Any Sasha updates?

[janetfan]

As a Baltimore resident, I'll say the Sun is our main newspaper. Now, I don't actually read the Sun but I think that's just a blog (i.e. someone's opinion), not an actual article. Note the web address and the page- it's not in the format of an actual newspaper article. I don't think it would be in print (but I could be wrong)

Which leads me to believe you might have served as the consultant for this "slanderous" article.........:yes:

 

[R.D.]

Which leads me to believe you might have served as the consultant for this "slanderous" article.........:yes:

:chorus: No, no. I would not condone a piece like that.

The author, while making some good points, used a way harsher tone than was necessary, at least for the standard of a newspaper article.

 

[Sasha'sSpins]

http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/sports/thetoydepartment/2009/11/sasha_we_hardly_knew_ye_1.html

I don't think that journalist has the right to snark about any endorsements that come Sasha's way-it's not her fault if she is popular with such companies and it's not Cohen's fault if the current crop of U.S. skaters in comparison are not. She earned such endorsements imo. I was upset about Sasha pulling out, but not to the point of dissing any endorsements that come her way. More power to her. It almost seems like that journalist is jealous about Sasha's good looks, and good fortune in any good thing that has come her way. Sasha won an Olympic medal-more than that journalist, or most of us can hope to achieve in the athletic field.

 

[R.D.]

Snarkiness aside, I wonder if this is true:

Earlier this fall, she blew off the Olympic Media Summit in Chicago, where most of the top U.S. athletes and coaches gathered for interviews. Then she bowed to pressure from the U.S. Olympic Committee to do a call-in session but conducted her end on a cell phone, creating a connection so poor that she was barely understandable.

That's hardly the behavior of a team player embracing the 2010 Olympic spirit. I'm guessing the wheels already are turning on the announcement that Cohen is calling it a career. Buh-bye.

Did she really want to skip the USOC conference completely?? And did she really call in from a cell phone? (Hello???) For someone who supposedly likes attention she seems surprisingly shy of the media. Hmm...it's enough to actually make me re-think the "publicity stunt" theory...you'd think she'd be milking this one but it occurred to me that most of the hype is actually coming from NBC Olympics...they're desperately looking for an American lady to promote leading up to the games since there is currently none...

I agree that a retirement announcement is imminent. The REAL shocker to me is if she wants to continue to get back to competing even if she is not ready by the Vancouver games...

 

[Mathman]

I don't think that journalist has the right to snark about any endorsements that come Sasha's way-it's not her fault if she is popular with such companies.

:agree: That is so true. Proctor and Gamble think Sasha will be an effective spokesperson for their line of health and beauty products. End of story

 

[Phil Cohen]

The impression that I get is that the only reason that Sasha Cohen even continued her professional skating career(postponing her acting and modeling ambitions) is because the ice shows desperately needed some American(or any nationality) female olympic medalist skater for their ice shows, and there is a shortage of female olympic skaters who are still willing to perform, thanks to the decision by Sarah Hughes & Tara Lipinski to entirely hang up their skates(at 19 & 21 respectively), despite the large sums of money that they would have been paid to perform in ice shows.
Tara was another one who shared Sasha Cohen's dream of making it in Hollywood as an actress, but the acting jobs(and her status as a celebrity) dried up as soon as she stopped skating.

 

[R.D.]

n/m

 

[janetfan]

Here are a few new comments from Sasha about US Nationals.

""I was smart to take the time to heal," the 25-year-old Cohen told Reuters. "I'm not having any pain or problems anymore. Now it's just about making up that lost time. I feel confident two months is plenty of time to ... skate my best at nationals."


Good luck and train hard Sasha!

 

[i love to skate]

Here are a few new comments from Sasha about US Nationals.

""I was smart to take the time to heal," the 25-year-old Cohen told Reuters. "I'm not having any pain or problems anymore. Now it's just about making up that lost time. I feel confident two months is plenty of time to ... skate my best at nationals."

Didn't she also say that she was "confident" that she would be skating in Skate America? Depending how the US ladies skate at Skate Canada this weekend, Sasha's chances of making the US team are getting smaller and smaller, IMO. That is if she even competes at Nationals.

 

[R.D.]

