Hersh SA article (MK centered)

[RealtorGal]

What a horrible story! I know EXACTLY what you mean, though. The other day I overheard a conversation where one person said, "Well, you know he's Jewish, so he thinks everyone is out to get him." At first I thought I must have heard incorrectly, thinking naively that people still can't be that stupid and ignorant. But, no, my business partner told me I had heard correctly--and to her credit, she told him off. :\

 

[tharrtell]

Co-worker : I meant someone who looks American. You know what I mean.
Me : No, I don't know what you mean.

Absolutely frightening. Where's your co-worker from? She looks 100% American to me.

 

[mpal2]

As horrible as this might sound after getting disgusted by the attitudes expressed in that conversation, I am surrounded by white trash. Yes it is a judgemental thing to say, but I have far to many of these stories. And they are coming from people I expected more from.

RealtorGal, that's another statment that irks me. The most common phrase I've heard around here when someone was cheated is that they were jewed. I had a few comments to say about that one as well.

Just to lighten things up, here is one funny anecdote. The last time I went to the local ballet (which I didn't expect greatness from) the principal male dancer didn't bother with tucking away certain areas. Believe me, it gave a whole new dimension to The Nutcracker.

So getting back on topic...I would have to say that IMHO Michelle is the greatest since Dorothy. She's a miracle worker just because her presence has actually sunk into these people's consciousness. Phil got that much of his article correct.

Edited for spelling.

 

[Rgirl]

I'll report a couple of newsworthy things on GS: Welcome back FloraMac! And welcome to GS Rumie!

Actually, Phil does skim over what I think is an important point: injuries. I won't go into my schpiel on quads and 3/3s for ladies or the figure skating hinged skate boot; however, the COP was designed IN PART to try to put more emphasis on rewarding the "whole package" all-around skater and take some of the emphasis off what was becoming a contest of 3/3s which permanently injured many ladies skaters with great potential before they even made it to their first senior competition.

But even taking out the question of injuries, Hersh's own trip down memory lane is in conflict with his own assertions. There are always years when skaters in a given country are in the building stage and years when they are in the command stage. In the past, that is, prior to Michelle, they would hit the command stage, do one, maybe two Olympics, and turn pro. Now eligible skaters no longer have to turn pro for financial reasons. Figure skating is in a state of flux for a number of reasons, many of which Hersh mentioned, but if Michelle Kwan is the main draw in figure skating right now because, in part, the Soviet Union and Eastern bloc sports machines have fallen by the way side, well, that's the price you pay for progress. If the Canadian Federation does not have the money to bring along skaters as it has in the past, I think that's called a tough economy. What Hersh does not mention are the wonderful ladies coming up from Japan and the powerhouse in a couple of disciplines that China is determined to become.

In 1984, Torvill and Dean literally electrified the world with "Bolero." Great Britain had also had other great skating champions in the '70s and '80s such as John Curry and Robin Cousins. According to Hersh's logic, the UK should have kept producing great ice dancers and men's champions. But the economy to support the training of such skaters year in and year out just wasn't there. Somehow this concept of a country not revolving around figure skating seems to have flown out of Hersh's head as he was writing this column.

Also, who could have predicted that of the all the medalists from the SLC '02 Olympics, so few would still be eligible or uninjured in '03-04? From SLC, we've got none of the pairs medalists still competing. Of the men, Yags will perhaps no longer be able to compete because of his hip; Plush is going strong; and Goebel has been hot and cold in part due to injuries. In dance, none of the top four are still competing. In ladies, Sarah's attempt to continue competing was hampered by injury and perhaps burnout, but in any case at 18 she's decided to pursue school rather than competitive skating; Irina had a difficult season last year, first in terms of getting started then with her mother's illness; and Michelle has wisely (IMO) restricted her competing to Nats, Worlds, and one or two others a year. And I had to chuckle when Hersh listed Nicole Bobek as a "highlight" the year she won Nationals and a bronze at Worlds with performances that wouldn't even come close to making the podium at either in the last few years (and I love Nicole), and then bemoan Sasha's inconsistency. Yeah, Phil, I too pine for the days of that bastion of consistency, Nicole Bobek

Hersh may be right that for the casual fan, right now figure skating is Michelle Kwan. But what is the point of making this point? Put the Soviet Union back together? Improve the Canadian economy so they can have more money to train young figure skaters? If Hersh had used Japan as an example of how a country's federation can use their resources to build depth in at least one discipline in figure skating, I could see a reason for making this point.

Or maybe Hersh finally woke up and realized he'd been a creep to Michelle and used this column as an excuse to finally say, "Hey, Michelle is really great!"
Rgirl

PS So sad to hear the "Look American" thing. Kristi got the same thing in '92, though for the first year or so after she won the OGM she also felt it in the lack of endorsements she was offered. With Michelle, things really seemed to change in that regard. Of course, just when you think we're making progress...(sigh)

 

[lavender]

Isn' t S and Z still competing.

 

[Mathman]

Welcome aboard, Rumie.

Are you looking for another pony-tailed youngster to cheer for after Michelle retires? I recommend the Asada sisters, Mai and Mao!

Mathman

 

[show 42]

Hi rumie and welcome to GS........your post was interesting and thought provoking.........I have a feeling that a lot of Michelle fans feel the way that you do...........hopefully some new "fresh-faced" skater will come along and capture your attention and the whole process of "fandom" will start anew......... 42

 

[Piel]

Who will be my next favorite if Michelle ever retires? I have no idea but I know that after Debi Thomas retired from eligible I started following Nancy, and after Nancy (loved as an amateur not so much as a pro) came Michelle. NNN has come the closest to holding my interest but her career is ??? Maybe AP, maybe Jenny. So Michelle, please don't retire until I make up my mind possibly sometime after Turino .

As far as stupid, ignorant people go. There is a woman in my woman's club who while some of us were discussing skating after Nagano said "I am so glad that little American girl beat that Chinese girl everyone wanted to win". At first I was surprised that Lu Chen had such a following here. And then I realized that she was referring to Michelle I told her that MK WAS an American as her eyes glazed over with that I am an ignorant bigot and will always be an ignorant bigot, you're wasting your breathe look.

Piel

 

[Mathman]

The Seattle Times newspaper twice headlined it's Olympic coverage with the headline "American beats Kwan." The "Americans" in question were Tara and Sarah. There were protests the first time around, but I guess the editors forgot about that by 2002.

As for anti-semitism, we might dismiss ranting from the missing links of the Aryan Nations movement, but did you hear the recent speech by the President of Indonesia. Among many other equally crazy remarks he accused "the Jews" of "creating democracy" in order to trick people into believing that it was wrong to persecute Jews.

Mathman

 

[sk8m8]

GGranny I hope you lead the Cheer on this one


H-Y-P-E-R-B-O-L-E !


"A figure of speech in which the expression is an evident exaggeration of the meaning intended to be conveyed, or by which things are represented as much greater or less, better or worse, than they really are; a statement exaggerated fancifully, through excitement, or effect