Michelle Kwan Nominated for Sports Academy Athlete of the Year

http://www.usfsa.org/Story.asp?id=28239&type=news


Congrats to Michellefor being nominated

Congrats to Michelle, nice to see a skater among the 24

I absolutely love Michelle but I do not see any reason for this nomination. Surely someone on the Boston Red Sox should be nominated and win. JMO.

As to Female of the Year, I can't help but think of that lady from Sweden in golf, and the American gal in Soccer, not to mention a few gals from the Summer Olys. JMO.

And then there is Shizuka Arakawa who came from behind to win the Worlds.

Joe

Well, I just went to the school's web site and voted, LOL.

I had never heard of the U. S. Sports Academy (the sponsor of this award) before. I found out that this is a college level institution that gives courses in coaching, sports administration, and the like. They have both residential (they're in Alabama) and on-line programs.

The Academy bills itself as the only graduate school in the country filling this particular niche. They award a Masters of Sports Science degree and a Doctor of Sports Management degree.

Do any of you guys who are coaches, skating club officials, etc., know more about this institution?

Their web site gives the impression that the purpose of the award is equally to honor athletes and to pubicize the school.

Mathman

Surely someone on the Boston Red Sox should be nominated and win. JMO.

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The whole team should be nominated and win!!!

Now let's hope they don't make me wait until I'm 104 for another one!
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No, but really, I love Michelle, but she did not have the greatest season. There are definitely more worthy athletes, just in figure skating, one could say Shizuka Arakawa, Evgeni Plushenko, Brian Joubert for his Europeans win?, Johnny Weir for coming back from 2003, etc.

But if one of the purposes is to publicise the school, would nominating Arakawa, Weir or anyone else from skating work as well?

I haven't looked at their nomination list yet, but did they try to get a variety of sports involved and are the biggest names listed for the lesser known sports regardless of whether they had a good year or not?

nicole said:

Johnny Weir for coming back from 2003

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Johnny self destruct in 2003, he did not have to deal with external forces like a streaker. If you have to credit Johnny's come back from self destruction, then IMHO Michelle is even more deserving because she had to deal with the streaker. If you think Johnny is worthy, then Michelle's world record makes her more worthy than Johnny.

joesitz said:

As to Female of the Year, I can't help but think of that lady from Sweden in golf, and the American gal in Soccer, not to mention a few gals from the Summer Olys

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All of the above are nominated. About Shizuka, I have a feeling MK's performance under fire and chaos of the streaker tipped to her favor. I can see making a case for Arakawa, JMO, I think Michelle is equally deserving too.

There is a list for men and a list for women nonimees. Michelle is the only skater, among the female athletes, or among all the athletes period. How many of the nominees had to deal with a streaker minutes before the most important competitions of the season??

They give a reason for their nomination, if people disagree, then vote for someone else. LOL I speculate the streaker meant harm and the skate gods turned that into a blessing.

Michael Phelps

Vijay Singh

Roger Federer

Cherigat of Kenya
David Ortiz
Peyton Manning
Emeka Okafor

Barry Bonds

Michael Schumacher

Hisham El Guerrouj

Lance Armstrong

Kurt Busch

Female Athlete of the Year Nominees
Kelly Holmes

Sarah Ulmer
Maria Sharapova

Diana Taurasi
Serena Williams

Michelle Kwan
U.S. Figure Skating Champion

Kwan won her eighth gold medal and retained the title of USA Figure Skating Champion for the seventh year in a row, while earning seven 6.0 marks in the free skate for presentation at the U.S. National Titles in January 2004. At the World Championships, she won her ninth medal in nine consecutive years. She earned six perfect marks, the most of any woman in the competition, giving her a career total of 12 at the World Championships.

Annika Sorenstam

Natalie Coughlin
Abby Wambach
Yelena Isinbayeva

Carly Patterson

Lisa Fernandez

Isn't this the Athlete of the Year award? IMHO, Michelle Kwan had a good, but not great year. Sure, she's definitely a legend, but that's based on years past, not the 2003-2004 season.
Personally, I hope Vijay Singh wins. The guy is 90+ and running marathons. I heart him. He's definitely on my "Coolest Old Man List" along with Bin Yao and Dick Button.

nicole_l said:

Isn't this the Athlete of the Year award? IMHO, Michelle Kwan had a good, but not great year. Sure, she's definitely a legend, but that's based on years past, not the 2003-2004 season.
Personally, I hope Vijay Singh wins. The guy is 90+ and running marathons. I heart him. He's definitely on my "Coolest Old Man List" along with Bin Yao and Dick Button.

