Did Dick insult Tarasova?

[Excidra2001]

Did Dick insult Tarasova?

I heard he refereed to her as "the big Russian lady with the cold heart".
Is this true and did anyone hear it?

If he did, I don't know how people can continue to listen this man. He can praise the American ladies and call the others sloppy all he wants. But there is no way he should be allowed to call others big(meaning FAT) and cold hearted.
What's next, homophobic remarks.

 

[WindSpirit5]

Re: Did Dick insult Tarasova?

I'll have to check the tape, but from I remember he commented on her coat (it's not chilly in the rink, that's just her trademark) and he said that "her heart must be cold right now" (after Sasha's FP), or something like that. Which was strange, since she seemed quite happy. But maybe he said it before they showed her.

Btw, I'm watching Vanilla Sky right now (Tom Cruise is so bad ), so I'm no longer sure if Dick really said that and I didn't read it on some board, lol.

 

[Skate Sandee]

Re: Did Dick insult Tarasova?

It was not an insult about her character. It's just Dick's post-concussion way of phrasing things. He was pointing out that her heart was cold because Sasha didn't skate up to expectations. He knows that Tarasova is normally a warm, emotional kind of person, especially in the kiss and cry.

It was alluding to Sasha's skate, not Tarasova herself. Although Tarasova still seemed happy (I think assuming that Sasha had done enough for bronze. Until Sasha herself pointed out that Fumie was still to skate).

I think it was Dick himself who's heart turned cold and broken. He was SO despondent over Sasha's mistakes.

 

[rgirl181]

Re: Did Dick insult Tarasova?

Here is a transcript of that portion of the broadcast, straight off the tape:
Terry Gannon: "Tatiana Tarasova on the right side of the screen, in the heavy coat. It's not chilly in this arena, by the way."
Dick Button and Peggy Fleming laugh.
Fleming: "This is a signature look for her."
Gannon: "It's got to be the look, yeah."
Button: "I've got to tell you, her heart is cold right now."
Gannon: "Well, that's true."
Fleming: "Very disappointing."
Pause.
Gannon: "Technical merit marks on the way."
No further comments about Tarasova or coat.

:lol: re the "Vanilla Sky" reference, Windspirit.
Rgirl

 

[Jaana]

Re: Did Dick insult Tarasova?

>Terry Gannon: "Tatiana Tarasova on the right side of the screen, in the heavy coat. It's not chilly in this arena, by the way."
Dick Button and Peggy Fleming laugh.
Fleming: "This is a signature look for her."
Gannon: "It's got to be the look, yeah.">

Maybe it is my language barrier again, but that does not sound so nice in my ears, people publicly ridiculing other people, no matter what they are wearing. Bad manners, I would say. Besides what do they know, Tarasova may have a bad circulation or something else?

Marjaana

 

[berthes ghost]

Re: Did Dick insult Tarasova?

In the US people tease each other as a sign of affection. The 3 US comentators didn't mean any disrespect, I am sure that Dick and Peggy both have great admiration for TT and her success.

 

[lottafs]

Re: Did Dick insult Tarasova?

*lolz* I've always wondered bout that silly coat TT always ALWAYS wear.

 

[Dee4707]

Re: Did Dick insult Tarasova?

I have always been surprised that PETA hasn’t been after Tatianna because of her coat (mink). Also, someone told me that they were always afraid that she would smother Alexei when she bear hugs him and now poor little Sasha.:lol: :lol: :lol:

Dee

 

[Jules Asner]

Re: Did Dick insult Tarasova?

I guess there is a language barrier -- their comments were not insulting in the least and in fact were light-hearted.

 

[Jaana]

Re: Did Dick insult Tarasova?

>I guess there is a language barrier -- their comments were not insulting in the least and in fact were light-hearted. >

I did not take them as insulting, but they don´t sound kind remarks to me. Were they necessary in any way, did they add something to anything, except that they were ridiculing her... Yes, this is a cultural difference.

Marjaana

 

[berthes ghost]

Re: Did Dick insult Tarasova?

"Besides what do they know, Tarasova may have a bad circulation or something else?"

I would be very surprised if Dick didn't know TT. Skating in the US is a very small world.

Gosh, what do you guys joke about in Finland? She was wearing a huge coat in an area where it was so hot the ice was melting. Teasing her about it is riddicule?

