What was the WORST skating interview?

[SkateFan4Life]

What do you think were the worst televised figure skating interviews? My all-time worst commentary moment occurred at the 1988 Winter Olympics.
Canadian Brian Orser had just skated his long program and received his marks. He realized that he had finished second to American Brian Boitano - a heartbreaking defeat in his home country.

David Santee, commentating, shoved a microphone in Orser's face and said (to paraphrase) "Brian, I have good news and bad news for you. The good news is that you received a 6.0 for artistic impression. The bad news is that you finished second. How do you feel?"

UGH! How in blazes do you think Brian felt, David? What an idiotic, insensitive question! Orser managed to be gentlemanlike and gave a polite response, but he probably felt like decking Santee. :banging:

 

[attyfan]

That was a classic for the degree of rottenness, Sometimes I think that Peter Carruthers holds some kind of record, not for the degree. but for the sheer number of idiotic or offensive questions.

[edited to add] My Bad .. I misread the question, and thought you were asking about the worst interviewer, not the worst interview. That Orser one probably was the worst interview. that I can think of.

 

[Ladskater]

What do you think were the worst televised figure skating interviews? My all-time worst commentary moment occurred at the 1988 Winter Olympics.
Canadian Brian Orser had just skated his long program and received his marks. He realized that he had finished second to American Brian Boitano - a heartbreaking defeat in his home country.

David Santee, commentating, shoved a microphone in Orser's face and said (to paraphrase) "Brian, I have good news and bad news for you. The good news is that you received a 6.0 for artistic impression. The bad news is that you finished second. How do you feel?"

UGH! How in blazes do you think Brian felt, David? What an idiotic, insensitive question! Orser managed to be gentlemanlike and gave a polite response, but he probably felt like decking Santee. :banging:

To add fuel to the fire for that one - I can't remember which American tv coverage it was, either ABC or NBC (no matter) did an "up close and personal" piece on Brian Orser before the long program commenced - they kept calling Brian Orser "Mr. Second place." I almost put my fist through the tv. And yes, David Santee was at the height of rudeness the way he handled that coverage after Brian's heartbreaking skate.

 

[iluvtodd]

I agree that was a terribly insensitive interview to do with Brian O. May I also add the one that Beth Ruyak did with Todd E. at the 1998 Post-Olympic Gala show in Tokyo, a few days after the Nagano Olympics? She practically brought him to tears following her "interrogation." I can't bear to watch that interview, either.

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

Most that I read, and definitely anything Carruthers does.

Joe

 

[Johar]

I remember Oksana Baiul rudely walking away in the middle of an interview.

 

[Vash01]

I remember Oksana Baiul rudely walking away in the middle of an interview.

Oksana was going through a very difficult time at that time- injuries, alcohol problems, unable to skate, etc.

In my opinion the worst interview was on NBC during the 2002 Olympics after the pairs competition ended. I forgot the name of the interviewer but she interviewed S&P and asked questions that would encourage them to complain. The winners of the gold - B&S- were totally ignored. No interview, nothing. It was the worst way to handle an after-competition interview.

Vash

 

[Spirit]

In my opinion the worst interview was on NBC during the 2002 Olympics after the pairs competition ended. I forgot the name of the interviewer but she interviewed S&P and asked questions that would encourage them to complain.

That would be Beth Ruyak again, a woman who just seems plastic and hollow. I think NBC turns her off and sticks her in the closet next to the vacuum cleaner when they don't need her.

Just before that same interview that you mention, NBC went to commercial, and as they cut to commercial, they showed a brief candid, live shot from one of the many cameras back stage. Jamie was crying and being comforted by David while they both spoke with someone else. Beth -- plastic smile conspicuously absent and looking kind of Cruella DeVille-ish -- was ignoring their conversation and their feelings and trying to get them into position in front of the camera. I think she was afraid that Jamie would stop crying before she could interview her, and saw her Emmy slipping away.

I know Beth's a TV person with a responsibility, and S&P were pros when called upon to step in front of the camera. All I'm saying is that there was just something creepy about the way Beth went about it. Jim McKay, for example, wouldn't have been so insensitive.

Interviews by Peter Carruthers, though, are just insipid, and I honestly don't know if that's his fault or ABC's. I think the TV people just trained him wrong; they've obviously had more than enough time to correct the problem if they had ever been interested in doing so.

 

[Alsace]

That would be Beth Ruyak again,...Just before that same interview that you mention, NBC went to commercial, and as they cut to commercial, they showed a brief candid, live shot from one of the many cameras back stage. Jamie was crying and being comforted by David while they both spoke with someone else. Beth -- plastic smile conspicuously absent and looking kind of Cruella DeVille-ish -- was ignoring their conversation and their feelings and trying to get them into position in front of the camera.

