Reasons for Michelle Kwan to Retire | Page 3 | Golden Skate

Reasons for Michelle Kwan to Retire

M

maxell1313

Guest
Re: Behold the Power of Michelle

<blockquote><strong><em>Quote:</em></strong><hr>Her programs (with the exception of her straight-line footwork)all look the same to me only the costumes and the music seem to change - do something new!![/quote]

For the LP, I might agree with that assessment to a point, but I disagree when it comes to the SP. "The Feeling Begins" was, to me, something very different from Michelle. More power and attitude. Someone else called it "menacingly sexy" on another board. I think she finally got the message that she didn't have to be a polite princess during her performances, just OFF the ice. ;) :lol:
 
N

nubka

Guest
Re: SKater's programs

Good points, <span style="text-decoration:underline">but it's still refreshing sometimes to see something really different from our favorites</span>. I think that's why I liked Irina's "Cowgirl" program so well. Of course, she would never do that program in competition, but it was great to at least see it as a exhibition program.

All skaters have their trademark moves that we come to expect, but if I want to see the same old thing <span style="text-decoration:underline">everytime</span>, I can just pop in one of my videos! :)
 
T

THIZfiyaVIETgrl

Guest
Re: SKater's programs

What would you call MK's more upbeat SPs "Romanza", "A Day in the Life" and "Rush"? They aren't exactly the same ol' same ol'. One could make an argument for "Miraculous Mandarin" as well b/c it was so out there that not many ppl got it.

If you're talking about exhibitions, then MK did a couple of specials to more upbeat generic pop music.

Edited to Add: I agree Maxell..a Russian judge called her performance from SA "Orgasmic". That doesn't sound like the same ol' same ol' to me.
 
F

fredonia

Guest
Re: Behold the Power of Michelle

if people want michelle to retire so they can win, how about compete against michelle and they can beat her fair and square it will mean more...other than that the win will be meaningless...if you can still win and you have the ambition to skate why not do it. no one likes to be told what to do, it you people were skaters, you wouldn't like it either...so don't go there..you are just jealous and hating :rollin: <img src=http://www.ezboard.com/intl/aenglish/images/emoticons/ohwell.gif ALT=":\"> ;)
 
S

Shallah.K

Guest
REasons Michelle should retire

{all joking as I am a Kwan fan who wants to see her skating as long as she herself is willing)

She wins too often, stop hogging the medals!
She looses too often look at the olympics, she is obviously washed up.
She is too old decrepit crone of the ice (never mind that Sokolova, Liashenko, Jen Robinson, Irina Slutskaya are all older)
Her programs all too happy a la Lyra Angelica - do something different!

Her programs are all too depressing a la The Red Violin - do something different!

Her programs are all to strange and unique a la Miraculous Mandarin, The Red Violin, Ariane - do something more main stream, more familiar

Her programs are all to main stream, more familiar - Aranjuez, Carmen , Sheherezade. Do something out of the ordinary!

Or just go here and print out this generic multiple choice form and check the boxes that apply to why Michelle should stop skating:
isuparody.tripod.com/paro...ntpost.htm
 
L

Ladskater

Guest
Re: Reasons for Michelle Kwan to Retire

I think Michelle will hang around until the Olympics in 2006. After all, her big goal has been to garner the Olympic Gold medal. She has enough World titles to add to her resume. I think she might have moved on had she won the Olympic title in Salt Lake City. The question will be - will she be able to keep up with the youngsters bursting on the scene? Jennifer Robinson is asking herself the same question. Figure skating is not a "forgiving" sport when it comes to age. I know Michelle is not ready for her old age pension! But it does not take long in the skating world to lose ones agility. The body can only take so much. That is why so many of them do move on. The competative life is not an easy one.

Ladskater
 
K

kwansong999

Guest
Re: Reasons for Michelle Kwan to Retire

Ladskater, you make a good point. That's why i think she is investing now in a good off-ice trainer full-on. All skaters have them, i assume, but MK really turned her work/jump schedule around to strenghten her core first before trying for the harder jumps, so this way less chance for injury and longer career.
 
