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- Jun 27, 2003
Evan doesn't talk about his hip, but he does mention illness many times ... he was really ill at the olympics... but that became a big story after he blew past everyone in the long...
Weir Braces for a Run at National Title #4: Interview
- Thread starter gsk8
- Start date
Hmmmm......don't know....I think if someone stuck a microphone in my face and basically, in front of the world, asked why I was making excuses I might be a little p.o.'d and a little defensive too. In no way was Johnny attacking Evan - he was simply making it clear that Peter and Co. don't ever seem to question the validity of any of Evan's injuries (including the withdrawal from the GPF) but Johnny tends to get plenty of grief for his.
A lot of fans have turned negative on Johnny this season (and a whole lot of people after the Torino Games ) but even if you take his skating out of the equation, what's cool about him is he is probably the smartest male singles skater out there. Intellectually, he's sharp, he's funny, he's witty, he's bright, he's inquisitive. He's also a caring person and what is so interesting to me is that he has this major 'Diva' image, but in reality - he is one of the most genuine guys you'd ever want to meet. I respect him for that because some skaters cop an attitude of superiority or crudeness (depending on the sex of said skater) that is such a turn-off you just shake your head. Don't see any reason for Johnny to censor himself, even though he is definitely more 'on guard' after his Torino experience.
You only have to talk to this guy for 5 minutes to see how unique he is - that he could succeed pretty much at anything - and is not the one-trick-pony many athletes sacrifice their lives to be. He doesn't just get your attention, he sustains it.
If Johnny was getting gold medals, nobody would say anything negative and he'd be the media darling he was after placing second in the Olympics short program. Success has many mothers, failure is an orphan.
But Johnny is not a failure - he's the three-time National champion. Of course, I'm biased...but I hope he fights the good fight for number four.
A lot of fans have turned negative on Johnny this season (and a whole lot of people after the Torino Games ) but even if you take his skating out of the equation, what's cool about him is he is probably the smartest male singles skater out there. Intellectually, he's sharp, he's funny, he's witty, he's bright, he's inquisitive. He's also a caring person and what is so interesting to me is that he has this major 'Diva' image, but in reality - he is one of the most genuine guys you'd ever want to meet. I respect him for that because some skaters cop an attitude of superiority or crudeness (depending on the sex of said skater) that is such a turn-off you just shake your head. Don't see any reason for Johnny to censor himself, even though he is definitely more 'on guard' after his Torino experience.
You only have to talk to this guy for 5 minutes to see how unique he is - that he could succeed pretty much at anything - and is not the one-trick-pony many athletes sacrifice their lives to be. He doesn't just get your attention, he sustains it.
If Johnny was getting gold medals, nobody would say anything negative and he'd be the media darling he was after placing second in the Olympics short program. Success has many mothers, failure is an orphan.
But Johnny is not a failure - he's the three-time National champion. Of course, I'm biased...but I hope he fights the good fight for number four.
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- Jun 27, 2003
you and he are both right, people are not on his side and they are for others... I'll be the first to admit that it's easier to hit him when he's down...
I think the difference between Johnny and Evan are not who makes excuses (both camps do it way too much) but that Evan normally makes a comeback in the long and it's such an 'upset' that the media hits that story running... where as Johnny starts out strong and then teeters ever so slightly and it's just downhill from there and the media has a punching bag...
fame is fickle... he's just gotta learn to deal without biting back... because it tends to bite him harder than it does anyone else...
I think the difference between Johnny and Evan are not who makes excuses (both camps do it way too much) but that Evan normally makes a comeback in the long and it's such an 'upset' that the media hits that story running... where as Johnny starts out strong and then teeters ever so slightly and it's just downhill from there and the media has a punching bag...
fame is fickle... he's just gotta learn to deal without biting back... because it tends to bite him harder than it does anyone else...
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So true. I noticed that so much this year with Joubert. He struggled in the past two years a little, and boy was he bashed and trashed for it. Anything he said got really picked apart. Now that he's winning, he is being used as an example for all other skaters to immulate, when just last year people were writing him off. Same with Shizuka. During her career she was an inconsistent skater, some hits, some misses. But now, with her one great Olympic performace, it's like she can do no wrong. Interesting.
Agree 100%. Brian was nothing less than ridiculed the past couple of years, until his redemption at Calgary. Suddenly this season he's a hero. Yet...he's absolutely the same guy he was back when he had his turn at 'being kicked when you're down.' Funny what a difference a few gold medals can make...
