I was scared for Michelle's safety

**Antilles** · 03-28-2004, 11:58 AM

I'm glad ABC was smart enough to blank out the ad written on the guy's chest. This way he didn't get the publicity he was seeking. CBC didn't seem to think of that.

**JonnyCoop** · 03-28-2004, 12:07 PM

I don't know, seems rather ironic they would blank out the ad on the guy's chest given how much advertising was slapped on the rink barriers. What I actually thought was they blanked it out just because it was a bare torso and since the Super Bowl paranoia is running rampant in broadcasting. However, if that was the reason, that was inconsistently applied as well given that they could have also digitized Arakawa's butt.

**eyria** · 03-28-2004, 12:53 PM

The whole thing is kind of funny in retrospect. But honestly, my first thought was for Michelle's safety. As soon as I saw the guy, my mind instantly went to Monica Seles and I was just thinking, "Michelle, get off the ice, quick!"

I give her a lot of credit for being able to come back out there and skate well! If I were her, I would have been afraid there were more crazies lurking around, ready to jump right on the ice during her program!

**Joesitz** · 03-28-2004, 01:10 PM

For me, sitting there, I just thought the guy was an idiot. Sorta like the idiot who streaked at the academy awards some xeaars ago.

Joe

**Doggygirl** · 03-28-2004, 01:24 PM

Originally posted by JonnyCoop
I don't know, seems rather ironic they would blank out the ad on the guy's chest given how much advertising was slapped on the rink barriers. What I actually thought was they blanked it out just because it was a bare torso and since the Super Bowl paranoia is running rampant in broadcasting. However, if that was the reason, that was inconsistently applied as well given that they could have also digitized Arakawa's butt.

Assuming you are talking about the official company advertisements, I am sure those companies paid (as sponsors or whatever they call it in FS) for that exposure in the rink and on TV. It's a way of advertising that is common at events with large audiences, and/or even more televised events, and help offset costs and contribute to profits for the event. While this sort of advertising might be irritating at times, ticket prices would be higher if that type of advertising didn't exist.

I had a strange range of emotions about this. In this day and age of stalkers and terrorism, it was scary in terms of how it happened (security breach).

It also would have been a shame had Michelle given a sub-par perfomance, whether the guy had truly been the reason or not, and how would anyone ever know including Michelle.

I felt guilty for laughing about it for the reasons mentioned above (I knew about it long before I saw it), but since nothing bad happened to Michelle or in her performance I still laughed. It was definitely a guilty laugh though.

Very stange.

DG

**JonnyCoop** · 03-28-2004, 03:05 PM

Originally posted by Doggygirl
Assuming you are talking about the official company advertisements, I am sure those companies paid (as sponsors or whatever they call it in FS) for that exposure in the rink and on TV. It's a way of advertising that is common at events with large audiences, and/or even more televised events, and help offset costs and contribute to profits for the event. While this sort of advertising might be irritating at times, ticket prices would be higher if that type of advertising didn't exist.

DG

That's what I was referring to, yes. And I'm not saying it should have been blocked out, I was referring more to the irony of it all. However, as I mentioned in another post -- though I understand why the ads are there, that is BY FAR the most I have ever seen on the rink wall; I've never seen the entire walls COVERED like that. And I'd love to know what an Uncrustable is....:D

**amykaren** · 03-28-2004, 04:07 PM

See the ads worked-you want to know what an uncrustable is now!

BTW it is a highly overpriced pb&j sandwich-without the crust.

**amykaren** · 03-28-2004, 04:10 PM

I also want to add that I was worried about her being safe too. It's just luck that he didn't do anything. I mean he or they picked that particular time to come out and do that. Michelle had a stalker before-I remember reading that somewhere. It should not have happened at all. What a worlds for Michelle! And of course she handled it like a true champion. Aww, what a person she is!

**sarahmistral** · 03-28-2004, 04:27 PM

JonnyCoop,
I'm guessing you said it half-jokingly, but her bum did seem a bit too bare to me..I'm no prude, by any means, but it's funny that someone else noticed.
She was fabulous though...back to the topic. The guy going on the ice was absurd; as I think Jaana said, HOW does someone on skates who's obviously not in the comp get by everyone like that? Has he explained what he was doing there? They let him go, just like every other weirdo at a sporting event in Germany, or so it seems...I'm one of the biggest Monica Seles fans anywhere, and this did hit a nerve with me

I'm just glad Michelle wasn't rattled and that he didn't ruin any of a great night of skating. I LMAO when she said, "I thought it was a flower girl and then I saw..."IT'S a MAN!!!" So cute

Sarah

**JonnyCoop** · 03-28-2004, 04:50 PM

Originally posted by amykaren

BTW it is a highly overpriced pb&j sandwich-without the crust.

EEEEEEEEUWWW!!

**lovespirals** · 03-28-2004, 06:10 PM

Originally posted by sarahmistral
I LMAO when she said, "I thought it was a flower girl and then I saw..."IT'S a MAN!!!" So cute

I laughed when she said this too. Hilarious! Every once in awhile now I'll remeber "IT"S A MAN!!" and snort..

**show 42** · 03-28-2004, 07:00 PM

I think it was great that Michelle used the fan support to help raise her level of skating to the roof........glad she was safe, if anything had happen, to heck with the security guards, I am sure figure skating fans would have swarmed all over him..............42

**LarasB** · 03-29-2004, 09:31 PM

The thing I wonder about, is why he chose to do this right before Michelle skated, and how would we feel if it had affected her free program and she would not have skated as well as she did. I was very concerned for Michelle's safety when this man came on the ice.

**Jaana** · 03-30-2004, 03:07 AM

Originally posted by Panther2000
HOWEVER, that is not the point. He could have been anyone with an agenda. With what is going on in the world today, you can't just blah blah it.

Didn´t I make it clear in next sentences of my posting that something like that should not happen and that he should have been stopped by security before he got onto the ice?

I still say though that it did not look one bit that Kwan was in any danger. The guy did not have any weapons in his hands and his skating did not have the speed to catch any skater of even the lowest level. And as I mentioned in my earlier posting, he did not give Kwan any attention, he was there to get attention for himself.

Marjaana

**TRAxel** · 03-30-2004, 07:49 AM

Originally posted by Jaana
Didn´t I make it clear in next sentences of my posting that something like that should not happen and that he should have been stopped by security before he got onto the ice?

I still say though that it did not look one bit that Kwan was in any danger. The guy did not have any weapons in his hands and his skating did not have the speed to catch any skater of even the lowest level. And as I mentioned in my earlier posting, he did not give Kwan any attention, he was there to get attention for himself.

Marjaana

That still isn't the point, a gun or knive could have been stashed in hit tights, down his skate.... so what if he didn't look like a harmful person, a harmful person has no specific look...he could have easily done harm, but HEY he didn't so cool.