E

engrsktr

Guest
Re: Reasons for Michelle Kwan to Retire

I heartily disagree..... you definitely will NOT lose your TRUE skating fan base when michelle leaves.... can you imagine if sports relied on "fair-weather" fans for their existence?? There would be no sport left! All those peggy fleming fans - did they all go away and leave the sport "fanless"?? of course not. when kristi retired, did all the fans leave? of course not. with michelle it will be no different.
sure she may have increased the number of people that watch and buy magazines.... but the people of which you speak are those interested in the person and not necessarily the sport itself.
so my point is this - when michelle leaves, those who have been fans in the past will continue to be so.... they stay not simply because they like the personalities but because they like the SPORT. This is the TRUE FAN BASE of skating. that's why is has continued to exist.
sure personalities have to do with selling to larger audiences, but it's not always about the numbers is it? just because a sport isn't televised enough or have enough competitions doesn't make it any less enjoyable to those who really like it for what it is, does it?
and who's to say that a lot of the fans that came around BECAUSE of michelle won't stay because they end up really liking the sport???
And perhaps some of her fans will go on to find other skaters that still pique their interest??
I am a skater and fan who truly loves the SKATING.... to me, michelle is not the beginning or the end of skating... skaters will come and go... and in the end it's about the sport.....
 
S

Skate Sandee

Guest
Re: Reasons for Michelle Kwan to Retire

I concur. I consider myself a die-hard Kwan fan. But I will not abandon skating when she retires. I tend to drift until a skater hooks me with that special "something". I was a little lost during the post-Kristi years, before I found Michelle. Now I feel that connection with Jenny Kirk. When Michelle retires, there are likely to be future skaters that will find a way into my heart. Admitedly not as much as Michelle has - for me anyway. But I almost look forward to making that connection with a new, young talented skater.

That said - I don't think it's important what ANYONE thinks about Michelle retiring EXCEPT Michelle.
 
K

kwansong999

Guest
Re: Reasons for Michelle Kwan to Retire

engrsktr, there wont be any sport for you to enjoy watching if all the 'fair-weather' Kwan fans leave. Surprise surprise, if ratings go down, so will the amount of broadcasts.. and unless you plan on flying to every single competition, there will be a huge decrease in the availability of the sport broadcasted and you wont see them.

Those 'true fans' watch from home as well but if its not on the tv, then no one will see them. What we have learned from this: Its too bad the Kween and her fans control the skating world, doesnt it? :rollin: :rollin: :rollin: :rollin: Face it, when Kwan goes, ratings will as well. Its common sense. And if the shows arent broadcat how will ice skating gain more viewers and fans during such a turbulent time that ice skating is going through currently? Answer, it wont.
 
E

engrsktr

Guest
Re: Reasons for Michelle Kwan to Retire

that's very short-sighted....
like I said before (I hope you read it completely), ratings and televised events aren't everything in skating.
a true fan can get just as excited watching skating at the local competition as they do watching the national championships on television. I think there will always be enough fans for olympic and world broadcasts...
I don't need to always watch skating on television to enjoy it.
I'm not that limited.
just think though that perhaps if it is less televised, more people might actually ATTEND the compeitions....
I read somewhere that attendance was down.... well... perhaps less televising and a reduction in actual events will be better for attendance records...
and then there will appear another skater who commands the attention of the world... I know it's hard to imagine for you but it could be possible....??
 
K

kwansong999

Guest
Re: Reasons for Michelle Kwan to Retire

Local competitions? <img src=http://www.ezboard.com/intl/aenglish/images/emoticons/ohwell.gif ALT=":\"> Im not shlepping up to Lake Placid or to another remote area every few years when i have the opportunity to go see an event. I like having a full season with skating. Maybe you can make it to all the lesser-known events, but my college status prevents me from doing so, as many others as well. The tv was invented for a reason.

And yes it did read your post, but you wound up repeating yourself anyway.

"ratings and televised events aren't everything in skating"... somehow i dont think ABC and the ISU agree with you.

The ladies LP at SLC was the second-most watched event all year, only the Super Bowl beat it. Michelle means skating, skating means viewership, Viewership means money and money is what the networks, USFSA, ISU, IOC etc all want.

One always enjoys a competiton more if they are emotionally involved. (example: "the favorite" "the underdog")

I dont consider myself limited either and ive seen my share of live and televised competitons. Your point?
 
A

ApacheApache

Guest
Re: Reasons for Michelle Kwan to Retire

Engrsktr, I agree, true skating fans will not leave if Michelle quits. I wouldn't quit watching tennis if my favourites Agassi and Seles were no longer in the scene because I love the sport too much.

Now as for skating, I'm never a fan I pay attention to it solely for Michelle. If Michelle leaves, naturally I leave too. I don't represent a big portion of the fans out there. Nevertheless, there are fans like me. And certainly they are those who are fans of Michelle and skating but they are not true skating fans. Again, they may leave and pay less attention to the sport if Michelle leaves. You make a very good point that ratings and stuff aren't everything in skating but they are important elements to every sport. They can affect a sport directly and indirectly in certain ways. It really is up to an individual how he/she sees it. To you it's no big deal, true skating fans are always there and it doesn't matter if they fill up only half of the arena (just an example). To some, "shucks, this sport is getting pathetic".
 
