Schultz cannot be swept under the carpet. Avellan and Proctor, nuff said. And no matter how new to the team the two rapists were, they were attracted to the team. That's the point. It's not that the environment creates these people. I don't think anyone is arguing that. If I posted a help wanted ad and got nothing but shady characters, I might want to re-evaluate the message that I am sending to the public.

That said, I stated all I was waiting for was a public statement from Irvin himself. So for me, this topic is now done. I have made my decisions regarding how I will or will not support anything coming from TLI in the future.