Davis and White to sit out 2014-15 season

makaihime · Jun 6, 2014

VirMo said:
I feel like they should have thought this through and and a decision before Sochi and announced it. I feel like athletes who announce their retirement kinda falls into a limbo state and ends up not getting the respect and attention they deserve when they actually retire. Yuna Kim also was dragging after winning OGM and constantly mentioned how she suffered from lack of motivation, and that she only decided to go to Sochi to not only give her coaches and her fellow Korean skaters Olympic experience but to put a nice end to her career, thus gold was not necessarily important but participation itself mattered. I was surprised and awed that Yuna actually held up against competition. I hope the two ice dance couples and Mao and other skaters can be able to do the same so that we fans can send the off properly.

Most athletes make the decision based on their last performance and how they feel afterwards. Attention and respect? D/W are the OGM and 3 time Olympic medalists, they already have all the respect in the world. And lets face it, Yuna most likely had outside influences besides her own feelings when she decided to come back for Sochi. :rolleye:

As for Mao, if her winning the WC in front of a home crowd of 18,000 people isn't considered a proper send-off, then I don't what is. I'm sure many of her fans knew that this could very well be her last competitive skate and was prepared for it.

snowflakebeautiful · Jun 6, 2014

Coltrocks12 said:
A second article that I read about Meryl/Charlie says that Tessa/Scott have yet to decide/announce on 2014-15 yet. I kinda hope they skate so that they can win the GPF since that is the one thing missing on their resume.

I'd love to see both of them compete again, but I have zero expectations that they will.

I do have this wonder though if maybe Tessa and Scott may come back for a season....maybe not 2014/2015, but sometime after that? They seemed so ready to retire going into Sochi, but then post-Sochi I feel like as time goes on they seem less and less sure about that (when they speak in interviews)...

figureskateobasan · Jun 6, 2014

next season will be very different..

Olympia · Jun 7, 2014

I'm sad but feel that this is the best choice for Meryl and Charlie. They have worked unceasingly for more than half their lives, and they're not teenagers. It's time for them to experience other things, and also for them to enjoy the fruits of their labors, such as TV appearances and more glamorous events, both skating and non-skating.

buttermilk · Jun 7, 2014

I feel like athletes who announce their retirement kinda falls into a limbo state and ends up not getting the respect and attention they deserve when they actually retire.

D/W have not technically retired. They still intend to continue skating. In the old days, they would have announced at this point that they are going "pro" there just isn't such a thing as "pro" anymore. These days, skaters spend four years after their Olympic swan song pretending that they might go back to competition at any time so they can continue to get attention and endorsements.

Like Johnny Weir and Evan Lysacek, they'll probably do a whole lot of interviews in 2017 hinting that they are gearing up for the Olympics...It won't happen, but the attention will get them some good Coke, Visa and Ralph Lauren endorsements at the 2018 games.

iluvtodd · Jun 7, 2014

slider11 said:
Perfect! Really I love them but this is the right thing. Enjoy your success, explore other options, breathe...

:agree:

MarySNJ · Jun 7, 2014

buttermilk said:
D/W have not technically retired. They still intend to continue skating. In the old days, they would have announced at this point that they are going "pro" there just isn't such a thing as "pro" anymore. These days, skaters spend four years after their Olympic swan song pretending that they might go back to competition at any time so they can continue to get attention and endorsements.

Like Johnny Weir and Evan Lysacek, they'll probably do a whole lot of interviews in 2017 hinting that they are gearing up for the Olympics...It won't happen, but the attention will get them some good Coke, Visa and Ralph Lauren endorsements at the 2018 games.

I think you're right. It's too bad that these amazing athletes have to play that game in order to keep their endorsement deals, but it seems like marketers are fickle "what have you done for me lately" types. More power to Meryl and Charlie. I'd buy what they are selling... in fact I'm still hunting down the PUFFs Softpacks but have yet to find them.

SarahSynchro · Jun 7, 2014

I'm curious, is the amount of funding a skater/pair team/dance team receives from a sponser ever made public? I suspect they do quite well, not to say that it isn't well deserved considering all the money, time and effort put in throughout a skating career in order to get to the top.

dorispulaski · Jun 7, 2014

I am very interested to find out what projects they plan for the fall season. The Disson shows were already planned before Sochi. During Sochi interviews, they were talking about taking a full course load in the fall; so I am hoping we'll see some unexpected programs.

Crystallize · Jun 7, 2014

They completely deserve their break. I wasn't expecting them to return anyway, but it would be awesome if they did. I don't think I'm quite ready to let them go. But I'm that way with a lot of skaters. :laugh:

ice coverage · Jun 8, 2014

buttermilk said:
... These days, skaters spend four years after their Olympic swan song pretending that they might go back to competition at any time so they can continue to get attention and endorsements.

Like Johnny Weir and Evan Lysacek, they'll probably do a whole lot of interviews in 2017 hinting that they are gearing up for the Olympics...It won't happen, but the attention will get them some good Coke, Visa and Ralph Lauren endorsements at the 2018 games.

I do not think that Weir and Lysacek were pretending. Each of them was very emotional -- to the point of barely being able to speak -- when making the final announcement that his pursuit of Sochi had ended.