 

[Jules Asner]

Re: Did Dick insult Tarasova?

terry gannon told the viewers "the woman wearing the large coat was Sasha's coach Tarasova"

then he added in case people were wondering "its not cold in here by the way" because the way she was dressed you'd think it was freezing in the arena.

then Dick or Peggy said she always wears a big coat and it is sort of a signature of hers to wear a big coat.

how is this insulting or ridiculing? It's not.

 

[sarahmistral]

Re: Did Dick insult Tarasova?

I'm American-raised and have never been to Finland, but I find that the commentators in question show their genuine affection by lauding and praising (mostly North American) skaters and coaches, and the fun poking, rather than being a sign of affection as it well is in everyday life around here, tends to be reserved for those not perceived as part of "us" (i.e. Russians--cold war undertones; major "otherness" factor). It may not be malicious, just have become second nature after so many years calling skating and rooting for "ours" vs "theirs" and showing what's so much better about "our way" vs "their way"...skating and politics may not mix, but they remain bedfellows, the strangest of bedfellows, in many people's/the collective subconscious. Maybe I'm hypersensitive to such undertones, reading too much between the lines, but when I do perceive them, I find them irritating. I'm sure national sentiment and favoritism is a syndrome no commentators hailing from any skating powerhouse nation are immune from, but I already went on my rant about skating being an individual sport w/no room for jingoism, or politics, on a worlds thread.
sarah mistral
lady of mistry

 

[sk8m8]

Re: Did Dick insult Tarasova?

The English language is full of particular semantics and idiom. There is a HUGE difference between saying Tarosava's "heart is cold"( meaning it does not "warm" to what just happened on the ice with her skater) and saying she is cold-hearted (which would mean she is emotionless and calculating.)

If I said that she was "flat footed" in that performance, I would simply be implying that she was not "on her toes" ( once again an american expression for sharp), and if I said she had flat feet, I would mean she lacked a natural arch in each foot.

I've read many russian translations that sounded like put downs or nastiness, but once I got my russian speaking friends to explain the idiom of the russian language and how they use intonation and figures of speech, then I understood that they were just expressing things in a russian way.

By the way, Uncle Dick has OFTEN praise Tarasova for her coaching abilities and has even called her one of the greatest coaches of all time. I don't think he would intentionally make a mean spirited remark about her.

Terry Gannon even made a remark about how warm it was in the building and wondered if that is why the corners of the rink were "wet"

 

[Excidra2001]

Re: Did Dick insult Tarasova?

Rgirl and all the rest,

Thank you for clarifying that for me. As I said, I heard people saying that Dick insulted Tarasova by calling her big and cold hearted and I just wanted to know if it was actually true.
I tried really hard to give Dick the benefit of doubt, but it's his character to insult the non-Americans and I wouldn't put it past him if people said Dick insulted someone.

 

[lottafs]

Re: Did Dick insult Tarasova?

<blockquote><strong><em>Quote:</em></strong><hr>Also, someone told me that they were always afraid that she would smother Alexei when she bear hugs him and now poor little Sasha.[/quote]

OMG!! Poor Sasha!!!!!!!!! :rollin: :rollin: :rollin: :rollin:

TT and her Coat... *shakes head* Heehee. Signature look!

 

[WindSpirit5]

Re: Did Dick insult Tarasova?

Why do people even wonder why she wears it? It's so obvious:

<img src="http://members.lycos.co.uk/windspirit6/pics/Yags_tuli1g.jpg" style="border:0;"/>

Mama Bear :lol:

 

[CuteGreekGoddess]

Re: Did Dick insult Tarasova?

<span style="color:blue;font-family:comic sans ms;font-size:x-small;"><strong>
I don't really know but I hope its not an insult </strong></span>

 

[Joesitz]

Re: Did Dick insult Tarasova?

I didn't get it in the Arena. No TV was shown. In fact TV fans got the ordinals. We didn't.

As for Dick. I'm sure he meant no offense. He is a big Sasha fan. That fur coat did come off for the last night. We, in the audience, noted that.

Joe

 

[Jules Asner]

Re: Did Dick insult Tarasova?

Its no wonder people think Dick Button "always insults non-Americans" since these people don't fully understand the english language and don't really know what he is talking about. Like when he made fun of his own baldness everyone said he was bashing Plushenko. Meanwhile this weekend he is accused of insulting Tarsova when he was really putting down an AMERICAN's performance (Sasha) so so much for that theory. People take his words too literally because they simply do not understand the language 100%. Its not wonder Europeans have been fighting among themselves for centuries with all the different languages and opportunities for misunderstandings and jumping to conclusions.