S

sarahmistral

Guest
Reasons for Michelle Kwan to Retire

I think that the quality of MK2K3's skating is something I'd like to see around through 2K4, 2K5, 2K....6??? Frankly, right now her skating is peerless, unbeatable, the best, most inspired, most genuine stuff of her career, as far as i'm concerned, and, being someone who loves to play to win, why not use the fact that you're producing your best stuff to add more medals to your collection, maybe even have a real shot at the one that eluded you? It has to be with her best skating, though, use the new, improved fire to compete with the field, which, by the way, will be, I think, closer to Michelle's presentation by 2006 (what a treat for fans of great performances by everybody!); I still give the old gal a chance, should she keep on skating like she did this year. She reminds me of Andre Agassi (finding his best later on) and of Michael Jordan (consistently tough to beat for a very long time). On that note, I think she should retire when she wants to and, given how demanding she is of herself, that will probably be when she sees herself becoming the Michael Jordan of recent years, his best game behind him. The difference, and the only point of discussion, if you ask me, beyond ratings and the sport's popularity, is the quality of her skating, which will be the determining factor in making someone as demanding of herself as Michelle is want to stay in or get out.
 
L

Ladskater

Guest
Re: Reasons for Michelle Kwan to Retire

engrsktr:

Just think of all the great skating I would have missed had I quit skating or watching skating after Karen Magnussen retired! Figure skating is not dependent on one skater. It's always exciting to see who the next "whiz kid" is coming up. Michelle has been on the scene for quite sometime and would surely be missed once she retires, but that's the "name of the game." One day she will leave the competative scene. There will be a new "Michelle" waiting in the wings to take her place. Okay for the Kwaniacs - no one can take her place. Anyway, enjoy her skating now.

Ladskater
 
K

kwansong999

Guest
Re: Reasons for Michelle Kwan to Retire

Ladskater, engrsktr:

I am not saying that figure skating will not exist if Michelle retires. Im just simply saying that when she leaves, ratings will go down. Thats why networks have contracts with her, Alexei, etc. They rake in more viewers and the networks want that.

Yes, skating will continue but before they find the "next Michelle" to fill her skates, it might be a few seasons and the ratings/broadcats will probably go down.
 
J

Joesitz

Guest
Re: Reasons for Michelle Kwan to Retire

If MK were to retire, I still would hang around but not with as much enthusiasm until I spotted a similar talent I remember back in 1994.

There are many excellent skaters at the top tier right now, and after watching Jr. Worlds, there are many 2nd tier skaters who are "looking good".

Not just Ladies, I remember praising S&Z when everyone was going after S&P and B&S. They were certainlky excellent but S&Z had that special talent that is their own. I don't see new Pairs today to match that special talent. I don't want them to retire.

The Men I like seem not to be able to develop that special talent which they have. Maybe Ilia K., Johnny W, or Stephane L., will make that special break through. (I'm actually tired of the top tier in Men's skating!).

So stay around MK until something really gets to me again.

Joe
 
R

realistic51

Guest
Different strokes for different folks

engrsktr, Ladskater-Your ideas of a "true" figure skating fan are TOTALLY out of sync with mine. TOTALLY! I neither have the time or money to go to local competitions or regional competitions. Never have been to any since my stepsister stopped competing and I joined the military.

I do agree with kwansong999. Viewership will go down when Michelle decides to retire from amateur skating. Figure skating has always been this way. It has it's ups and downs.

And I'm not a fairweather fan in any shape, form or fashion. But I see too many jumps being placed in programs, too many skaters (male and female) suffering injuries because of it, and too much "crap" going on with the ISU to stay interested in skating if and when Michelle decides to leave. Figure skating is no longer fun to watch when people frontload their programs and lose (or never have) the ability to connect with the audience. And THAT, to me, is the type of competitive figure skating I miss.:rolleyes:
 
J

Jules Asner

Guest
Re: Different strokes for different folks

I hope she sticks around to become a 3 time Olympian. Whether she wins or not it would just be cool to see her there, like it was cool to see Katarina Witt in Lillehammer. Plus, I think she'd have a ball in beautiful northern Italy.

Reason for MK to quit:

- more time to spend all her $$$millions$$$

-after seeing other girls' vast collections of silver medals, she quits out of pity
 
D

diamondqueen

Guest
Re: Reasons for Michelle Kwan to Retire

None, there is no reason for Michelle to retire, useless she is ready to do so.


diamond:D
 
Top