The person Jamie was speaking to was, IIRC, Tracy Wilson, in her blue press vest. She was telling Jamie, "You _did_ it!"

 

[isk82]

Nancy Kerrigan was interviewed when she first hit the national scene (I can't remember the specifics) but it was horrible. It was before she had her teetch fixed and all of her answers were all "uh yeah, uh.............giggle giggle" They were making a big deal of her mom being blind and neither Nancy or her could put a complete sentence together. It was embarrasing and so obvious that they needed help in media relations. I have it on tape; it was awful.

 

[Antilles]

Beth Ruyak is the worst, for any interview. I remember her interview with A&P after their OGM win in 2002. She made comments about the fans being quiet and not seeming to like their program. Anissina looked like she wanted to punch Ruyak and really didn't say much. Peizerat managed to give classy responses to the dumb questions.

 

[soogar]

Beth Ruyak is the worst, for any interview. I remember her interview with A&P after their OGM win in 2002. She made comments about the fans being quiet and not seeming to like their program. Anissina looked like she wanted to punch Ruyak and really didn't say much. Peizerat managed to give classy responses to the dumb questions.

Well Beth is an idiot anyway. The only question she seemed to ask the skaters was "How do you feel?".

I like Peter C. and Chris Bowman the best. At least they asked different questions.

 

[Alsace]

When did Chris Bowman do commentary?

 

[IDLERACER]

Actually, Sasha Cohen's appearance on the Tonight Show last week was a bit of a snoozer.​

 

[SkateFan4Life]

Nancy Kerrigan was interviewed when she first hit the national scene (I can't remember the specifics) but it was horrible. It was before she had her teetch fixed and all of her answers were all "uh yeah, uh.............giggle giggle" They were making a big deal of her mom being blind and neither Nancy or her could put a complete sentence together. It was embarrasing and so obvious that they needed help in media relations. I have it on tape; it was awful.

I remember a number of Kerrigan interviews in which she hemmed and hawwed, shrugged her shoulders, and generally gave the impression that she was not very adept in speaking in the English language. And she gave an interview at Lillehammer, right after she finished second, in which she stated (to paraphrase), "I was very proud of how I skated, and I know that everybody wanted ME to win." Oh, really?

 

[SkateFan4Life]

To add fuel to the fire for that one - I can't remember which American tv coverage it was, either ABC or NBC (no matter) did an "up close and personal" piece on Brian Orser before the long program commenced - they kept calling Brian Orser "Mr. Second place." I almost put my fist through the tv. And yes, David Santee was at the height of rudeness the way he handled that coverage after Brian's heartbreaking skate.

Well, Ladskater, with all due respect to Brian Orser (who I consider to be a wonderful, wonderful skater), he did finish second many times in many competitions - Worlds and Olympics. Yes, it was rude of ABC to label Brian as "Mr. Second Place", but there was a legitimate reason for doing so. He DID finish second a lot of times.

Perhaps some of this stuff was caused by the "Battle of the Brians" mentality that permeated the American networks. We in the US wanted to see "our" Brian win, and when he did (justly so), we went nuts with joy.

However, that being said, I think David Santee's interview was just plain nasty, insensitive, and in-your-face. Ugh!

 

[donnar0226]

Actually, Sasha Cohen's appearance on the Tonight Show last week was a bit of a snoozer.​

Personally i thought she came off very articulate and charming--i think the problem is that when late night shows interview young women who have spend almost their entire life training for one thing, there isn't a whole lot of otherwise "interesting" stories to talk about--such as the British actor before her that got his hand stuck in the window while wearing nothing but his underwear-of which the whole neighborhood then came to help!

The topic was more about stupid interview questions--i think always lame to ask the second place finisher how they "feel" at that moment!

 

[SkateFan4Life]

I disliked Julie Moran's interviews - all of them. I just did not care for her - the phony "glamour girl" image, the huge earrings, the sequined dresses. She looked as though she was going to attend a ball at Buckingham Palace instead of a figure skating competition.

 

[SkateFan4Life]

This wasn't the "worst" skating inteview, but I do remember an announcer shoving a microphone in Jill Trenary's face at the 1989 Nationals, just after she finished her long program, and asking her if she thought she would win the World title the following month. Jill looked at the guy as if he had two heads and said, "It's kind of hard to think of that right after coming off the ice....." and then she said she thought she had a good chance.

 

[barbk]

The interview with Todd Eldredge after he finished fourth in Nagano. Just horrible -- but I don't remember who conducted the interview.

And from the skater angle, almost any interview of Jenny Kirk, because while her skating was beautiful her voice is squeaky beyond belief.

Cheers,
Barb K.