New Worlds Johnny Weir INTERVIEW

Kwanford Wife · Mar 17, 2006

SusanBeth said:
I am not saying there aren't some Americans like that, there are. There are some Canadians, British, French, Russians ....like that too. (I know Russians don't really want to win. They couldn't care less about medals. They would just as soon trash them as go through the bother of keeping them. )

I know Kwan lost everything when she didn't win. People wouldn't cross the street to watch her skate for free. However, there are plenty of us who think about other things. There are plenty of us who do not believe winning is everything and who do not teach our children that. My children have definitely been taught to value kindness, generosity, compassion, friendship, honest work and honest effort... There are people here with strong moral values. There always has been and always will be. We may not make a lot of noise, but we definitely are worthy of respect.

I'm talking about the culture of success and "winning is everything" mentality of this country, not individuals and personal values.

My son is a competitive soccer player & we deal with this everyday... We teach him about fair play, hard work, friendship, the importance of having fun because its just a game and those moral values that I find lacking in current society. HOWEVER, when he hits that soccer field ~ all he cares about is winning. If he's not learning it at home, where is he learning it? His actual words are: when you win, you win but when you lost, that's sucks.

You can't blame society for everything, but when you live in a country where Bill Gates is considered a rock star, I think one should at least entertain the thought that we, as a society, are obsessed with winning.

SusanBeth · Mar 17, 2006

Kwanford Wife said:
I'm talking about the culture of success and "winning is everything" mentality of this country, not individuals and personal values.

My son is a competitive soccer player & we deal with this everyday... We teach him about fair play, hard work, friendship, the importance of having fun because its just a game and those moral values that I find lacking in current society. HOWEVER, when he hits that soccer field ~ all he cares about is winning. If he's not learning it at home, where is he learning it? His actual words are: when you win, you win but when you lost, that's sucks.

You can't blame society for everything, but when you live in a country where Bill Gates is considered a rock star, I think one should at least entertain the thought that we, as a society, are obsessed with winning.

Maybe I need to explain my point of view better. There are human "failings" and there the "failings" of countries. I am offended when America is singled out as being any more rife with human failings than any other country. Is there really a country in which winning isn't nice and losing doesn't suck?

attyfan · Mar 17, 2006

antmanb said:
I think its semantics though to start distinguishing between Americans and the American Media and to whcih johnny was specifically referring...

Ant

IIRC, Johnny specifically said that the mentality was shared by the "once-every-four-year-fans", so he was including other Americans, besides the media. However, American marketers hire athletes to do endorsements or serve as celebrity spokes-persons, when those athletes are deemed by the public to have qualities that they want to have associated with their company (i.e., Sasha -- glamour; Michelle -- longevity, wholesomeness; etc.); they do not hire athletes who the public sees as "losers" and don't respect. So, the marketability of Michelle and Sasha merely shows that Americans are not as restricted as Johnny thinks that they are.

Kwanford Wife · Mar 17, 2006

SusanBeth said:
Maybe I need to explain my point of view better. There are human "failings" and there the "failings" of countries. I am offended when America is singled out as being any more rife with human failings than any other country. Is there really a country in which winning isn't nice and losing doesn't suck?

I doubt it... that's human nature, but I find it to be the obsession in America from war to kids' sports... or is that because I spend so much time around truly psychotic soccer parents? (and I mean TRULY...)

But you know what, I truly believe that sometimes losing doesn't suck... sometimes the lesson is in the losing, not the winning... but that's a whole other topic.

Zuzu · Mar 17, 2006

I think if Johnny Weir said "the sky is blue," there are people out there who would attack him for that. After all, the sky is not always blue. How could he say something so narrowminded?

Bottom line is, Johnny got A LOT of hate mail from Americans he "let down." He was a "disgrace" and an "embarrassment" to his country. And not only that, but many of the commentators were brutal as well. Scott Hamilton especially. His brilliant short program was completely forgotten because of a less-than-stellar free skate. There IS something wrong with this thinking.

