Chan: Maybe I'm saving it for the Olympics; Phil Hersh article | Page 4 | Golden Skate

Chan: Maybe I'm saving it for the Olympics; Phil Hersh article

wallylutz

Medalist
Joined
Mar 23, 2010
I said this in the Men's thread but I wonder if Patrick knows that saying too loudly that he thinks he was marked unfairly that it would be like "biting the hand that feeds him". There is only so much he can say before those controlling his destiny think he is ungrateful.

I do not believe Chan actually said anything re: him being marked unfairly. On the contrary, he had in the past said he didn`t think he deserved to win (e.g at SCI a few years ago). Rather, I believe many of the things said here and there are hearsay and simply wrongfully attributed quotes. Even a simple quote from Kim re: WC 2013 was misquoted into a totally overblown article, yet, the truth is what was observed was simply weekday attendance vs. Weekends. Friday, yesterday and today was virtually at 100% capacity.

I wish people sometimes read a little more carefully and between the lines. In this sensationalist era, ethics & journalists do not belong in the same sentence as many of them have and will do anything to create stories that sell, even if it borderlines falsehood. For example, another journalist timed and publish Chan`s comment re: wanting to reduce his family`s burden if he were a Chinese skater. It created a media firestorm that sold very well - at the cost of much emotional distress and loss in confidence. Would an ethical reporter do that? No, but they would have starved.

Be careful out there & watch out.
 
Joined
Jun 21, 2003
^ I wish someone in Skate Canada would take Patrick aside and give him the lowdown about to protect himself from getting in these predicaments all the time. It seems like he is just a lamb to the slaughter sometimes.
 

bekalc

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 1, 2006
In other words, you are wishing him ill or crush & burn. meanwhile, S/S won their silver by falling and without even landing a single SBS Triple. Yet, I do not think they are any more or less humble than Chan and they certainly did not suggest they do not deserve it either. So why are you limiting your crusade on Chan and him alone? What about Kostner? Big fall in SP and LP over an Asada who did not fall even once. Kostner is the same sweet girl who said the reason why Rochette could be 2nd after the SP at 2009 Worlds was due to Skate Canada politicking for her. :rolleye:

I thought you really hate skaters falling and win, no? Maybe we should add an * to that.

S/S said they felt their marks were high, Patrick said he deserved every mark. Patrick also commented that Denis Ten make just as many mistakes as he did. which isn't true.

As for wishing Patrick to crash and burn, Patrick is a beautiful skater and if he skates well, I think he deserves to win. However, I don't want him to win the Olympics skating like this. And Patrick has been skating poorly all season long.

To me Patrick would benefit from realistic marks that encouraged him to get it together consistency wise.
 

SGrand

Final Flight
Joined
Dec 22, 2011
I am a fan of his and have met many people who know him or have met him and talk about what a great and personable guy he is. His candidness seems genuine and while I enjoy it most of the time, it can definitely get him into trouble once the media gets hold of it. Don't mean to make excuses, he says some really silly things, but I think he could really benefit from media training. It's amazing what you do and do not think about in the moment when a camera or mic is shoved in your face. Did anyone just watch the gala? The interview that Scott Russell did with him? He's unfocused and usually kind of rambles when put on the spot and doesn't give much of a solid answer to the question being asked. It's awkward and I honestly feel for him; he may say he's the rightful winner, but his demeanour and eyes suggest otherwise, to me anyway.
It's not easy being in front of the media for anyone really, but some are natural and some are not, I put him in the latter, for now anyway, especially when he's probably pretty conflicted about how to act or what to say regarding his win. Come on, he's not stupid, I don't think anyway. I often wish him to come off sounding more humble in print interviews and press conferences, but that makes for boring stories and articles about a dying sport that not as many people seem to care about anymore.
But what do I know, maybe I just drank the koolaid and am talking nonsense.
 