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People can cast one vote each for male and female. Michelle may not win, but I believe people here are whining about her nomination. She is just one of 12 choices for the female athlete award. Based on 2003- 04, I think she still deserves to be on list, i.e. nomination.

Why was Kwan nominated?

Fossi said:

Why was Kwan nominated?

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Because she bribed the judges...that's how she gets everything.

nicole_l said:

Personally, I hope Vijay Singh wins. The guy is 90+ and running marathons. I heart him. He's definitely on my "Coolest Old Man List" along with Bin Yao and Dick Button.

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That's 92-year-old marathoner Fauja Singh.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/story/132995p-118639c.html

Vijay Singh is a golfer. He won the 2004 PGA, was the top money winner in 2003 and in 2004 ($10,000,000 in winnings in 2004), and overtook Tiger Woods at the top of the PGA rankings.

All Sikhs have the last name Singh = lion.

Mathman

Oh man! Sorry. Well, I hope Fauja Singh gets nominated next year and wins, because he's the coolest.

I very much like Michelle Kwan, have since she was 13. But I agree she is not worthy of this honor based on this past year. Yes, she won Nationals again. Yes, she medaled at Worlds again. What else did she do all year? Nothing competitive other than a couple of "cheesefests". And she has not competed in 'real' competition OTHER than Nationals and Worlds for a couple of years now. I think her name recognition is what got her nominated for this. Someone else mentioned that if they wanted a comeback story (from the streaker freak?? That is a MENTAL comeback), they could have nominated Weir (another MENTAL comeback) for going from withdrawing from Nationals, not getting any GP assignments, to winning Nationals and top five at worlds. Sorry, that's just my opinion.

Kasey

JMHO, she is worthy to be nominated, maybe not win the title. If people are unhappy about her nomination, who else are you replacing her in the ladies section. Arakawa is a reasonable choice, who else. If you look at the field i.e. the other 11,

Kelly Holmes
Sarah Ulmer
Maria Sharapova
Diana Taurasi
Serena Williams
Annika Sorenstam
Natalie Coughlin
Abby Wambach
Yelena Isinbayeva
Carly Patterson
Lisa Fernandez

Compare to the other 11, most of them had better year in competition than MK, but I think MK and Serena Williams had comparable record in 2003. Williams did not win any majors in 03. I think Michelle belongs as a nominee, maybe not the winner.

Weir only had to conquer his internal demon demon for the come back, MK had to beat the streaker, an external demon, so IMHO, MK beat Weir in the mental toughness department. Anyway if you want to put Weir as one of the choices for male athletes, who are you going to take out? Michael Phelps?

Maria Sharapova had a great year. So did Anika Sorenstam. Carly Patterson might be a favorite because of the prominence of the Olympics (which is noted by the Academy in announcing the nominees.)

I don't think there is any mystery about Michelle's nomination. This is basically a popularity contest. Michelle is one of the premier female athletes in the U.S., with a large and loyal following. She is certain to attract more voters than any other skater who might have been chosen.

Shizuka had a fine year, finishing third at Skate America, second at Skate Canada and Tropee Lalique, third at the Grand Prix final, third at Japanese Nationals, and first at Worlds.

Johnny Weir did well, too, in 2003-2004. His competitive record: first in Eastern regionals, first at U.S. Nationals, and fifth at Worlds.

Plushenko had the most to be proud of last year. Second at GP Finals, first at Russian Nationals, second at Europeans and first at Worlds.

Still, I think Michelle would get more votes (by far) from sports fans at large than any of these competitors, so I can see why the sports academy would go with Michelle.

Mathman

gezando said:

Anyway if you want to put Weir as one of the choices for male athletes, who are you going to take out? Michael Phelps?

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Take out steroid-enhanced druggie Barry Bonds.

ITA that Barry Bonds does not belong on the list. Even though the list may have been compiled before the Bonds/BALCO story broke, there should still be a method of removing his name.

Well I think Plushenko would be the most likely candidate for figureskating last year but Arakawa, Kwan and Weir all won one major title.

I didn't have the slightest problem seeing Michelle's name on the list. I voted for her without any qualms or reservations.................. 42