- Joined
- Jul 11, 2003
Did they bring a doctor's certificate?
Did they bring a doctor's certificate?
Did they bring a doctor's certificate?
No they didn't fail to deliver at nationals. They didn't go! They did the equivalent of phoning in sick to work! They were injured and told everyone, following procedure, that they would not be competing and then asked to be considered for the world team despite not being able to attend the competition. All procedures were followed and within the rules, they were named to the team.
Why are people finding it so hard to understand the difference??
THERE. IS. NO. DIFFERENCE.
The reasoning for wanting the bye in either case is the exact same - "hey we weren't medically sound at Nationals, don't consider just this competition when determining the World team."
There is a difference.
Belbin and Agosto basically said, "Hey, We're not able to compete just yet due to Ben's injury. Please consider our previous accomplishments and allow us a place on the World Team."
IMO, by competing, Johnny is saying that he is okay and 100% ready to compete. Asking the USFSA for a place on the World Team after his poor performances reduces him to a sore loser in my eyes.
I hope that the USFSA sticks to their guns and the top 3 get to go to Worlds, unless someone withdraws on their own accord.
I agree with you that there is a big difference between B/A's and Weir's situations, but I don't see Johnny as a sore loser. He's not a loser by any means, but I do think he made the wrong choice by competing at the Nationals. I feel he hasn't made the best decisions in his nutrition choices either upon reading the details of his diet and obviously, he made a negative consequential choice with his traveling and scheduling before the very important National Championship. Like you said, by competing at Nationals, he basically gave the federation the green light that he felt he was ready to compete when in reality, he's wasn't fit or healthy enough out there to do his very best, which he needed to do among the USA's deep field of senior men. The committee that makes the decisions of who to send to Worlds has a responsibility to make an objective, unbiased, fair decision of who will best represent the USA internationally based on the results of the US Figure Skating Championships, unless an athlete withdrew from the Nationals due to being unable to compete. The World team of Abbott, Mroz, and Lysacek is the correct choice among these circumstances, IMO.
Yes, there IS a difference between getting BEATEN in a competition and WITHDRAWING. There is a HUGE difference. Johnny was beaten by FOUR OTHER SKATERS by a minimum of 17 points, B&A withdrew before the event and petitioned for a bye.
There is a difference.
Belbin and Agosto basically said, "Hey, We're not able to compete just yet due to Ben's injury. Please consider our previous accomplishments and allow us a place on the World Team."
IMO, by competing, Johnny is saying that he is okay and 100% ready to compete.
their 'subpar' performance would have been a let down to an otherwise edge of your seat competition.
The fact is that they didn't care enough about the 2009 National Title to compete. They knew they would get a bye to Worlds and they wanted to have more recovery time.
Sometimes I have a feeling that people want to see him in a bad light and they use everything they can to support that image.
And if B&A hadn't withdrawn they probably would have had a sub-par showing just the same as Johnny did. Which is clearly WHY they withdrew. Johnny's placement at this competition doesn't matter at all (or, actually, placing 5th when he is in such poor condition could actually be seen as further testament to his ability as a skater). Johnny is the top ranked American in his field, the same as B&A, and medical circumstances should allow for a bye to Worlds (if he is healthy by then). The difference is that Johnny actually wanted to try and compete because Nationals is important to him. It wasn't important enough for B&A.
This is what's wrong with your train of thought. The act of him deciding to compete doesn't mean that at all. Quite a sweeping generalization/assumption on your part.
After his free skate Johnny was asked by Andrea Joyce whether he thinks he will be in the world team or not. Johnny answered he was not optimistic but hoped his situation (sickness) would be taken into consideration because he would be better prepared for the worlds. At that moment the final group of men hadn't skated yet.
In Medusa's quote he refers to his international results and like it or not he was the second best American man in the Grand Prix and he is the reigning world bronze medalist.
I really don't see anything egoistic or unsporstmanlike in his comments. I think his answers were classy. Sometimes I have a feeling that people want to see him in a bad light and they use everything they can to support that image.
I'm not saying that Johnny is perfect because he is not. Sometimes his comments have been inappropriate, for example in that fluff piece from last years' nationals in which he made not so nice comments of Evan. That was tacky and unsporstmanlike. However, this season he has been very classy and showed good sportsmanship. He has really matured.
Finally, I don't have a problem with the world team selection even if it reduces my interest to watch World Championships. Abbott, Mroz and Lysacek make a good world team and the USFS took Johnny's situation into consideration and named him first alternate for the team over Bradley. That was a right thing to do because Johnny is much more reliable and internationally proven skater than Ryan.