I'm not a Kwan detractor but neither am I a Kwan fan. I started liking Michelle's skating in '03, though I still am not enamored of it, and run warm and cool on her personality--at least the one we all get via the media.Piel said:I agree with you in that to say that she has no flaws, yadda yadda just because she is Kwan is not true... for anyone. For this Kwan fan at least what I want to know from her detractors is what behaviour has she exhibited to make you think she is not all that she is being praised for?
One of Bondy's points was that it's great to praise Kwan, but the hyperbole tends to cheapen her actual accomplishments--at least that's what I got out of his article and also part of what was said in a sidebar.[Re Michelle's press conference] And that’s where Peter Ueberroth, chairman of the U.S. Olympic Committee, went way, way overboard.
“Michelle Kwan means more to the United States Olympic Committee than maybe any athlete that’s ever performed for the USOC,” he said. “She’s been a leader. She’s gracious. She’s somebody who cares for so many youngsters that are training in our country. And she’s a real loss, not only to the USOC, but to the United States of America. And I think to the world.”
The world doesn’t concern itself much with Kwan, who would be the first to admit as much. And it is not hard to think of a many other U.S. Olympians who have surpassed Kwan’s achievements inside the five-ring circus. You can start with Jesse Owens, Mark Spitz, Eric Heiden, Carl Lewis, Michael Johnson, Michael Phelps, Mary Lou Retton, the 1980 hockey team.
Thanks, Cianni. Good points right back atcha.cianni said:RGirl good points. I just spent time with a personal friend of Michelles. Spends time with her, skates with her knows family. I was told What you see on TV is what she is like in real life. She is nice, caring and down to earth. Some do know some things. I agree there is a lot of back and forth about her and you are right most dont know squat. She has earned respect by her behavior on and off the ice. Like it or not she is the face of Ice Skating again due in part to her behavior and attitude along with how she handles victory and defeat. Compare other skaters and their reaction to winning and losing.
So what. It's an open forum. You could post in the SashaForum only, and be happy instead of being miserable in an open forum.Red Dog said:because certain fans seem to like to think she has no flaws, can do no wrong, and- my pet peeve- anyone who doesn't agree with them is full of it, selfish, etc. Does that answer the question?
Is that not their perogrative? Is that worse than hiding your favorite which everone knows anyway?Actually, many of the very same fans who were saying MK was a class act, etc. were the first ones to jump on Cohen after that Katie Couric "interview".
Obviously others did. You are not the only one with opinions.Fine then. Fair enough. However, I didn't see anything in the original post that was TRULY hateful. It was a simple question. JMO
Red Dog said:I see this board as a general figure skating board with a lot of Kwan fans. Nothing wrong with that, but I think the issue many of us non-fans are taking is that sometimes it feels like MKF over here the way some posters gush and lay into others who don't share their opinion. Notice that the issue is NOT that there are too many Kwan fans. The issue is that there are too many fans WHO BASH other skaters and posters. Most of them happen to be Kwan fans, it seems (correct me if I'm wrong).
I used to think one of the things that would separate a "general" board like GS from a fan-specific board is that while there were fans of all kinds, you wouldn't get bashed for having a different opinion. Sadly, I was wrong.
We can't do anything about the board demographics without banning a bunch of people, but I really think the line that defines bashing other posters should be drawn more clearly and enforced more. JMHO.
Joe- you seem like you're still bent on me liking Sasha. That's OK, you think what you want to think. But I really think that's just a retort for you to make whenever you don't agree with me. That's fine, but at least attack my point, rather than drawing such wild conclusions. I'd personally appreciate it, and I'm sure RG would, too.
People wanted to blow me off when I said initially that there was a Great Divide between Kwanfans and nonfans, and tried in vain to make "amends". The actions taken in this thread and other threads since MK's withdrawal prove my point even more.
My half-dollar in this "thread".
on MKF your are not allowed to say negative things about other posters or skaters.
Michelle will be fine, but her fans are going to have to start drinking more green tea and learn to calm down when it comes to Michelle. Michelle is a strong, beautiful, tallented young woman and can take care of herself.
Red Dog said:ITA...and this could apply to the Cohen fans and Slutskaya fans as well.
I have to agree with this. I just spoke with someone yesterday that knows Michelle well and said he got a phone call from her the other day. I asked him how she was and mentioned how I wish she could have been able to skate at the Olympics. He said it would have been nice to see Michelle skate, but that she needs to heal her injury . He also said that Michelle and her family are the nicest people you would want to know.I just spent time with a personal friend of Michelles. Spends time with her, skates with her knows family. I was told What you see on TV is what she is like in real life. She is nice, caring and down to earth.
Piel said:Kwan has more fans at this time . So it's only natural that even a general board will have more Kwan fans as members. Kwan fans don't idolize her any more than Sasha and Irina fans do their favs. Because there are a greater number of Kwan fans there is going to be a "piling on" of pro Kwan whatever. What is GS supposed to do limit the number of fans of each skater so that each skater is represented equally? Or limit the number of comments per thread that support a certain skater? Maybe Paula will limit the number of Kwan fans that can be logged on at any certain time? I can see it now ..."Sorry Golden Skate has reached it's Kwan Quota for this time. Please try logging in again in a few minutes." ProSashas and proIrinas (for example) can be just as annoying as proKwans there just seems to be less of them on GS at this time. I'm sure if Kwan retires and Sasha keeps winning the numbers will shift. IMO during the past six months GS has become less Kwanfan friendly. Joe and Mathman used to to be hardcore Kwan fans and I think both have become more supportive of other skaters. I see them trying as mods to be less pro any one skater. It is not fair for fans of skaters other than Kwan to expect Kwan's fans to tone down their support of her or to not post anything less than glowing about other skaters. First of all why should we have to temper our opinions just because therre are more of us...that's just silly. And second to do that IMO would be insulting to those who are not fans of Kwans. kind of like "oh we must not make those fragile nonKwans feel overwhelmed by all of the Kwan love" or "must not say anything negative about Sasha (example) don't want her fans to be upset". Again just palin silly.