While I always enjoy reading skater interviews, I would prefer Weir to speak a lot less and achieve a lot more on the international ice. I´m sure he could do it, he is a very talented skater! Somehow though he has landed onto a wrong track and does not seem to get his drive back. These days the drive seems to appear only on "paper", in my opinion. Maybe way too much attention without results has caused that?
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Perhaps it's because Johnny seems to make so many excuses and they are often things that we, as fans, believe an elite athlete should be able to deal with because we see so many of them doing it.
Excuses?, jeez! Carruthers asks for a reason and when he gets it it's suddenly an excuse??? Not being able to even walk sounds like a pretty damn good "excuse" not to compete to me ... but then again I guess all skaters can't be Alexei the Great
Excuses?, jeez! Carruthers asks for a reason and when he gets it it's suddenly an excuse??? Not being able to even walk sounds like a pretty damn good "excuse" not to compete to me ... but then again I guess all skaters can't be Alexei the Great
I agree. I don't understand the whole concept of excuses (anyone care to enlighten me?).BTW, this applies to all athletes, not just Johnny. Peter Carruthers asks "what happened?" They answer. Fans scream "excuses!". Why ask if you don't want to hear it then?
Also this
is ridiculous.
Athletes are not robots, they are people. Different people handle different things differently, and that is not a sign of weakness. I don't understand why people hold athletes to a different standard than they do themselves. "She can't say that because she's an athlete, but I sure as hell can!" or "He's injured and it hurts to even walk, but hey, he should tough it out, he's an athlete".
Lysacek and Weir had almost identical injuries at the GPF, according to the USFA doctor. Both withdrew. Why is it then that one is considered a "fighter" but the other a wimp?
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- Jul 11, 2003
That rationale didn't go for Brian Joubert, who everyone gave up on and now he is the leading contender for this coming Worlds.
And they also do so in figure skating. Kwan is the perfect example of toughing out the hip injury from 2002 and winning a World Championship along the way.
Joe
Sure it didn't. Joubert has zero US titles. But according to this
http://www.isufs.org/bios/isufs00004708.htm
he's a 5 time French champ.
I agree. I don't feel it's always wise to tough out injuries because one can injure themselves further. Also, everyone's pain threshold is different. I think Johnny did what he had to do along with Evan and Tanith & Ben.
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I'm not sure about that "people in other sports toughing it out" thing. NFL players do a great deal of flopping and rolling around on the field because of "injury," then they pop up and jog off the field. Could you imagine if a figure skater did this? The coach and team doctors crowding around, EMT's carrying orange stretchers and IV bags with "Carmen" playing in the background...
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- Jul 11, 2003
Nothing like winning one for the Gipper when all odds are against you including gritting teeth with pain.
Joe
Joe
Weir has often competed despite a painful injury (Worlds 2005, with a sore foot and World 2006 with back spasms).
But sometimes a figure skating injury isn't all that serious (in the long term sense) but it can make competing impossible, and that was the case with Evan and Johnny at the GPF. Evan's hip injury affected his landing leg, and Johnny's, his take-off leg. In both cases, the injury prevented them from bearing the body's weight on the affected leg, which meant they could not jump.
Johnny wasn't smearing Evan, he just wondered why his (Johnny's) injury was being questioned, and not Evan's, when the injuries and their effects were so similar.
But sometimes a figure skating injury isn't all that serious (in the long term sense) but it can make competing impossible, and that was the case with Evan and Johnny at the GPF. Evan's hip injury affected his landing leg, and Johnny's, his take-off leg. In both cases, the injury prevented them from bearing the body's weight on the affected leg, which meant they could not jump.
Johnny wasn't smearing Evan, he just wondered why his (Johnny's) injury was being questioned, and not Evan's, when the injuries and their effects were so similar.
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- Jul 11, 2003
Speaking for myself, my fear for Johnny was whether the USFS would cast him to the sharks as they did in his second US championship. I don't believe the USFS has any qualms about Evan.
Joe
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Johnny was 6th in his first US Championship in 2001, 5th in his second, in 2002. He was in second place after the SP at Nationals 2003 when he fell and hurt himself, and had to withdraw. When did the USFS 'cast him to the sharks'?
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- Jul 11, 2003
Whoops got my dates wrong. Anyway after he bowed out at 2003 he had to go through the whole sectionals thing. It was my way of using the term, 'to the sharks'. I was upset that the USFS didn't give him a bye because I believed he was really hurt. I don't think they did so they were correct not to make him special.
Joe
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