I'm sure Johnny knows not every American is of this thinking. His family, friends, and tons of fans are still supporting him. And he is not stupid or an idiot or a disgrace!

I wouldn't take him so literally all the time.

And thank you Kathleen for such a wonderful interview! I only wish there were more of your beautiful pictures to go with it.

SusanBeth · Mar 17, 2006

Zuzu said:
I think if Johnny Weir said "the sky is blue," there are people out there who would attack him for that. After all, the sky is not always blue. How could he say something so narrowminded?

Bottom line is, Johnny got A LOT of hate mail from Americans he "let down." He was a "disgrace" and an "embarrassment" to his country. And not only that, but many of the commentators were brutal as well. Scott Hamilton especially. His brilliant short program was completely forgotten because of a less-than-stellar free skate. There IS something wrong with this thinking.

I'm sure Johnny knows not every American is of this thinking. His family, friends, and tons of fans are still supporting him. And he is not stupid or an idiot or a disgrace!

I wouldn't take him so literally all the time.

And thank you Kathleen for such a wonderful interview! I only wish there were more of your beautiful pictures to go with it.

I have written many, many posts defending Johnny. I love his skating, but the kid needs to learn to THINK before speaking.

Kwanford Wife · Mar 17, 2006

SusanBeth said:
I have written many, many posts defending Johnny. I love his skating, but the kid needs to learn to THINK before speaking.

SusanBeth, that's probably a lesson we could all learn... :laugh:

but I gotta admit, I love his whole attitude vs. the standard "I skated my best and I work very hard." I know my darling Michelle began this whole trend of being proper in public, but sometimes I like the brutal honesty thing...

MKFSfan · Mar 17, 2006

I have no problem with Johnny or anyone else being "brutal honest". What makes me raise my eyebrows is when the comments are rather harsh and vere on the negative side of things. These skaters are setting examples for other athletes and I just don't think it's responsible for anyone to shoot off their mouths without a care. Johnny can encourage kids to be themselves and not try to fit into a mold, but some of his comments are really out there. This was a good article!

I love the kindness and respect always shows for Michelle!

I don't think he really "dissed" Sasha, but it's kinda odd he threw a mention of her in there when not asked about her directly.

gsk8 · Mar 17, 2006

Thanks for the great read, Kathleen!

hockeyfan228 · Mar 17, 2006

Zuzu said:
Scott Hamilton especially. His brilliant short program was completely forgotten because of a less-than-stellar free skate.

Scott Hamilton did not even have a brilliant short program when he won Olympic gold. How soon they forget.

sk8addict · Mar 17, 2006

program?

So..no question as to which long program he will do at Worlds? Or if he regretted changing his long for the Olympics. Maybe Dick Button got into his head after watching the Nationals broadcast? AND low & behold Weir wasn't too small for PETA to bother. :biggrin:

Zuzu · Mar 17, 2006

Scott Hamilton did not even have a brilliant short program when he won Olympic gold. How soon they forget.

I was actually referring to Johnny's brilliant short program being forgotten so quickly, but it is an interesting point that Scott's Olympic skate was hardly stellar. Yet he had much to criticize in Johnny's free skate. And Johnny hadn't even had any Olympic experience like Scott did.

Not to take that off topic -- just to clarify my quote.

hockeyfan228 · Mar 17, 2006

Zuzu said:
I was actually referring to Johnny's brilliant short program being forgotten so quickly, but it is an interesting point that Scott's Olympic skate was hardly stellar. Yet he had much to criticize in Johnny's free skate. And Johnny hadn't even had any Olympic experience like Scott did.

Not to take that off topic -- just to clarify my quote.

I didn't mean to imply that you forgot -- I apologize for that -- I meant to imply that Scott Hamilton seems to have forgotten. I know he has to analyze in that position, but he could at least remember what it felt like not to do his best. Paul Wylie gives great commentary without the need to attack a skater's character.

