I'm with Brian that I enjoy watching young women skating more than little girls. There is a level of interpretation that just isn't there yet. That will come in time.
ICE: Final question: how would you like to be remembered?
BB: As a person who contributed to the sport and as someone who had great passion.
I will always think of him as having great passion.
Michelle fans? What do Michelle fans have to do with anything?Originally Posted by bekalc
I hear mainly from Michelle fans, since Tara won worlds... Complaining about the youth movement... Maybe it's better know because Michelle is gone. But a lot of them were the ones complaining about the baby ballerina's. And it was pretty much a hypocrisy. Seeing as nobody benefited from the youth movement better than Michelle (except for Tara.. and poor Tara I think was really lambasted because she was the second one.)
Did we ever hear Brian complain about the young jumping beans when Michelle was 14/15? Why as it okay for Michelle but not for the other youngsters now. Heck poor Mao and Yu-na weren't allowed to compete at Worlds and Olympics when they were Michelle's age. 15.
And I don't blame Michelle for this because it's never been her. I remember Nicole Bobek complained about Michelle. But Michelle never complained about them herself, and even said once that she was a "jumping bean." It's been some of "not all" but some of her fans.
Michelle is one of Caroline's mentor's, isn't she? It's good to know she is giving back in her own way.
And MM - I think where Michelle fit into the equation was when I brought up that Brian is complaining about the young girls (ie youth movement) that are winning US nationals right now... considering he was head over heels for Michelle from day one I find it really hypocritical. I was not meaning for people to take that as a way to get back into the MK vs Tara debate... or a fandom debate, but it happened anyway lol
Last edited by Tonichelle; 06-28-2008 at 10:17 PM.
Bekalc - I never heard of a youth movement. It sounds like we should retire skaters at 16. Is that correct?
As for Michelle, I am a big fan of MK and many of us have never understood the dropping of Frank C just a few weeks before the Olys. There have been umpteen speculations, but nothing factual. I'm still awaiting the TRUE story. Please anyone, no specs.
As for Tara. I couldn't stand her no edges. She was not on rollers anymore and had trouble adapting to the iceblade edges. The tricks were easy. Roller Skaters do not have trouble with the tricks but do have with the edging.
All this in the far past now. I'm not sure what young skaters have to do with this. Both MK and TL were teenyboppers at the time.
Last edited by Joesitz; 06-28-2008 at 10:15 PM.
Of course I don't think people should retire at 16. I was talking about fans who were complaining about the youngsters who were coming up and trying to take Michelle's medals. Tara got it, Sarah got it, Sasha got it, and on and on it went.
I personally don't care how old the skaters were but I'm just saying that the complaints about the young ones winning started after Tara won. And it wasn't fair because both were babies.
I'm not interested in any skater less than 16 except to say there is talent there. Can you imagine a teenbopper skating to R. Strauss and interpreting Salome? She'd be banned as well as laughed at because of.her age. Nothing wrong with 14-16 age skaters but they don't really know about life yet. Why the rush? Tara won, and I think she deserved it. She had the most tricks regardless of her edges and gave a great bubblegum performance. To quote someone: She was on a sugar high.
And Michelle, Irina and Sasha never got it (the medal). So what? I don't think fans make a switch because their favorite didn't win.
Tara Lipinski? 1997 Worlds? That was 11 years ago. Isn't it time to let that pro-Kwan, anti-Kwan stuff go?
This thread has taken kind of a retro turn, if you ask me. Oh well.
Just when you think it's safe to go back on the Internet skating boards.
Last edited by Mathman; 06-28-2008 at 11:13 PM.
I was rooting for Michelle back then... I didn't even like Tara...So I'm not angry. I did get annoyed though when Kwan fans attacked every single young skater that would come up, and then criticize the current young skaters. And all figure skating is for the babies etc like Botiono is doing. This sport has always been dominated by young stars.Tara Lipinski? 1997 Worlds? That was 11 years ago. Isn't it time to let that pro-Kwan, anti-Kwan stuff go?
This thread has taken kind of a retro turn, if you ask me. Oh well.
Michelle fans are not the only ones that got/get upset with the age thing.
I know but they were some of the largest voices. Besides I'd really like me to name a skater who WASN'T a teenage star... Maybe Kerrigan?
well they weren't on this thread complaining... I guess that's all anyone is trying to get at. most have moved on
as for teen stars - Kristi Yamaguchi was in her 20s when she won her big titles, wasn't she? Maria Butyrskaya... Debi Thomas, Jill Trenary... I think? Tonya Harding (or was she making waves as a teen, too?)
all I'm sure made themselves known as teens, but I think where Boitano was going was they were all getting in and then getting right out (and if that WAS his main point then Michelle doesn't fit entirely, but he can't predict the future as to when Caroline and Mirai will leave the sport... Sasha Cohen was/is a baby ballerina and she was in her 20s before she went pro/semi pro)
I read Brian's comments again to see if I could get a clear understanding of where he is going with all this. The reporter says he/she finally managed to catch up with Brian as he was dashing about with a busy schedule, so his remarks might just be spur-of-the-moment stuff.
All women were once girls. Like you say (Toni), I don't think Brian was complaining about skaters like Michelle and Sasha who started out as precocious kids and developed into mature artists. And on the other hand, many of the young skaters who left the sport early were forced out by injury, so it is hardly their fault.
But I agree that Brian is trying to have it both ways. Today he is complaining that the ladies who stay in competition into their twenties don't really have a chance against the next wave of jumping beans, especially under CoP judging.
However, he has been critical in the past about skaters (especially his good friend Michelle) who stayed in instead of going pro to keep the professional shows and competitions alive.
On a less contentious note, I got a kick out of Brian's reminiscing about the last few Ice Wars competitions where the old war horses, Brian and Kristi, had to pump each other up to go out there for one last hurrah.
I think the biggest difference between Michelle winning at 15 and Tara at 15 (and several other current young teens) was that at 15, Michelle skated like a woman, like a mature artist, while Tara still skated like a child. Many skaters today who are in their late teens/ early 20s STILL don't skate with the maturity Michelle possessed at 15.
Indeed!
And before Tara, there was Oksana, the two foot landing girl. Big smile though.
When you think of it, none of the gals before Oksana (Sjoukje, Peggy, Dorothy, Beatrix, Annette, Katrina, Kristy skated as little girls but did skate, however good or badly as Ladies).
Last edited by Joesitz; 06-29-2008 at 07:31 PM.
Posting Permissions
Bookmarks