- Joined
- Oct 23, 2011
^^^ So far the rift and tension has seemed to be between Shpilband and everybody else, not between the skating teams. According to Zoueva and O'Neill, V/M will stay where they are.
Let's look deeper. Igor is Ok, not upset, has teams here, and invite to Russia. China or Japan would likely offer him carte blancge to start an ice dance school. Or S. Korea. At this point, he has options. I have just one for fun conspiracy theory to use a phrase not quite right but for lack of better, SF.
Here it is. Canton Ice indeed is too small for Scott and Tessa (mostly Scott) as this season is coming fast and really affects the Olympic season. Scott knows he has a chance to be in the history books. The brits didn't manage 2 Olympic ice dance golds and pasha grishuk was disliked a lot-tarnished her two golds, plus everyone thought that second win was very political due to her mistakes. Scott really wants Voir to be in the same breath as Torvill/Dean or even better. They will be called best team in history if they pull off a gold with an amazing program like Fd Mahler which people loved. Non fans were mesmerized tuning in. Everyone knew this team was special and very beautiful. So he is very ambitious to end his career. Charlie and Meryl badly want that gold. I think Meryl is very ambitious and they want to prove they are not second rate. They are WC's and silver medalists. They would be gone to school if the gold were not very possible. This will likely be the hottest rivalry. I have a feeling they might, just not now, but Voir might leave when things heat up this season. Igor is the only one they'd leave for and he has made it possible now for them to go down the street. Who knows who Voir really values most? Igor is better liked than Marina despite the defection. Marina gets a bit of a kick in "My Sergei." Seems she had the jones for Sergei and after he died blurted all to Katia who was upset enough to write about it. Yes, they are friends, but she felt it was awful timing to confess Sergei was " her (Marina's) dream." So I think maybe there is a bigger, better story. Igor is thinking, yes, I will coach this team to glory and I will be called the best ice dance coach in history. Igor becomes the highest paid coach/his school is the world magnet, he can pick and choose from the best, not have to share the money with Marina.
I think Scott will leave Marina (and Tessa follows his lead it looks like-he talks, she listens usually) if things do not go his way at competitions. Maybe Igor and Voir cooked up a situation where Igor takes heat and leaves with no real big deal reason - looks to be the victim of Zoueva, the kids say nothing, looking pristine, no criticism for them, and they all get what they want...Marlie get Marina and Voir get Schpilband. There is nothing bad here, a "firing" due to business and personal interaction between two coaches. A little he said, she said, forgotten by all until next coach/skater split.
So, who do you think wins Sochi? Marlie or Voir? That's all that matters here, and maybe the media is just being manipulated. I do not believe the three teams wanted Igor gone to the point he should be fired. The whole thing smacks of a plan to be unfolded. I bet 1.00 ( I am poor) that Voir go to Igor before long. Maybe after Marina has done the choreography for both programs. Maybe Igor has better connections to some key players in Russia. I think this little dust up is all about Sochi and i will be surprised and amazed if the two teams can stick it out together until Sochi. That is a big test of their friendship. I don't have a clue who does what in that pair. I don't follow anything besides watching ice dance and would never know unless someone posted it in the Edge. Anyone know about who does what and any Canton insiders want to fill us in on the real facts as opposed to press releases, spin, etc?
I wondered how Scott was going to get away from the irritation of Marlie winning from time to time. Igor's "firing" just solved that problem if Igor is in fact more valuable to Voir than Marina. They have a choice now.
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