MarySNJ said:
... It's too bad that these amazing athletes have to play that game in order to keep their endorsement deals, but it seems like marketers are fickle "what have you done for me lately" types. ...

Not always true, based on Sochi 2014 marketing campaigns of certain brands -- which featured past Olympians such as Michelle Kwan, Kristi Yamaguchi, and Picabo Street (to name just a few examples off the top of my head).

In fact, I remember a number of pre-Sochi complaints on GS that the corporate $$ would have been better spent on sponsoring 2014 hopefuls -- the reasoning being that Olympic stars of the past don't need the funding (plus "the rich get richer" argument).

I give Davis/White the benefit of the doubt that they just do not want to make a premature decision and that they really have not ruled out the possibility of competing again down the road. I do not think that they are pretending either.

dorispulaski said:
I am very interested to find out what projects they plan for the fall season. The Disson shows were already planned before Sochi. During Sochi interviews, they were talking about taking a full course load in the fall; so I am hoping we'll see some unexpected programs.

Davis recently tweeted that D/W look forward to mentoring more kids via Classroom Champs. Like the Disson shows, obviously not a full-time endeavor. But admirable that they will continue giving back.

Tompson · Jun 8, 2014

To be henost, I always prefered V/M to D/W tgh, They deserved it, One of the great.

slider11 · Jun 8, 2014

I think Davis and White have so many other options to explore - their sponsorships and all the entrepreneurial avenues they could take them, the ice shows and other sanctioned events, their charitable endeavors, and a big one for them - finishing college. I think Stars on Ice must be delighted with D/W and hope they choose to return next year. I don't think SOI saw the kind of interest they realized this year for some time. And maybe Meryl will explore "dancing on the floor" with Maks as she clearly showed a great talent and they a great chemistry. D/W are the most multi-dimensional skaters since Michelle Kwan. The nice thing is that they can explore all they want for a year or two and then decide if there's still a place for them in competitive ice dancing. As they push towards 30 I would doubt this will happen but you never know. I'm not seeing any couple who has a firm hold on the next 4 years.

TontoK · Jun 9, 2014

slider11, I think your "many other options to explore" comment has great validity.

They have set a new standard for US Ice Dance... there's really not much left to prove. I suppose they might consider the lure of history, a run at a second OGM.

But, considering the new things they can pursue and achieve off the ice, would they really want to return to the daily grind, month upon month, year upon year, that is required to reach the highest levels of the sport and stand atop the podium?

I just don't see them doing that. Of course, they've been training mates with Scott/Tessa, who DID go for the second gold. So, they've got some idea of the tradeoffs that were made. They'll at least make the decision with eyes wide open.

NYscorp6 · Jun 9, 2014

While their decision does not surprise me, I must say that I will miss the anticipation of the their new programs & music choices, etc...
Meryl and Charlie have filled a void for me that has been missing without the presence of a US lady star or man for that matter over the last several years.
They certainly showed up to every competition extremely well trained and totally prepared.
Their Olympic Gold Medal was well deserved, so I guess they also deserve and have earned a break.
I do hope they return to competition in the future.
Good job Meryl & Charlie, well done!

noskates · Jun 9, 2014

From what I can remember from various articles, etc. I think Charlie and Meryl are both committed to completing their educations. Obviously they took last year off from college to prepare for the Olympics. I wouldn't be at all surprised if they're enrolled in school very soon.

CARA · Jun 9, 2014

noskates said:
From what I can remember from various articles, etc. I think Charlie and Meryl are both committed to completing their educations. Obviously they took last year off from college to prepare for the Olympics. I wouldn't be at all surprised if they're enrolled in school very soon.

I believe the initial plan was to enroll in college full time this fall but that plan was modified. It turned out they would be much busier than they anticipated (this came out after they started DWTS and with rising popularity came more opportunities and offers). M&C both confirmed that they would enroll in online courses.

I agree that both of them appear to take their education seriously; it just it may take it longer than they anticipated. In any way, if they could cash in the fruit of their hard labor, more power to them.

BTW, such opportunities appear to involve a possible Meryl and Maks dancing together, again, as per Maks' publicist, Lizzie Grubman: https://twitter.com/LizzieGrubman/status/475935284849172480

Regardless of how some people at this board feel about Maks, M&M's dancing was spectacular. :clap:

I, for one, sure would like to see them dancing together, again. :love:

Icey · Jun 10, 2014

This kind of loss of momentum imo most likely means their competitive days are behind them.

caitie · Jun 10, 2014

Yeah, I've never expected to see them compete again. I see them moving on with their lives.

And on that note... Charlie proposed to Tanith on their Hawaiian getaway (as many people expected, I think) and she said yes. Here's his instagram post about it: http://instagram.com/p/pE5DBmMT-3/

Congrats to both of them!

TontoK · Jun 11, 2014

CARA said:
BTW, such opportunities appear to involve a possible Meryl and Maks dancing together, again, as per Maks' publicist, Lizzie Grubman: https://twitter.com/LizzieGrubman/status/475935284849172480

This lady is a professional publicist? I understand that we live in a shorthand/twitter/text world, but I'd think basic grammar skills would be important in her line of work.

The twitter link you provided looks juvenile and unprofessional. In the highly unlikely event that I need a publicist, I'm not hiring her.

Davis and White to sit out 2014-15 season

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