Interesting article about Michelle........

[show 42]

You may not like Ms. Brennan, but this is an interesting article about Michelle's justification for an Oly bye..............42

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/columnist/brennan/2006-01-05-kwan_x.htm

 

[Doggygirl]

I totally agree that MK is entitled to pursue a bye...but not for the same reasons Christine mentions.

There are established rules and procedures for an injured skater to request a bye. There is an established process for the USFSA to make a decision. MK will certainly deserve a bye if she is likely to be healthy enough by Turin to deliver decent performances. That is because she is a good figure skater and competitor. End of story as far as I'm concerned.

Christine seems to be suggesting that MK deserves a bye because of her long history of accomplishments in the sport. MK's record speaks for itself, but that's not what the criteria for a bye are about. Christine also suggests that MK deserves a bye because she was a good sport about her alternate status (Nancy's bye) years ago. Yes, MK (as always) WAS a very good sport about it. This would never be MK's style, but even if MK HAD put up a big fit on National TV, and complained until this day, "sportsmanship" and "payback time" are not part of the bye criteria.

I suppose for Christine, the real facts would make for a boring story though. So hats off to her for creativity.

DG

 

[show 42]

Valid points, DG, but these decisions are made by humans based on facts. I am wondering if this fact will sway their decision, either way..........42

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

I am 100 per cent positive that the whole affair will go according to the rules. I would want that, and I am sure Ms Kwan would want it too.

Joe

 

[attyfan]

Well, some Oly athletes have made the US look pretty bad (such as the men's hockey team trashing their hotel room after Nagano ...) and

at least one athlete who is likely to represent the US in Torino has already said things about skiing while drunk and said things about the Oly anti-drug rules that could prove embarassing ...

maybe, considering things like sportsmanship wouldn't be a bad idea

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

I'm not sure what all that has to do with Kwan's petition.

Joe

 

[Mathman]

One of the people on the USFS International Committee is Peter Oppegard, Michelle's brother-in-law. Another is Ryan Jahnke.

 

[show 42]

That's interesting, Mathman........I wonder if Peter will excuse himself.......42

 

[Frau Muller]

One of the people on the USFS International Committee is Peter Oppegard, Michelle's brother-in-law. ......

All in the Family, eh? I'm sure that Peter will excuse himself.

 

[attyfan]

I heard that it has already been announced that Peter will recuse himself. Ken Congreme (Bebe Liang's co-coach) has already said that he will recuse himself, also. I heard somewhere that Mark Mitchell -- who got bumped so Todd could go in '92 -- is also on the committee. Has he said anything?

 

[show 42]

Mark Mitchell...........that will be interesting. He was bumped in favor of Todd Eldridge I think during the 92 or 94 Olys.......I wonder if he can be objective......42

 

[Lanie]

Michelle should and will get the bye because she's a shot for the podium. She and Sasha IMO are the only ladies close who could crack the top 3 (though I've got more faith in Sasha than Michelle... but that's probably me being a Sasha fan ). The USFSA is supposed to pick the best possible team and if Michelle can go, well, obviously, pick Michelle! -- So basically what I'm saying here is that yeah, she should get the bye if her programs are good enough to pass muster with the USFSA and stuff, but it's definitely not because of the reasons Christine Brennan is talking about.

 

[Doggygirl]

Valid points, DG, but these decisions are made by humans based on facts. I am wondering if this fact will sway their decision, either way..........42

I think I might not have been clear (wouldn't be the first time or the last time LOL). What I'm really saying is that I think MK deserves a bye onto to the team if she believes (and I trust her judgement) that she can skate decently. There is no reason for a "Lifetime Achievement" or "Tit for Tat" bye that Christine is suggesting. From what I understand about the bye rules and process, MK deserves a bye for the reasons within the rules and procedures. And I believe that MK and team will be honest, and do things in the best interest of creating the most competitive Ladies Oly team that is possible. And if MK has every reason to believe she can put two decent programs out there in Turin, then she SHOULD be on the team, for what IMO are the right reasons (sending the most competitive team possible) - not the reasons Christine is suggesting.

Sorry if I didn't word that right.

DG

 

[mzheng]

never mind.

 

[Mathman]

..."recuse"...

 

[new_europe2006]

I hope she gets the good karma in return for not complaining about Nancy going to Lillehammer by getting the bye to go to the Olympics if she's healthy in time to go.

Plus Michelle has a higher point total in the COP than all of the other American ladies (except for Sasha) and that wasn't a good competition for her. So I have no problem with sending Michelle if she's healthy enough to do the test.

 

[Misplaced Gymnast]

Someone posted on another board that if past achievements were the criteria for granting Olympic berths, Scott Hamilton & Brian Boitano could still make this year's team, rofl.

I just hope Michelle doesn't get the bye and skate below par or reinjure herself after denying the #3 finisher.

 

[LegalGirl82]

Thanks for the link, show.

Of course, the Kwan fan in me agrees that Michelle deserves a bye because of her past accomplishments and her sportsmanship. However, the realistic skating fan in me knows and understands that the rules and criteria for a bye should, and will, carry the day. As Doggygirl posted here and others have posted in other threads, Michelle should have no problem qualifying for a bye, based on the rules and criteria, provided she has recovered sufficiently. I also agree with Joe, in that I'm positive it will go according to the rules and that Michelle herself wants it that way.

I do think it's unfortunate that Ms. Brennan chose to associate, in any way, the Committee making the decision on the team members to the SLC debacle. To the uninformed, casual reader, this insinuates that the decision making process is somehow suspect. Her phrase "It is well within the rules for those 36" gets lost amid her ridiculously exaggerated snark about how many of the Committee members would have to recuse themselves. She would have been doing readers a better service by actually citing the rules and criteria for both the team selection process and a medical bye, so that uninformed readers can learn that only the National champion gets a guaranteed slot and the rest of the team is picked based on criteria and rules. But, as Doggygirl said, for Ms. Brennan, the real facts would make for a boring story.

 

[havanamesa1]

I just hope Michelle doesn't get the bye and skate below par or reinjure herself after denying the #3 finisher.

Who cares about that #3 finisher? Is there any other American skater outside of Cohen and Kwan that could possibly top Slutskaya? Alyssa? VERY inconsistent. Kimmie? VERY overrated. Emily? Who? Bebe? Who?

The USFSA should just completely ignore the Nats results, and send Cohen and Kwan to the Olympics, and not waste hype, money, time, and energy this February on all these upstarts whom I seriously doubt would even end up in the top ten. This is the Olympics -- whom better to send than the experienced, tried, and tested?

 

[Mathman]

Well, I for one care about the second and third place finishers, especially considering that there is pretty good chance that they both will be on the Olympic team.

There was an interesting quote from Alissa's coach in the paper yesterday about Michelle's withdrawal. She said that their strategy always assumed that Michelle and Sasha would have two spots on the Olympci team no matter what, and that Alissa would be in competition for the third spot. In the Ice Diaries show yesterday, Alissa kind of reinforced this. She said something to the effect that winning the U.S. championship is a pretty dream, but realistically her goal is to medal at nationals and make the Olympic team.

Now that Michelle's participation at Turino is in doubt, I think we could very well be looking at Sasha, Alissa and either Kimmie or Bebe to carry the torch for the U.S.A. OK, they probably won't beat Irina, but that's sport.

Mathman