Didn't she also say that she was "confident" that she would be skating in Skate America? Depending how the US ladies skate at Skate Canada this weekend, Sasha's chances of making the US team are getting smaller and smaller, IMO. That is if she even competes at Nationals.

Exactly. Grain of salt needed...Can't take her even semi-seriously any more

 

[Tinymavy15]

There is nothing to be done now but wait. I would now be very surprised if she shows up but we can hope and wait.

 

[janetfan]

There is nothing to be done now but wait. I would now be very surprised if she shows up but we can hope and wait.

Sometimes good things are worth waiting for. :yes:

Sasha's skating is so much more beautiful than the other US Ladies that if she does show and land 3-4 triples it will be hard to keep her off the team.

The funny thing is I don't even know if I want Sasha on the Olympic team. I really just wanted to see her skate competitively a few more times.

 

[Dee4707]

Sometimes good things are worth waiting for. :yes:

Sasha's skating is so much more beautiful than the other US Ladies that if she does show and land 3-4 triples it will be hard to keep her off the team.

The funny thing is I don't even know if I want Sasha on the Olympic team. I really just wanted to see her skate competitively a few more times.

I agree with you 100%. The only time I saw her in competition was at Skate Canada in 2003. Even during practice she was special....she got a standing ovation.

 

[Kwanford Wife]

Sasha's skating is so much more beautiful than the other US Ladies that if she does show and land 3-4 triples it will be hard to keep her off the team.

I'm a bit depressed now... is this what US ladies has come to? 3 or 4 triples?!? Five triples being the jump content to beat? I KNOW there is more to skating than jumps but seriously? Seriously? People can rail and disagree all they want - this is so NOT good for the sport... the Olympics just might be painful...:disapp::disapp:

 

[janetfan]

I'm a bit depressed now... is this what US ladies has come to? 3 or 4 triples?!? Five triples being the jump content to beat? I KNOW there is more to skating than jumps but seriously? Seriously? People can rail and disagree all they want - this is so NOT good for the sport... the Olympics just might be painful...:disapp::disapp:

Yuna won the 09 WC in a romp - with five triples.
I am sure you know that - just as you know Yuna just won SA with three triples.

The CoP flu bug has been particulary hard on the ladies this season :yes:

 

[herro]

I'm a bit depressed now... is this what US ladies has come to? 3 or 4 triples?!? Five triples being the jump content to beat? I KNOW there is more to skating than jumps but seriously? Seriously? People can rail and disagree all they want - this is so NOT good for the sport... the Olympics just might be painful...:disapp::disapp:

Oh come on! I keep saying this, but it's the new scoring system. It's a total point system, so you do the number of jumps that you need to do in order to score what you want to score - so that if that means you can win with four or five excellent triples there's absolutely nothing wrong with that. People are just too used to the 7 triple program to win Olympics/worlds idea from the 6.0 system. Just think about the scoring system.

 

[Sasha'sSpins]

I'm a bit depressed now... is this what US ladies has come to? 3 or 4 triples?!? Five triples being the jump content to beat? I KNOW there is more to skating than jumps but seriously? Seriously? People can rail and disagree all they want - this is so NOT good for the sport... the Olympics just might be painful...:disapp::disapp:

ITA. This is one of the reasons I haven't followed skating much since Kwan and Cohen exited. It IS depressing-the sport seems to be going backwards in some ways.

Cohen can't blame people for being skeptical. I wish her all the very best. I do hope she is fully recovered, trains smart and doesn't get injured again. I hope. And I do think she'll bring a renewed interest in some if she shows at Nationals imo.

 

[Kwanford Wife]

Oh come on! I keep saying this, but it's the new scoring system. It's a total point system, so you do the number of jumps that you need to do in order to score what you want to score - so that if that means you can win with four or five excellent triples there's absolutely nothing wrong with that. People are just too used to the 7 triple program to win Olympics/worlds idea from the 6.0 system. Just think about the scoring system.

I do think about that - everytime I watch the flawed, ugly, jump-less skating that was showcased during the GP series.

Again - I understand how the system is supposed to work. Just like I know that a scoring system designed to raise the bar technically while making the results "more transparent" has not had a positive affect on ladies skating.

Can you honestly tell me that the quality of skating has improved since CoP was introduced? The technical quality, the skating quality, heck even the SPINS have suffered. I will allow the modern spiral speak for itself.

