Brian Boitano a coach or a lobbyist?

[Tonichelle]

I still feel bad sometimes when I watch tapes of Kurt and swoon because my aunt (who basically fed me the sport from the time I was 4 till I was 10) was anti anyone but the US team, and for whatever reason she really didn't like Kurt... I couldn't stand him for the longest time (he was a Scott "copycat" in her book)... sometimes I get those feelings again. I understand the cheering for the hometeam, and I am still a fan of more US skaters than anything else (which is natural as I've seen more of them) I wouldn't call anyone a traitor, but I can understand some people thinking it.

 

[dorispulaski]

Unfortunately, the current PR training for US skaters produces mostly boring interviews. And who wants to hear anything more from people who say:

1. I skate for the joy of skating
2. I really compete for myself and don't worry about the medals
3. I don't know what happened on that double axel

People do get interested in the backstory of athletes. Whoever is managing our current US skaters and their interviews has obviously coached the kids about avoiding negative cringeworthy comments, but some thought should be put into letting them show some personality.

I long for a US lady skater to give as good interviews as Debi Thomas did. Or for that matter Elaine Zayak, piping little voice with Jersey accent and all.

 

[just wondering]

^ I agree.
There is a far distance between cringe-worthy and an interesting interview. It's been a really long time since I've heard anything that came close to crossing the cringe-worthy line.

Certainly the media coaches can find a stronger angle in each of these skater. That's why I like Rachel's comments about pursuing a medal. I know what she wants, what she's going after. Win or lose - she's invested & so am I - makes it more exciting.
Competitive figureskating is about competing. The interviews should reflect the grit of the competitor as well. We all know these young ladies & gentlemen are tough! I'd like to hear some talk to back it up
JW

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

I think hanging out in an Ice Rink affects the vocal chords. I cringe when they say so and so skaters should do the commentating. How many have worked with a voice coach?

As for interviewing they all say pretty much the same thing. They are under orders of the USFS.

 

[Jaana]

So true. Carol Heiss won five word championships in the 1950s. We had to wait 50 years before another such star came along.

Yes, and Heiss also fullfilled the expectations by winning the Olympic gold medal.

 

[Mathman]

Yes, and Heiss also fullfilled the expectations by winning the Olympic gold medal.

The instant I hit the send button on that post I thought of you!

 

[gsrossano]

SOI closers? A bit off topic have we gotten?

Just like the involvement of the "little girls" in the Senior division goes back to the dawn of time, so does coaches hyping their skaters to influence the skater's image and how the officials should view the reputation of the skaters. It's common for agents, parents and others do this lobbying for the skaters and have since the dawn of time.

Papa Henie was notorious for it in his day. I also have in mind the agent of a recent champion who aggressively did this, and when he picked up a current top skater continued with his old tricks. Then there is a German dance coach from the late 80's and early 90's who was extremely aggressive in lobbying for his skaters with the media and the judges.

Compared to what some have done in the past, Boitano is being extremely subtle in his comments.

 

[Mathman]

...I also have in mind the agent of a recent champion who aggressively did this, and when he picked up a current top skater continued with his old tricks...

Shep Goldberg , Michelle Kwan and Caroline Zhang ?

 

[feraina]

I was really annoyed with Brian Boitano during National's. Charlene Wong is another coach who talks to the media about her skater, but not with the extent of bias that Boitano clearly conveys. I was thinking how I wish the other skaters also had famous coaches who would be doing the media circuit talking them up. I wondered how much of Brian's "talking" influenced National's final results.

How does he know the public wants a more mature skater? If so, why is Alissa the least popular of the US ladies champion since Michelle Kwan, despite being the oldest? (Yes, even Sasha was younger when she won National's.) Kimmie was a lot more exciting on the national scene than Alissa is now, precisely because she was a feisty young teenager who seemed to hold so much promise. And Mirai's win last year created a whole lot more excitement, too.

The future clearly belongs to the teenagers, much more than to a 21-yr-old who has yet to skate her first clean LP in competition. Shame on Boitano to be so uneven handed in interviews. Well, now that Alissa's going to World's in LA, let's see if she can put two clean programs together and generate some excitement at home.

Shep Goldberg , Michelle Kwan and Caroline Zhang ?

What are you talking about? How has Caroline been promoted at all? I must say that I don't see a hint of anything. If anything, this agent's job seems to be shielding her from the media as much as possible.

 

[Tonichelle]

her camp touted her more than even her fans as the next michelle kwan. every time she meets with Michelle we have to know about it... her agent is doing a fantastic job of keeping people interested.


and yes, Brian should be tarred and feathered for staying positive of a skater he's mentored. Most of the alumni that have been meeting at nationals for his mentor's program that he (Brian) has been pushing the last few years agree that the kids get enough negative crap said to them and about them (especially by "fans") and I think they're going about trying to balance it out.

