Dick Button, Olympic Champion

Dick Button, Olympic Champion

<strong>Here's a link to a nice photo of Dick Button, USA, the first American man to win an Olympic figure skating gold medal. He's riding in a parade given in his honor by his hometown of Englewood, New Jersey.</strong>


www.ifsmagazine.com/photodb3.html

Re: Dick Button, Olympic Champion

SkateFan4Life,
For some reason, your photo piqued my interest in Dick Button, and I find that Dick has an amazing resume, really. He was not just the crusty old commentator that we name drinking games for.

Besides first American man to win a figure skating Olympic gold medal, he is also the only American skater with 2 gold medals.

He is still the youngest man ever to win the Olympics skating gold medal (18 years, 202 days)

He invented the flying camel spin.

<a href="http://www.frogsonice.com/skateweb/pictures/historical/buttoncamel.gif" target="top">Dick Doing Flying Camel from Sandra Loosemore's site</a>He was the first to land a double axel in competition (1948 Olympics).

He was the first to land any triple jump in competition (1952 Olympics), a triple loop (No, not a toe loop. That was
Thomas Litz in 1964)

<a href="http://www.frogsonice.com/skateweb/pictures/historical/buttonloop.gif" target="top">Dicks does Triple Loop from Sandra Loosemore's Site</a>

It amazes me that he was calm enough to land a new jump like that at Olympics!! Not once but twice!! He had only done the axel for the first time a couple days before. When you think of all the other skaters that could do new jumps in practice but couldn't carry it off in competition, that is so amazing to me, that Dick did it not once, but twice, and at the Olympics, the most stressful competition of all.

He won 5 consecutive world championships (most of any US man)

For afficionadoes of the Slam, Dick is the first and only man to win US, European, World, North American and Olympic Championships in one year.

He won 7 US championships (tied with Roger Turner for most)

He has been ABC's skating color commentator since 1962.

As founder of Candid Productions, he created the following sports TV programs:
Superstars, Superteams, Battle of the network stars, World Professional Figure Skating Championships

He won an Emmy for best sports personality/analyst in 1981

He won the Sullivan Award, 1949

Dick didn't just attend Harvard. He graduated from Harvard and Harvard Law, and was admitted to the bar in Washington, DC.

Dick wrote 2 books, "Dick Button on Skates," and "Instant Skating", and contributed to another, "Edge is a Lean of the Body" with Alison Cook

Dick appeared in 2 movies "The Young Doctors," and "The Bad News Bears Go To Japan"

Dick appeared in 2 TV specials, "Hans Brinker and the Silver Skates" and "Omnibus"

Dick appeared in 2 theater presentations, "Mr. Roberts" and "South Pacific" (but I don't know what roles he played).

Dick "Has been an investor and producer on Broadway in such productions as "Sweet Sue," starring Mary Tyler M o o r e
and Lynn Redgrave; and Tom Stoppard's "Artist Descending a Staircase." · Is an authority on American furniture and decorative arts"

Dick became the national spokesman for the B r a i n I n j u r y A s s o c i a t i o n o f America, following his experiences in rehabilitation following a fall on the ice in 2000.

Dick ran in the SLC opening parade 2002.

(Info from several sites, including http://www.olympic-usa.org/athlete_profiles/d_button.html)

dpp

Re: Dick Button, Olympic Champion

Dick ran in the SLC opening parade 2002.>>

And provided the MOST ENDEARING memory for me in those Games. His complete and utter glee when coming into the stadium with that torch (and later the babbling interview he gave) is the one thing I remember most! Even my mom - who can't stand him - smiled at his obvious love of the sport.

Re: Dick Button, Olympic Champion

Doris - Your post piqued my thinking that whenever a topic about who was the whatever of all time, the replies really do not go back beyond 1980 and most of the replies are about skaters in the 90s.

The heritage of figure skating goes back at least a century and much credit to present day skating goes to Sonia and Dick.

Thaniks SkateFan

Joe

Re: Dick Button, Olympic Champion

For 50 years Button stayed there as the only male skater to have won the gold medal in his first Olympics. In 1998 the 20 years old Ilia Kulik won the Olympic gold medal in his first Olympics.

Marjaana

Re: Dick Button, Olympic Champion

Does anyone know what part Dick played in the Bad News Bears go to Japan?

I can't decide which impresses me more: Dick's Olympic records or Dick's versatility.