And yes, people might not be adjusting well to the change from 6.0 to CoP but is that a good thing that fans don't understand what's going on with scores? Or when we cheer three triples, four double axles, funky spins and shady spirals? (I'd also like to add that people are the ones who keep the lights on...)

Where's the athletic celebration of combining technical superiority with artistic beauty? Does that need to be sacrificed on the alter of CoP? You can't even say the sport has moved on and the fans need to catch up. The sport has regressed and I refuse to believe skaters are well served if CoP requires an either / or approach.

Yuna is probably the closest right now to an ideal under CoP but where's the jump content? Where the variation? Since when do we cheer ONLY the cherography and charm while ignoring the technical content of the program? Sure, she's got a beautiful 3 x 3 but does that deserve the scores she receives when the program only has four triples? I don't think so.

In an age where other sports are becoming more innovative and challenging where "wow, that was cool" is the norm, skating's approach just seems so counterproductive and unsustainable.

Its like that teacher who'd give extra credit to the below average students so as not to harm their self esteem. Just do enough to get by and the system will support and reward that... its just wrong. :scowl:

 

[janetfan]

I do think about that - everytime I watch the flawed, ugly, jump-less skating that was showcased during the GP series.

Again - I understand how the system is supposed to work. Just like I know that a scoring system designed to raise the bar technically while making the results "more transparent" has not had a positive affect on ladies skating.

Can you honestly tell me that the quality of skating has improved since CoP was introduced? The technical quality, the skating quality, heck even the SPINS have suffered. I will allow the modern spiral speak for itself.

And yes, people might not be adjusting well to the change from 6.0 to CoP but is that a good thing that fans don't understand what's going on with scores? Or when we cheer three triples, four double axles, funky spins and shady spirals? (I'd also like to add that people are the ones who keep the lights on...)

Where's the athletic celebration of combining technical superiority with artistic beauty? Does that need to be sacrificed on the alter of CoP? You can't even say the sport has moved on and the fans need to catch up. The sport has regressed and I refuse to believe skaters are well served if CoP requires an either / or approach.

Yuna is probably the closest right now to an ideal under CoP but where's the jump content? Where the variation? Since when do we cheer ONLY the cherography and charm while ignoring the technical content of the program? Sure, she's got a beautiful 3 x 3 but does that deserve the scores she receives when the program only has four triples? I don't think so.

In an age where other sports are becoming more innovative and challenging where "wow, that was cool" is the norm, skating's approach just seems so counterproductive and unsustainable.

Its like that teacher who'd give extra credit to the below average students so as not to harm their self esteem. Just do enough to get by and the system will support and reward that... its just wrong. :scowl:

I agree with you Kwanford - and think you may have silenced the "young'uns" :agree::thumbsup:

 

[i love to skate]

I do think about that - everytime I watch the flawed, ugly, jump-less skating that was showcased during the GP series.

Can you honestly tell me that the quality of skating has improved since CoP was introduced? The technical quality, the skating quality, heck even the SPINS have suffered. I will allow the modern spiral speak for itself.

And yes, people might not be adjusting well to the change from 6.0 to CoP but is that a good thing that fans don't understand what's going on with scores? Or when we cheer three triples, four double axles, funky spins and shady spirals? (I'd also like to add that people are the ones who keep the lights on...)

Here are some of the performances in the 1997 Grand Prix for four out of the top five Ladies at the Olympics. Is it really worse than what we have been seeing this year?

Lu Chen:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gW7LniuBx3E - 3 triples landed. No footwork and poor spins

Irina:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8c0VJM9ijFc - 6 triples. No inbetweens, constant stroking around the ice, no footwork. This program was from the Grand Prix Final though so it was further along in the season.

Tara:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJjEX7TmOcw - 6 triples. 1 fall, 2 horrible flutzes. Again no footwork, weak spins.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BjDNVEoRd0Y - 5 triples

Michelle:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVCstMxsscE Well she is my favorite and this is a one of a kind program. She didn't skate as well in Skate Canada though and had a fall on a spin.

I didn't include Maria because I couldn't find any videos on her from the Grand Prix Series.

So there were still three triple programs, funky spins, and shady spirals back then. Overall the quality of skating has improved, IMO.