Dick Button challenges credibility of World F.S. Hall of Fame

[visaliakid]

Dick Button to boycott his vote for World Figure Skating Hall of Fame 2012 nominees: Open Letter Challenges HOF leadership on lack of transparency and integrity.

Read his open letter to World Figure Skating Hall of Fame leadership published this morning at Blazing Blades.

 

[dorispulaski]

May I say, I still love Dick Button! That was an excellent letter, and made a very clear case.

There is no reason a WHOF election process should be run by USFS. It should be run by a neutral party, for sure.

 

[sweetskates1]

Applauding Dick's efforts! USFS and politicking ruin everything..

 

[emma]

Wow. I and just assumed there was some international body in place that ran this that was somehow tied to but nevertheless independent from the ISU. sort of shocking to me somehow, although maybe it's may naivete that is shocking right now!

 

[drivingmissdaisy]

Reading the headline I thought it was Plushenko who was making the comments, but then I remembered he didn't win Torino

 

[demarinis5]

Thanks for the link, I have again been educated on this board. Good for Dick.

 

[ivy]

Just to play devil's advocate a bit - how important is the hall of fame? do people really care that much who's in and who's out or whether they got in on the first time they were nominated? Don't we already know who the great skaters and coaches are? The whole thing seems a little cheesy to me, but maybe I'm missing something

 

[emma]

I don't know the answer ivy, but I do not that in many fields, professions, etc, high awards in those fields are much esteemed and appreciated - sort of the Oscar's or Emmy's - lot's of great, deserving people; most in the field know who 'they are', but it is something to both strive for and appreciate when achieved (and yes, sometimes we question if the winner really should have won or if someone should have won who didn't...but that speaks sort of to how highly the award is valued by members of the field).

 

[dorispulaski]

I'll bet being included in the USHOF would have meant something to Rudy Galindo, who didn't get in this time.

But I'd vote for Dick for a second inclusion...he deserves to be in twice, once for his competitive career, and then for everything he has done for skating subsequently, including this letter.

 

[Mathman]

Thank you, Visaliakid.

 

[visaliakid]

I'll bet being included in the WHOF would have meant something to Rudy Galindo, who didn't get in this time.

But I'd vote for Dick for a second inclusion...he deserves to be in twice, once for his competitive career, and then for everything he has done for skating subsequently, including this letter.

Doris,

The U.S. Figure Skating Hall of Fame (rightfully run by the USFSA) is separate from the World Figure Skating Hall of Fame (although contained within the same building). Mr. Button's boycott is in regards to the World F.S. Hall of Fame, which we learn is also under the auspices of U.S. Figure Skating (and it shouldn't be). Rudy nomination was for the U.S. FIgure Skating Hall of Fame.

Also, Mr. Button is already in both Halls of Fame. His letter references his vote for this year's nominees to WFSHOF. Every athlete, official, and other qualified electees to the WFSHOF get to vote on subsequent nominees each year.

I urge everyone to read the letter carefully to understand what he is trying to accomplish.

 

[dorispulaski]

visaliakid, I'm sorry I wasn't clear that Rudy was up for the USHOF, not the WHOF. But I stand by my contention that being voted in would have meant a lot to him!

 

[drivingmissdaisy]

I don't consider the USHOF a legitimate sports HOF when you have athletes like Galindo, who was a national champion in 2 disciplines and world medalist in singles and a trailblazer for openly gay athletes, passed over for Vera Wang. It just seems like some lame marketing ploy to give awards to politically-connected or well known figures.

 

[ivy]

Yeah still trying to figure it out. Rudy (who I love) did seem like a poor fit for a world hof, though for sure into us hof. Wish his example actually made skating a better place for out gay men (should be!). Vera Wang - lol.

Not really like getting an Oscar or Emmy for your current work - more like a lifetime achievement award. Eh - only so interesting for me. I mean do we think more of Michelle Kwan from being in the hof?

 

[Mao88]

Here is an article about the issue in The Examiner

Also Phil Hersh tweeted:-

If ISU wanted to keep Sonia Bianchetti from World Hall of Fame, why did they let her stay on ballot last year?

 

[Jen96]

There are a lot of athletes that get blackballed from the HOF. You can argue for Christopher Bowman for being in the USHOF, look at his competitve stats, not the silly stuff he pulled or the drug abuse, but at his results. He should be in there as much as anyone else.

 

[dorispulaski]

Welcome to Golden Skate, Jen96. We hope you will post long and often!

 

[Mathman]

Also Phil Hersh:

If ISU wanted to keep Sonia Bianchetti from World Hall of Fame, why did they let her stay on ballot last year?

Since this is run by a USFSA committee, maybe they slipped Ms. Bianchetti onto the ballot last year while Cinquanta was looking the other way. This year he lowered the boom.

 

[visaliakid]

That is my thought as well, Mathman. So far some 2,640 visitors to my site have viewed Dick's letter and associated material posted several days before by Sonia Bianchetti. There is also an article that Monica Friedlander wrote on this subject at San Francisco Figure Skating Examiner that followed up on this story.

The number of visitors to have viewed Dick's original letter as of today, March 21, is now up to 3,976.

 

[Mathman]

OT, but while I was reading the Friedlander article, this one also caught my eye.

http://www.examiner.com/figure-skat...rtistic-heart-of-skating-torn-out-skaters-say