Mathman · Mar 17, 2006

On the question of whether Americans, more than other people, have a "win or go home" attitude, maybe so. But we balance that by having a short attention span. I have already forgotten who won the World Series, but Go Michgan State in the NCAA basketball tournament!

MM

PS. Never mind. George Mason, 75; Michigan State, 65.

Go Gonzaga!

Joesitz (RIP) · Mar 18, 2006

The whole concept of sports is to win. All the participants dream of winning.

In figure skating, a competitor knows the field before the contest. Using common sense he knows what his chances are. After dreaming of winning, he gets real and thinks 'I'm not going to be last, I hope:think: '.

I think some Governments put pressure on their skaters to win. It's all part of that Triumph of the Will schtick.

It appears that certain Federations are in a battle for their skaters to win.

All coaches understand the sport well enough to just hope their students win.

Top skaters want to win. Failing that they want a medal.

Fans of Nationalities want as many skaters of a certain nationality to win.

I don't see the US Government worrying about figure skating wins. The rest of my outline above would apply to the US as well as all countries.

demarinis5 · Mar 18, 2006

Joesitz said:
The whole concept of sports is to win. All the participants dream of winning.

In figure skating, a competitor knows the field before the contest. Using common sense he knows what his chances are. After dreaming of winning, he gets real and thinks 'I'm not going to be last, I hope:think: '.

I think some Governments put pressure on their skaters to win. It's all part of that Triumph of the Will schtick.

It appears that certain Federations are in a battle for their skaters to win.

All coaches understand the sport well enough to just hope their students win.

Top skaters want to win. Failing that they want a medal.

Fans of Nationalities want as many skaters of a certain nationality to win.

I don't see the US Government worrying about figure skating wins. The rest of my outline above would apply to the US as well as all countries.

Good post and I agree. Figure skating is a competitve sport and the participants have to take the good with the bad. Some of the negatives are disagreeable to skaters but that's the way it is in sport.

Dee4707 · Mar 18, 2006

Johnny Weir said:
My only what I would call regret is the now infamous bus comment.

What was the bus comment? Anyone know??

Dee

76olympics · Mar 18, 2006

Johnny said that he arrived late to the venue for the long program because they had changed the bus schedule and he missed the bus. This disoriented him and caused damage to his "aura" which didn't help him feel good before his program. I still don't feel bad for being exasperated with him about the bus thing. I have been 21 and dependent on buses to get to my classes and exams and I managed to do it. I don't think that is being too hard on him; unlike world class figure skating , I have a wearisome acquaintance with bus schedules and their vagaries. You need to get there early enough so that missing one bus won't wreck you.

Johnny, I can be totally impressed with your talent, creativity, and undoubted hard work on the ice and still feel :no: about the bus thing. I would rather eat glass than send an idiotic, negative e-mail like some of those people did,but I am glad that Johnny realizes the bus thing was something within his control now.

(I am guessing that most of those negative people were trolls anyway and young, silly ones at that who really don't like figure skating . They just jumped on a media moment. I hope Johnny ignores them in the future.)

Dee4707 · Mar 19, 2006

Thanks 76olympics, now I remember. :laugh:

Dee

Joesitz (RIP) · Mar 19, 2006

Johnny Weir is a trip and a half. He is also a damn good figure skater. That's how I feel about Johnny and I think many thousands of others do too.

Joe

New Worlds Johnny Weir INTERVIEW

Kwanford Wife

SusanBeth

attyfan

Custom Title

Kwanford Wife

Zuzu

SusanBeth

Kwanford Wife

MKFSfan

gsk8

hockeyfan228

sk8addict

Zuzu

hockeyfan228

Mathman

Joesitz (RIP)

demarinis5

Gold for the Winter Prince!

Dee4707

Ice Is Slippery - Alexie Yagudin

76olympics

Dee4707

Ice Is Slippery - Alexie Yagudin

Joesitz (RIP)

Similar threads

Connect with us