Hersh Cohen Article (unfavorable)

[hockeyfan228]

If she really thought this...wow, how conceited...

Cohen received several first place ordinals over Arakawa with the skate she had. (She may actually have had more that were dropped by the computer selection of scores.) To think that had she landed her all of triples/triple combos properly would have given her the victory isn't that far off the mark.

 

[Jaana]

In my opinion Robin is speaking a lot of sense in that article! I don´t see it as any bashing at all.

 

[Kuchana]

In my opinion Robin is speaking a lot of sense in that article! I don´t see it as any bashing at all.

Me neither. It made a lot of sense and some good hard truth that Sasha needs to pay attention to.

 

[Kuchana]

Cohen received several first place ordinals over Arakawa with the skate she had. (She may actually have had more that were dropped by the computer selection of scores.) To think that had she landed her all of triples/triple combos properly would have given her the victory isn't that far off the mark.

Well of course that could have been a possbility but given Sasha's level of inconsistency, I think it highly improbable she would have actually landed all of her 3/3s in order to win even if she had, I don't think it would be so easy to say it would have been in Sasha's favor either since Shizuka had a great skate.

 

[ChiSk8Fan]

Sportswriter and articles

This article and its content is so very mild when it comes to discussions of events in big-time sports.

In baseball, football and basketball, the players, coaches, general managers, head coaches, etc. are all examined under the microscope by the sportwriters. When players are traded or leave teams or negotiate contracts, all the details are mulled over by the sportswriters. The players' and coaches' personal lives are also fair game to be written about and editorialized over.

It is the world of sportswriting and professional sport, with nothing new here to me as a fan of sport in general.

 

[Casper]

At least Madame Tarasova has the dignity to keep her thoughts regarding her students that leave to herself.

At least in the English speaking media. Tarasova has not been so kind to Cohen or their failed partnership in the Russian media.

 

[millie]

Probably if Sasha had a Corvette and gave Phil rides to free basketball games, he would say good things about her too.

 

[KellyWil70]

Bashing??

Doesn't anyone remember that Sash began the whole media bashing by saying her skating was "terrible" with Robin? I mean, c'mon! That is a pretty harsh thing to say about a coach. That is Robin's livelihood. Don't get me wrong...I can't stand Robin's personality and I am simply playing devil's advocate here. But Sasha is certainly not innocent in the mud slinging here.

 

[Linny]

Takes time

If the skater is extremely talented, starting from age 8 or thereabouts and capping their career at age 17 or thereabouts with a medal of some sorts... that's around 9 years.

Seems to me as if many skaters want things fast, fast, fast and don't give it enough time.

Conversely, sometimes a different eye will help resolve a long standing problem, or someone new using slightly different words will get it through the brain and into the body of the athlete... so working with a different coach over the summer seems like a good tactic. BUT it has to be motivated by a need to progress, not a desire for a quick fix.

Figure skating is much like my sport of dressage in the manner. Even the top riders take 7-10 years, starting with a young horse and capping their career with the Grand Prix - the highest level. There was a rider named Klimke who did the equivalent of a Katerina Witt in that he won multiple gold medals in different years on different horses... he often advised that It Takes Time

Maybe this a symptom of our fast paced society that everyone seems to want it now?

Linny

 

[Mathman]

Well, I feel sorry for Sasha.

But she has one way to shut everybody up.

MM

 

[Kuchana]

Probably if Sasha had a Corvette and gave Phil rides to free basketball games, he would say good things about her too.

Oh please. :sheesh:

 

[lavender]

Don't blame Michelle for Robin saying things to the public. Phil has not always been kind to Michelle either. I would say at some point he liked Sasha but then turned on her like he does everyone (including Michelle).

I would have kept this private. Both TT and Robin have said things but I'm sure that some is true. They also have their own faults. I'm personally glad that Sasha moved on from Robin..but she should have stayed with TT.