bekalc

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 1, 2006
I am a fan of his and have met many people who know him or have met him and talk about what a great and personable guy he is. His candidness seems genuine and while I enjoy it most of the time, it can definitely get him into trouble once the media gets hold of it. Don't mean to make excuses, he says some really silly things, but I think he could really benefit from media training. It's amazing what you do and do not think about in the moment when a camera or mic is shoved in your face. Did anyone just watch the gala? The interview that Scott Russell did with him? He's unfocused and usually kind of rambles when put on the spot and doesn't give much of a solid answer to the question being asked. It's awkward and I honestly feel for him; he may say he's the rightful winner, but his demeanour and eyes suggest otherwise, to me anyway.
It's not easy being in front of the media for anyone really, but some are natural and some are not, I put him in the latter, for now anyway, especially when he's probably pretty conflicted about how to act or what to say regarding his win. Come on, he's not stupid, I don't think anyway. I often wish him to come off sounding more humble in print interviews and press conferences, but that makes for boring stories and articles about a dying sport that not as many people seem to care about anymore.
But what do I know, maybe I just drank the koolaid and am talking nonsense.

Honestly Patrick gets put in a really bad position in these interviews, he shouldn't have to justify his scores. He doesn't score himself. I think the Judges as a group should have to face the reporters. And explain why a program with 2 falls and other errors merits 9s in PEs
 

SGrand

Final Flight
Joined
Dec 22, 2011
Honestly Patrick gets put in a really bad position in these interviews, he shouldn't have to justify his scores. He doesn't score himself. I think the Judges as a group should have to face the reporters. And explain why a program with 2 falls and other errors merits 9s in PEs

Exactly, why does he have to answer for this, it truly isn't his fault he won. I'm no fan of what happened or how he won, but I certainly don't blame him for it and can I blame him for being defensive when questioned about it right away. Do we all really think he wanted to win this way? I highly doubt it. I think he's just trying to be honest and wants to explain the point system; if anyone should know it, it's him, he was Lori's for so long lol. Was the scoring correct? I have no clue really so I don't dispute anyone saying he was over scored, I just can't get over grown adults blaming and hating on a young figure skater (yes, I know he's 22 and a young adult now).
 

TontoK

Hot Tonto
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 28, 2013
Country
United-States
Does SC not have a public relations person on staff?

How could they let him wander aimlessly into an interview without at least a briefing on public reaction to his win, and not provide him with some acceptable ways to address the issue?

I'm not saying that he needs to be "handled" by SC, but surely they had to know this was coming.
 

dorispulaski

Wicked Yankee Girl
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Country
United-States
Does Skate Canada do PR & interview training seminars at the equivalent of USFSA Champs Camp? If not, they should, I think.
 

SGrand

Final Flight
Joined
Dec 22, 2011
Does Skate Canada do PR & interview training seminars at the equivalent of USFSA Champs Camp? If not, they should, I think.

They totally should. It's not that I want anyone to be something that they're not with only cookie-cutter answers, but there's a way of processing questions and being prepared for what's to come up that really helps. I think he's just misunderstood and has a tough time getting his point across, especially when backed into a corner and be needs to learn to think on the fly and be concise while still being his honest and fun self. I hardly think he ever means to throw another skater under the bus, but that's how it comes out sometimes (eg. Denis) and he needs to express that thought without bringing anyone else into it unless he's going to praise them. He's not Dai, who is very quiet and hard on himself in interviews (something I think does not always work in his favour in the relative publics minds, it's all perception people, and if he thinks he's horrible, maybe other people, including judges buy into that).
I've done media training, it's so hard and extremely uncomfortable in front of the camera, especially live. Time goes by so fast and your thoughts can really be scattered all over the place and if something throws you for a loop, you have to think lightning fast. Not the easiest task.
Some are more natural than others, and I honestly love Patrick when he's in interviews where he can be himself (eg. with Strombo). Where he runs into trouble is with the media who are asking leading questions. He's just too honest lol.
Who knows, maybe he has had media training, he very well may have, but I still think he has to really work on focusing on the question or comment at hand and not mildly rambling.
Congrats to him on his 3rd title, it's not how he would have wanted to win it, but what's done is done. At least he's never boring lol.
 

karne

in Emergency Backup Mode
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 1, 2013
Country
Australia
He may be never boring but I wonder how many of you would be screaming for his head if it was Plushenko who said such a thing...
 

