Patrick Chan feeling unappreciated in Canada

[katia]

wally
Have you considered WHERE Chan said that? In China. It would be quite different if he said that in Canada.
I know that both Reuters and MSM tend to change the meaning of the remarks during the interviews but he said similar things in an interview in CBC.
It is not only piranhas who are out. I was big fan of Chan, and I enjoy Chan skating. However I understand how such interview will be received in China and outside of Canada. That's all.
ps. politically correct things in the West are exactly the views of Chan in his interview.

 

[brightphoton]

Isn't Patrick studying international economics or something similar?

 

[Mathman]

Quite frankly, I don't think many people believe reporting it will do much good or lead to any actions since it's quite unclear what's considered inappropriate bashing of skaters in this forum. Is deliberate misrepresentation of their statements considered bashing? Many seem to be quite deliberate in their attempts to misconstrue what Patrick Chan actually said though it certainly isn't limited to just the usual suspects here, we have seen it by some unprofessional journalists and commentators as well - like shark who smell blood. Here, it feels like the piranhas are all out.

The general feeling of the Golden Skate modertors' panel is that bashing refers to "persistent, excessive, and relentless" criticism of a skater. In other words, if someone has nothing to bring to the forum except single-minded harsh and accusatry ranting about a particular individual, that person is not welcome.

Otherwise, we prefer to err on the side of free speech.

We are less tolerant of posters who insult other posters. We are here to discuss skating, not each other.

In either case, it is a big help to the moderators when Golden Skate members bring objectionable posts to our attention. We always consider reprted posts seriously. Sometimes, in the case of a clear violation of Golden Skate posting rules, we take some sort of action. Other times we feel that the reported post, though perhaps not peasant, is nevertheless within the parameters of vigorous debate.

 

[Rachmaninoff]

Yeah, he's such a bad boy. No sexy thongs for him. For GPF he gets Granny Panties.

Funny how most of the brouhaha is about his Canada vs. China comments. I don't see the big deal about those, especially if he was specifically asked about that. The part that annoyed me was the "I'm the one skater of everyone at the world championships that will do something memorable, and everyone else is dull and unoriginal" stuff.

I'd rather like to see someone beat him because of PCS now; maybe he'd learn something and be motivated to improve. I don't think that'll happen though.

 

[katia]

But I thought we are discussing here what Chan said, and not how he skates.
I think he skates wonderfully, I think he speaks .... not so well

 

[Mathman]

I think people make a big deal out of nothing from skaters interviews, they are athletes asked to do an interview, not trained politicians, even though the latter can say much worse.

Thank you! Is Patrick Chan the secretary general of the United Nations?

 

[Tonichelle]

anyone in the public eye, trained or not, politician or not, come under scrutiny when it comes to what they say IN THE PRESS.

 

[katia]

True
But champions do represent their country, too. And they are seen as representatives of their country by others. At least such is a view in some countries outside of Canada/US (that was answer for the Mathman)

 

[brightphoton]

Thank you! Is Patrick Chan the secretary general of the United Nations?

Do you expect Patrick Chan to be the village idiot?

 

[Mathman]

anyone in the public eye, trained or not, politician or not, come under scrutiny when it comes to what they say IN THE PRESS.

That, however, doesn't mean we should pay any attention to what they say.

But champions do represent their country, too. And their are seen as representatives of their country by others. At least such is a view in some countries outside of Canada/US.

That is an interesting point. Many there are some cultural differences at play here. Certainly in the United States no one expects an athlete to "represent the country." If anything we think of them as thugs, morons and boors -- the last people we would ever want to represent us.

(United States Public Policy Ambassador Michelle Kwan, of course, is the exception that tests the rule. )

 

[Tonichelle]

That is an interesting point. Many there are some cultural differences at play here. Certainly in the United States no one expects an athlete to "represent the country." If anything we think of them as thugs, morons and boors -- the last people we would ever want to represent us.

(United States Public Policy Ambassador Michelle Kwan, of course, is the exception that tests the rule. )

since when?! in the sport of figure skating the good little "I just want to skate my best" speeches are always more respectable in the public eye. it's why the USFSA gives their skaters media training.

 

[Mathman]

Do you expect Patrick Chan to be the village idiot?

I have no expectations one way or the other. I guess that's what this thread is about. Did Patrick come off like the villiage idiot in this interview or not?

In my own view, he hardly said anything worth commenting on one way or the other. He is experiencing a growing awareness of his Chinese roots. He is disappointed that figure skating is not as popular in Noeth America as it once was. Hold the presses!!!!!

 

[wallylutz]

anyone in the public eye, trained or not, politician or not, come under scrutiny when it comes to what they say IN THE PRESS.

What about come under scrutiny for things they didn't actually say?

 

[Mathman]

since when?! in the sport of figure skating the good little "I just want to skate my best" speeches are always more respectable in the public eye. it's why the USFSA gives their skaters media training.

Here's what I think. What Patrick said is really not much more than "I want to skate my best." I don't see what the uproar is about. Patrick's comments rate only about a 0.3 on the controversial and newsworthy scale.

 

[Tonichelle]

What about come under scrutiny for things they didn't actually say?

that is, unfortunately, one more part of the price of fame... Chan is hardly the only one to ever deal with this.

 

[Poodlepal]

The way the interview was summarized made it sound like Patrick was complaining about the Canadian people--not the federation. People complain about their bosses all the time. We almost expect the skaters to complain about the federation. But it sounded like he was mad that the Canadian people weren't idolizing him enough, that they didn't love him as much as Kurt Browning or Elvis Stojko. What he actually said, or in what context, we can only guess. But he sounded--or was paraphrased--to sound like a whiny teenager, not a champion.

 

[Tonichelle]

The way the interview was summarized made it sound like Patrick was complaining about the Canadian people--not the federation. People complain about their bosses all the time. We almost expect the skaters to complain about the federation. But it sounded like he was mad that the Canadian people weren't idolizing him enough, that they didn't love him as much as Kurt Browning or Elvis Stojko. What he actually said, or in what context, we can only guess. But he sounded--or was paraphrased--to sound like a whiny teenager, not a champion.

I agree the author of the article is more at fault, which is their perogative (or so i've been told in my journalism courses, which is one reason I stopped my degree).

That being said, it's the price of fame. The only way around it is for him to not talk to the press - though that is part of his "job"...

 

[katia]

I think that the way out for him is to learn HOW to talk to press because if he would not talk to press they would say he is an elitist and standoffish

 

[Tonichelle]

I think that the way out for him is to learn HOW to talk to press because if he would not talk to press they would say he is an elitist and standoffish

I don't think the press would, maybe other people would, but the most the media could get out would be a "chan declined to comment."

 

[veravina]

Patrick is correct in many respects - figure skating isn't as popular as it used to be in Canada, and he would probably be a well-paid superstar if he lived in Korea or Japan, although I don't know about China. I think skating has been a pretty lonely and solitary pursuit for him and his family and his comments reflect that. I think he's a bit of a genius on ice, but he's not got the media savvy or cowboy swagger that saw Browning hit such rock star heights. Even V&M don't get the attention they should given they're the reigning OGM. He also trains out of the country most of the time so it must be hard to maintain the feeling that you belong anywhere. Browning said he was an interesting character recently on one of the CBC broadcasts and he strikes me as a pretty good judge of character.