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SkateFan4Life
Guest
Mathman said:I wouldn't say Nicole was spoiled. if anything (launching into Dr. Phil mode) I would say she suffered from low self esteem. She had a trying and unconventional upbringing, including brushes with the law. I was glad that she had such a long and successful pro career.
My lasting memory of Nicole always has her boo-hooing in the kiss 'n cry after after she messed up yet another long program. What really made me lose respect for her was her decision to go on tour with "Nutcracker on Ice" during December 1995 - when she was nursing an injured ankle. Her doctor told her to stay off the ice, but she decided to go ahead and proceed with the 22-city tour. Granted, the money was probably quite lucrative, and she and her mother probably needed the money - but when you're seriously injured, you must take care of yourself. Then, at the 1996 US Nationals, Bobek re-injured her ankle while skating in the warm-up for the long program. Her coach told her to not attempt the double axel - and she went out and tried the double axel anyway. The television cameras showed her sniffling and crying at the boards, and then followed her to the dressing room. OK, I do think it was cruel for the television cameras to follow her right up to the door of the women's locker room! IMHO, the USFSA did the right thing in not giving her a bye to the Worlds, even though she was the defending National Champion.
Had Nicole not toured with "Nutcracker", stayed home and nursed her ankle, and then re-injured herself at Nationals, I would almost bet that she would have received a bye to the Worlds, and that she, and not Tara Lipinski, would have been the third woman on that team. Oh, well, it's history now.