SGrand

Final Flight
Joined
Dec 22, 2011
Plu is hardly the poster boy for holding it all in and not speaking his mind, the man has confidence for days. Hasn't he been controversial before? Doesn't matter whether he's won or not, just asking. He seems to be both loved and hated as well. I guess that's what happens when you're at the top. Whatever, I find him funny and honest and highly amusing most of the time and I can't deny his reign and athleticism.
 
Joined
Aug 16, 2009
Plu is hardly the poster boy for holding it all in and not speaking his mind, the man has confidence for days. Hasn't he been controversial before? Doesn't matter whether he's won or not, just asking. He seems to be both loved and hated as well. I guess that's what happens when you're at the top. Whatever, I find him funny and honest and highly amusing most of the time and I can't deny his reign and athleticism.


I agree about Plushy. He can be very arrogant and almost obnoxious in interviews, but he backs things up with sheer hard work and grit. Confidence for days indeed. I think I'd even be less likely to yell at Plushy than at any other skater, because this is his modus operandi. I wish he hadn't been quite so peevish at Vancouver, and had just let his skating speak for itself, but goodness, the guy keeps going on sheer willpower, and he's such a gift to skating. Maybe I just expect Russian artistes to be more verbally extravagant.

Your point about media work is well made. It's tough speaking in public even if one is a nonentity (such as myself; when I have to speak in a group, my mouth just locks up). Imagine being arguably the most important person in the skating world and being asked to speak on a controversial issue. Really, Patrick trains for every jump and every step of footwork. Couldn't he train for the postgame interview?
 

Bluebonnet

Record Breaker
Joined
Aug 18, 2010
Patrick is Patrick. Even though I have reason to believe that Skate Canada officials are more laidback than USFSA officials, I believe he has had media trainings. But he cannot change his honesty nature. People close to him loved him for that actually. He does run into problems with his unguarded mouth. But he is not the only one. Alexei Yagudin and Evgeni Plushenko both have had unguarded mouthes from time to time. Patrick tend to be like that more often than they did. The media must love Patrick because they could easily find something to write about him.;)
 

karne

in Emergency Backup Mode
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 1, 2013
Country
Australia
I agree about Plushy. He can be very arrogant and almost obnoxious in interviews, but he backs things up with sheer hard work and grit. Confidence for days indeed. I think I'd even be less likely to yell at Plushy than at any other skater, because this is his modus operandi. I wish he hadn't been quite so peevish at Vancouver, and had just let his skating speak for itself, but goodness, the guy keeps going on sheer willpower, and he's such a gift to skating.

But your paragraph proves my point. When Chan does it, he's outspoken, he's frank, he's unguarded. When Plushenko does it, he's arrogant, obnoxious, conceited.

So far the only differences I can spot are that Plushenko EARNED all of his titles (no human Zamboni there!), but perhaps more importantly, one is Russian, and the other is North American.
 

SGrand

Final Flight
Joined
Dec 22, 2011
But your paragraph proves my point. When Chan does it, he's outspoken, he's frank, he's unguarded. When Plushenko does it, he's arrogant, obnoxious, conceited.

So far the only differences I can spot are that Plushenko EARNED all of his titles (no human Zamboni there!), but perhaps more importantly, one is Russian, and the other is North American.

Don't you find that there's a different attitude though? Like, Plu has tremendous Swagger, Patrick does not. There's a huge confidence issue here with PC and its quite understandable given the press about questionable wins and just his overall lack of restraint in being honest lol. It's a different time due to social media and everything is so instantaneous. You find out everything right away which can go both ways.
Of course Plu comes off as arrogant, but I don't think it's such a bad thing, he obviously believes it and it probably helps him to actually back it up; being confident definitely helps with ones psyche.
Also, from reading here, there are quite a few who find Patrick arrogant and don't like statements. Some like him, some dislike him, it's the same with Plu if you ask me. They both have their fans and detractors.
 
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