Anyway it was Michelle would almost beat Arakawa last year (long program)...not Sasha.

 

[RealtorGal]

Still didn't work for me.

Me neither. Even after registering successfully, I still couldn't get to the article. It kept bringing up the new registration page.

I'm editing this to add that I decided to give it one more try, and IT WORKED! Now I'm going to read the article.

 

[Kuchana]

Me neither. Even after registering successfully, I still couldn't get to the article. It kept bringing up the new registration page.

Did you try bugmenot.com? It's quite handy

 

[RealtorGal]

Did you try bugmenot.com? It's quite handy

Yes, I tried registering AND bugmenot.com and I kept getting sent back to the main registration page. I have no idea why the bugmenot.com codes worked this morning, as I did absolutely nothing different than I did last night.

 

[RealtorGal]

Okay, now I've read the article. I don't think we're really reading Hersh at all. It's all Robin, Robin, Robin and her very frank assessment of her time with Sasha. It's probably the most insight we've ever had into Sasha's problematic skating. It really explains a lot.

 

[Kuchana]

Okay, now I've read the article. I don't think we're really reading Hersh at all. It's all Robin, Robin, Robin and her very frank assessment of her time with Sasha. It's probably the most insight we've ever had into Sasha's problematic skating. It really explains a lot.

That's what I thought as well. Another thread in another site complained about how harsh Hersch was being but it's to be noted that he was basing it on what Robin was saying.

 

[Tenorguy]

Sasha Article

Hi RealtorGal - I agree with you that Robin's comments are tough, but explain much about Sasha's nature. I believe it is totally appropriate for a coach, any sports coach, to state that the main goal for an elite athelete is to stive to become a champion.

And she confirmed what I had been thinking for a while - Sasha, for all of her beautiful extension and turn out, seems artistically safe and conservative. C'mon, skating to Swan Lake - Romeo and Juliet - Malaguena? I love Sasha's style, but I don't believe she has a musical soul...... sorry, but I don't, never did. I even believe Irina outclasses her in the interpretation of music.

My question: does Sasha have enough muscle mass to power jump combos? I checked out my clips of Midori Ito landing her 3Axle, and I just don't see Sasha in the same class body-wise, strength-wise. Obvisously Sasha will never develop a body type like Ito or Irina, but does she even have the physiology to power those combos? God, I hate to see Sasha wrack her body (especially her back and hips) like this.

Tara had just enough natural rotation to complete those 3loops - and then her hip joints paid the price. I see Sasha as the same physical type.... Am I wrong?

Tenorguy

 

[chuckm]

hockeyfan228: "Cohen received several first place ordinals over Arakawa with the skate she had. (She may actually have had more that were dropped by the computer selection of scores.) To think that had she landed her all of triples/triple combos properly would have given her the victory isn't that far off the mark."

Kwan skated after Cohen and not only took Sasha's three 1st place ordinals, but added still another one. Sasha didn't have any 3/3s last season (she never attempted any after Worlds 2003, where she landed a 3Z3T then bombed on a spin and a solo 3T). Robin wanted Sasha to work on 3/3s but Sasha didn't think she needed one to beat Arakawa, since she'd been beating her all through the GP Season.

What Sasha said was all she needed was one more triple, and that's just plain bunk. She was so stiff and rigid in her FS and skated without expression or feeling of any kind in one of the flattest performances I've ever seen from her. Her performance contrasted poorly with both Arakawa's spirited skate and Kwan's passionate one.

Sasha also seemed to have overlooked her problems on two jumps: bobbling the opening 3Z combo, and popping her final jump. Arakawa and Kwan both skated clean, something Sasha seems constitutionally incapable of doing in the FS at a major event.

 

[Piel]

Good question Tenorguy. While Sasha doesn't have all of the muscle mass there is less of her to be rotated. Does that even things out? Amber and Jenny don't appear to be very muscular yet each can do a 3/3.