ISU warns skaters against supporting WSF

ISU warns skaters against supporting WSF

story.news.yahoo.com/news...on_usfsa_2


ISU = Intentionally Stupid Union

Re: ISU warns skaters against supporting WSF

According to Paul Wylie who was staying at my hotel, the WSF is in existence. Who joins is up to the judges, federations, skaters, etc. We just have to wait and see.

Joe

Re: ISU warns skaters against supporting WSF

I was wondering who was going to fire the first salvo. I think the ISU made a grave error by acknowledging the WSF ( which I wholeheartedly support, btw) now they have given them legitimacy among the skating world. If they had wanted them not to be noticed they should have kept thier mouth shut. I am afraid we are looking at the beginning of a very ugly battle over control over the FS world. Let's just hope that Speedy keeps that gun pointed at his foot.

Three Cheers for the WSF Pioneers!

Good things are hard to come by and worth fighting for. The WSF will take over figure skating, not doubt about it.

Re: ISU warns skaters against supporting WSF

Well, all I can say is what a "democratic" approach to solve a problem.

The time to do something about the tyrant is NOW!

Now is the time to write the commercial sponsors of the respective federations and the TV networks to urge them to place ethical clauses in their contracts with the federations and the ISU when those contracts come up for renewal (most come up for renewal in the next year) the way John Hancock Financial Services did with the USOC...no reason why the TV networks and commercial sponsors for the various federations cannot do the same thing (they should...that is just good business). John Hancock got results. The ISU needs to be walloped hard in the wallet! That is the ONLY way to get through to them. If figure skating is to survive, this is something that MUST be done by all of us! Time is of the essence.

When you write, do not expect a reply...the goal here is to flood the mailboxes and FAX machines...that will certainly get the attention necessary. I will post the contact information for the commercial sponsors of the USFSA and the TV networks in the US later...although all I have is FAX and snail-mail infomration, they will get the job done.

Remember...figure skating needs YOU!

Re: ISU warns skaters against supporting WSF

Interesting to note that the ISU warns FEDERATIONS not to endorse the WSF. Skaters, coaches and other individuals are not members of the ISU. I don't know whether there is any mechanism for sanctioning individual skaters.

That is an important difference between the two organizations (as it appears). The unit of membership in the ISU is the national federation (hence federations and blocs of federations are the Iagos pulling Speedy's strings). So far at least, the unit of membership in the WSF is the individual. I think that this is why the USFSA is sending ambivalent and contradictory messages -- they don't want their own influence as a rich and powerful national federation to be swept away in a tidal wave of democracy.

Mathman

Contact information as promised

As promised, here is the contact information for the TV Networks and USFSA Sponsors:

Mr. Alex Wallau, President
American Broadcasting Companies, Inc.
77 West 66th Street
New York, NY 10023-6201
212-456-7777
212-456-1424 FAX

Mr. George W. Bodenheimer, President
ESPN, Inc.
935 Middle Street
Bristol, CT 06010
860-766-2000
860-766-2213 FAX

Since Disney owns both ABC and ESPN...

Mr. Michael D. Eisner, Chairman & CEO
Mr. Robert A. Iger, President, COO & Director
The Walt Disney Company
500 South Buena Vista Street
Burbank, CA 91521-9722
818-560-1000
818-560-1930 FAX

USFSA Sponsors:

Mr. John F. Smith, Jr., Chairman
Mr. G. Richard Wagoner, President & CEO
General Motors Corporation—Chevrolet
300 Renaissance Center
Detroit, MI 48265-3000
313-556-5000
248-696-7300 FAX

Mr. William R. Johnson, Chairman, President & CEO
H. J. Heinz—Smart Ones
600 Grant Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15219
412-456-5700
412-456-6128 FAX

Mr. George M. Sherman, Chairman
Mr. Douglas R. Conant, President & CEO
Cambell Soup Company
Campbell Place
Camden, NJ 08103-1799
856-342-4800
856-342-3878 FAX

Mr. Richard H. Lenny, Chairman, President & CEO
Hershey Foods
100 Crystal A Drive
Hershey, PA 17033-0810
717-534-6799
717-534-6760 FAX

Mr. Edward B. Rust, Jr.
State Farm Insurance
1 State Farm Plaza
Bloomington, IL 61710-0001
309-766-2311
309-766-3621 FAX

Here it is...let's go to it.

Re: ISU warns skaters against supporting WSF

Here is an interesting article from TSN. Read this:

www.tsn.ca/wtsn/figure_skating/main.asp

Click on "A Conflict of Interest"


Ladskater

USFSA AND WSF

I should've gotten the transcript of this article (RealtorGal, you're from my town- maybe you have a copy of this paper?)
On the Monday edition of the SD Union/Tribune, I read in the sports page that the USFSA endorses the WSF. Maybe they're wrong- but it was in there.

The USFSA has endorse the *principles* of WSF

not the WSF itself. This is *exactly* what WSF told the media who then muddled the story into staying the USFSA endorsed WSF the org. See here on the USFSA site for yourself:
usfsa.org/news/2002-03/ECROA-March.htm

<blockquote><strong><em>Quote:</em></strong><hr>Report of Action

taken by the
Executive Committee
at its meeting
March 25, 2003
Washington, D.C.
The Executive Committee took the following actions:

1. APPROVED that the USFSA Executive Committee endorses the principles of the World Skating Federation, including: Athlete and Coach representation, Geographic representation, Transparency, Ethics, Accountability, Integrity, and Zero Tolerance. (8 Yes)

2. APPROVED the following resolution: (8 Yes)

“Since the Executive Committee has had neither the time nor the opportunity to be fully informed about the World Skating Federation, we do not endorse that entity and will follow the well-established representative process we have in place to determine what is truly in the best interest of our membership.”[/quote]