I even watched some of those "Supersports" show, which Dick said at the time arose out of winning some award (maybe the Sullivan?) that said he was the best overall student/athlete. Dick said he knew lots of athletes that were better than him

"Supersports" had athletes from all kinds of sports compete in events that were not part of their ordinary training to see which ones won. Some of it was very funny--seeing boxers try to swim who had never swum before.

Does anyone else remember these?

dpp

Dick Button, Olympic Champion

Doris,

Thanks for that wonderful post about the many talents and accomplishments of Dick Button.

It just hurts when I hear people making rude and ungracious remarks about Dick. He is truly an accomplished individual and truly a fine American. I don't object to finding fault or disagreeing about what he says. It's the personal attacks regarding his age and head injury which I find most offensive.

By the way, I noticed in the link of Dick doing a triple jump, how straight he looks in air. You know how he always makes that comment about skaters. At least he did practice was he preaches.

Dizzy

Re: Dick Button, Olympic Champion

Thank's Doris for the great post! Just a few of the reasons why I say National without Dick is like the Stones without Mick!

Re: Dick Button, Olympic Champion

Dizzy Di and JillLaq, You're welcome! I think Dick is a unique individual in figure skating, and has done more probably as a competitor, commentator, author and entrepreneur for the sport than anyone else I can think of, World Wide.

dpp

Re: Dick Button, Olympic Champion

dpp, you asked:
<blockquote><strong><em>Quote:</em></strong><hr>Does anyone know what part Dick played in the Bad News Bears go to Japan?[/quote]

I got curious and looked it up and guess what; he played himself. Is that type casting?

Here's the link to the Bad News Bears Go To Japan. (You might have to click on <em>more</em> to display the complete cast list.)
us.imdb.com/Credits?0077199

4dk

Re: Dick Button, Olympic Champion

Dick Button was the first skater to land a double axel, and the flying camel spin, which he invented, was known for a while as the "Button Camel".

Dick was the last American to win the European Championships
which, in his day, used to be an open competition for skaters all over the world. Guess the Europeans did not appreciate having a Yank win their title, so they closed the doors to this championship so that only skaters representing European members of the ISU could compete.

I remember Dick's emotional commentary when Tai and Randy withdrew at the 1980 Olympics. He said, "I'm not sorry because it's the United States. I'm sorry because this pair has worked for so many years to prove that they're the best in the world, and now that they have the opportunity to show the world what they can do, this has to happen to them.
What a luck of the draw -- ugh!"

Dick's skating was exhuberant, masculine, high-flying, and of high technique. He was fantastic as a skater and is still the best (in my opinion) as a commentator.

Re: Dick Button, Olympic Champion

4dog, Thanks for the link. It led to some more filmography for Dick, including the fact that he played an operating interne in the Young Doctors. He is also credited with the following:
Shock and amusement, Dick worked in a cartoon:


Tv guest appearance - Animaniacs, playing himself in "All the Words in the English Language"

Beverly Hills 90210, playing an announcer in "Fire and Ice"

Fire on Ice, Champions of American Figure Skating, playing himself

dpp

Re: Dick Button, Olympic Champion

Doris, Thanks for posting the wonderful photos of Dick Button in his competitive days! He once said (to paraphrase), "I always loved to skate outdoors. The majestic scenery always lifted my spirits and made me feel as though I was flying across the ice."

Re: Dick Button, Olympic Champion

I enjoy listening to Dick's commentary. Perhaps it's not always 'advanced' enough for real skating fans, but it's great for the general layman. I've learned a lot from him.

Thanks for posting his resume...it just proves that he's got the experience and knowledge to be the right man for the job. I don't think there's any male with as much experience in the skating world that is as eloquent as Dick in the USA. Ok, he can go on and on - he does this out of enthusiasm both negative and positive; ok, he doesn't always get it right, but who does?

Perhaps, Wylie or Boitano will step into his shoes some day. I hope they can do as credible a job.

Re: Dick Button, Olympic Champion

And Dick Button was the quintessential student-athlete. He won two Olympic gold medals, five World titles, seven US titles, and he earned a degree at Harvard University during his competitive days.

He's a shining example to all competitive skaters, in my opinion.

Re: Dick Button, Olympic Champion

I remember that episode of Animaniacs!

It's where he and Dot are commentating when Yakko has to sing a song of every word of the dictionary. It was pretty funny.