- Joined
- Jun 21, 2003
Everywhere, figure skating revenue is saying, "Where are you taking me, and why am I in this handbasket?" But Old Gal Shelly, she just keeps rollin' along.
It's none of my business, but I am curious even so. To me, it is looking more and more like Michelle has big plans in the business end of the sport. Two recent articles (in Blades on Ice and in International Figure Skating) about her family's new rink emphasize the point that Michelle "heads a group of investors" in the facility. In other words, that she is risking her own capital in this venture. Her relationship with East-West Bank, which secured naming rights, is also intriguing -- she is referred to as an "employee" of the bank, which seems to imply something more than just a celebrity endorser.
This bank got it's start by providing financial services to the immigrant Chinese population of California. Now it is pushing to become mainstream. The same appears to be true of Hong Kong based Maxxis Tires, which recently (?) set up headquarters in Atlanta and hired Michelle as poster girl. Under her Disney contract (now expired) she officiated at the opening of the Hong Kong Disney World.
I don't think Michelle will retire from skating any time soon. The success of her commercial ventures depends on keeping herself in the public eye. There are all sorts of rumors about some of the enticements that people supposedly throw her way. I don't know if they are true, but it was suggested that the deal with East-West Bank was contingent on Michelle winning the National Championship last year, that the sponsors of 2002 Skate America "made her an offer she couldn't refuse" to come in and skate after Sarah Hughes withdrew, that she has a continuing contract to receive under-the-table appearance fees at the Marshall's and Campbell's Invitationals, that USFS is pressuring her to stay in for another year to give them better leverage in negotiating their new television contract with ABC, etc., etc., etc. Plus, who knows what kind of sweetheart deal she has with Tom Collins and COI.
What do you all think? Will she retire after the Olympics, or will business considerations keep her going and going and going...
Mathman
It's none of my business, but I am curious even so. To me, it is looking more and more like Michelle has big plans in the business end of the sport. Two recent articles (in Blades on Ice and in International Figure Skating) about her family's new rink emphasize the point that Michelle "heads a group of investors" in the facility. In other words, that she is risking her own capital in this venture. Her relationship with East-West Bank, which secured naming rights, is also intriguing -- she is referred to as an "employee" of the bank, which seems to imply something more than just a celebrity endorser.
This bank got it's start by providing financial services to the immigrant Chinese population of California. Now it is pushing to become mainstream. The same appears to be true of Hong Kong based Maxxis Tires, which recently (?) set up headquarters in Atlanta and hired Michelle as poster girl. Under her Disney contract (now expired) she officiated at the opening of the Hong Kong Disney World.
I don't think Michelle will retire from skating any time soon. The success of her commercial ventures depends on keeping herself in the public eye. There are all sorts of rumors about some of the enticements that people supposedly throw her way. I don't know if they are true, but it was suggested that the deal with East-West Bank was contingent on Michelle winning the National Championship last year, that the sponsors of 2002 Skate America "made her an offer she couldn't refuse" to come in and skate after Sarah Hughes withdrew, that she has a continuing contract to receive under-the-table appearance fees at the Marshall's and Campbell's Invitationals, that USFS is pressuring her to stay in for another year to give them better leverage in negotiating their new television contract with ABC, etc., etc., etc. Plus, who knows what kind of sweetheart deal she has with Tom Collins and COI.
What do you all think? Will she retire after the Olympics, or will business considerations keep her going and going and going...
Mathman
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