So he likes Alissa. BIG. DEAL. I don't get why those of us on here are allowed to like certain skaters and yet former skaters can't have their favorites. I don't remember Brian being considered 'too biased' when he praised every little thing Miss Kwan did. I guess he just chose the wrong girl to back this time.

 

[bekalc]

I don't care that Brian likes Alissa, but I don't think he should be going on and on about teenage jumping beans and blaming them for all the sports woes. He didn't seem to have a problem with it, when Michelle was the jumping bean...This sport has always had teennage stars.. But to be quite frank, older stars can be competitive too.

 

[Mathman]

If so, why is Alissa the least popular of the US ladies champion since Michelle Kwan...

I think Alissa has long been very popular and a fan favorite in the underdog role. The reason she is not a popular champion is because a very large number of fans feel that she did not deserve to win.

What are you talking about?

I am not talking about anything. I was trying to get GSRossano to dish the dirt and reveal who he was talkking about in his post. (I knew he wouldn't, though, because if he had wanted to name names he would have done so.)

Still, I found his post intriguing.

As for what Mr. Goldberg has done so far in his job of looking after Caroline's interests, I don't know. But I certainly wouldn't fault him if he is promoting the heck out of her behind the scenes. That's his job, after all. The same as he did for previous clients such as Michelle Kwan and Mary Lou Retton, both of whom he guided to millionaire status.

If I were a sports agent I'd grab up Caroline in a hot second, if I could convince her to sign with me. My first pitch would be to Disney: "Hey, Mickey, it's time to jettison Michelle and go with What's Happening Now! :yes:

 

[Tonichelle]

Is Michelle even working for/with them these days? Until Phelps screwed up with his drug habit he was the new best friend of The Mouse.

 

[feraina]

her camp touted her more than even her fans as the next michelle kwan. every time she meets with Michelle we have to know about it... her agent is doing a fantastic job of keeping people interested.

People are interested because Michelle was/is a big star. Caroline meets with Michelle on a very regular basis (if not daily then at least weekly), now that Michelle's done with school. Have you heard anything about that? Hardly, I'd bet. You make it sound like the agent or the media or whoever else is deliberately trying to talk up Caroline's contact with Michelle. The truth is, their families are close, Caroline skates at their rink and gets choreography from Karen, and advice from Michelle. Should she purposely try to hide that fact?

Brian should be tarred and feathered for staying positive of a skater he's mentored.

If he was only being positive about Alissa it would hardly bother me. But he manages to be quite explicitly negative about the *other* skaters. "It does skating no good to be dominated by teenagers..." what kind of unsportsman-like talk is that? If Alissa can out-jump/compete her rivals, good for her. But to hint that Alissa is "good for the sport" just because she's more mature and experienced in life, well. That doesn't sound much like a sport, does it?

 

[Tonichelle]

the agent wouldn't be doing his job if he WASN'T talking her up. I'm not saying it's a negative thing.

more than likely the agent is what is setting up these media articles... the newspapers/magazines (outside of skating specific) don't seek random little girls out who skate on TV... the agents keep pushing for the attention.


and from a TV aspect I think Brian is more right than wrong. but right, he didn't bow to Caroline so he's a horrible horrible person.

 

[yelyoh]

Is Michelle even working for/with them these days? Until Phelps screwed up with his drug habit he was the new best friend of The Mouse.

Michael Phelps has a drug habit? Do you know something we don't? He smoked some pot at a party. He did something really dumb. If he were a pothead or something more serious I doubt that he would have all of those gold medals to his credit.

 

[Tonichelle]

then why is he with some group that wants to legalize it?

and I know of one reigning champion of a winter sport (not skating) who is known to have a drug habit and his sport looks the otherway... or at least, the ones running his sport do.

 

[Eurofan]

then why is he with some group that wants to legalize it?

and I know of one reigning champion of a winter sport (not skating) who is known to have a drug habit and his sport looks the otherway... or at least, the ones running his sport do.

Just curious - what do you have to back up these claims?

 

[yelyoh]

then why is he with some group that wants to legalize it?

and I know of one reigning champion of a winter sport (not skating) who is known to have a drug habit and his sport looks the otherway... or at least, the ones running his sport do.

Some people think pot should be legalized as a matter of principle not because they indulge.

Oh so now you are implying that Phelps IS a drug addict but that the swimming fed looks the other way just because you heard that another (winter sports) athlete uses drugs and his fed looks the other way? Where do you get your news from? Not to mention your logic?

 

[Mathman]

I don't know about drugs, but if it is Bode Miller that we are talking about here, he went on 60 Minutes after he wiped out at the Turin Olympics and said, "It's not easy to ski when you're wasted."

He also said that, although he stunk at skiing at the games, he deserved the gold medal for partying. :disapp: