I'm not saying that Evan is one of the best skaters ever by any means. Certainly on that scale, Plushenko way outranks him. But at this moment, with the state of American men's skating, if Evan could skate as well as he did in 2010 (and I agree that this is doubtful after a long layoff), he's the closest thing we have in this country to a world-class skater. Yes, Abbott is wonderful--in nationals and in the Grand Prix, sometimes. Yes, Miner and Dornbush are potentially good--but forgive me, they've been potentially good for some years now. Weir has passed his prime, and he never had a quad. Refresh my memory. Has any U.S. man gotten into the top 5 since 2010? Into the top 10? So if Evan came along and was actually good (which of course won't happen now, because he's withdrawn--but hypothetically speaking), he'd be a better bet than anyone else we could produce. He'd still have to stand in line behind half a dozen or so skaters from other countries, but at least he'd give us a chance for a top ten finish, especially if he showed his usual steadiness and competitive fire. But it's pointless speculation now. Besides, in terms of preference, the one I'm crossing my fingers for is Daisuke anyway.