James/Radford announce partnership

[Lota]

It's a very sticky situation that probably couldn't have ended nicely either way, since both skaters are committed to skating, but in different ways (professionally vs competitively). I feel like the nice way to go about it would have been for Eric to tell Meagan that he's thinking about returning to competitive skating (with someone else) but... to be honest, that's also not great for her. How can you be sure of your future and financial stability if you know that your partner is ready to drop you at any moment? However, blindsiding also clearly was not the nicest option. Either way, since both skaters are committed to skating and one wanted to break free, the partnership would have ended anyway. It's just that Eric chose to rip off the band-aid very abruptly.

I think the new partnership will be interesting, but the "separation" aspect could have been handled better. Although nobody could have walked away completely happy here

 

[Tavi...]

Meagan has spoken about the "travel for shows" issue: her concerns were pandemic related and she sounds as though she was willing to do the shows:

https://twitter.com/mhjd_85/status/1385062359299919874

We planned on doing stars Japan until they no longer allowed North American skater. I was resistant to travel with a baby during an pandemic and It was going to be difficult for me to manage but that was my problem, not his.

The discourse about Meagan and her child sadly still appears to be so much sexist after the fact justification

El, to clarify, it’s not just that she was willing to do the SOI Japan shows - she and Eric were actually booked for them. The shows are going on right now and their participation was canceled in February by SOI Japan.

 

[TontoK]

Do you think there would be a meltdown? I don’t, actually, although I might phrase his statement a bit less baldly than you do here.

I think that as long as a skater is self-aware, honest, and decent in making a change like this, most fans will generally accept it. I’d guess the reason some people are reacting a bit negatively - even if they were not super invested in Duhamel/ Radford- is because of the perception that Eric could have behaved in a more honest and thoughtful way towards Meagan.

I should say, though, that a lot of people don’t seem at all bothered by it and are just excited by the new pairing.

I was being somewhat overly dramatic with "meltdown" but the general idea applies.

Think about it: We're now pages and pages into speculation about who said what to whom and when.

And when everything is stripped down, this is over the personal/business relationships of three people who we don't know, who we will never know, who don't know us and don't really care what we think other than how it might impact their own futures, and who aren't significant in our lives in any meaningful way.

 

[snowflake]

Quite a mess though, with everyone taking sides now.

I (and I guess most FS fans) don’t take sides. I’ve learned long ago that it’s impossible to take sides even with people I know well when they split up with their partners. Friends, parents and siblings, just let them sort it out by them selves and support them in making a new happy future.

And at putting your problems on social media for unknown people to speculate about.

 

[4everchan]

I (and I guess most FS fans) don’t take sides. I’ve learned long ago that it’s impossible to take sides even with people I know well when they split up with their partners. Friends, parents and siblings, just let them sort it out by them selves and support them in making a new happy future.

And at putting your problems on social media for unknown people to speculate about.

i think playing detective in such a case here is okay when the news come out.. the timing of it, right after the last event of the season made it even more attractive for such discussion... but this is where I personally end. In a few weeks, I will be over it. I have no time nor energy in life to hold grudges on public figures based on their cryptic social media posts

 

[Tavi...]

I was being somewhat overly dramatic with "meltdown" but the general idea applies.

Think about it: We're now pages and pages into speculation about who said what to whom and when.

And when everything is stripped down, this is over the personal/business relationships of three people who we don't know, who we will never know, who don't know us and don't really care what we think other than how it might impact their own futures, and who aren't significant in our lives in any meaningful way.

I mean, I don’t disagree with you that there are pages and pages of posts, but I guess I don’t see the meaning quite the way you do. OT, but I’d guess that while some people may be driven to participate in these discussions by strong attachments to one or more of the skaters involved, for me-and I suspect for others-they’re probably more of a vehicle to discuss the underlying themes. What do we owe a friend or partner when we want to change or end a relationship? How should we act? Should it be assumed that a mother can’t continue to perform her job reliably?

 

[lariko]

Omg, I am so happy for James! Duhamel/Redford were before my time, but I James skating so much, and I was heartbroken that she was forced to retire. Like, after Ilyushechkina/Biladeau short-lived and promising start, I am not holding my breath, but I want to see James skate again. Though, lol, the way Canadian ladies field is, she probably could do it in singles....

 

[ancientpeas]

Radford is not the first male partner to end his partnership in a less than gentlemanly fashion. I feel those of us who are good at communication and tact should offer a service "So you want to dump your partner" scripts that they can just read off instead of some of the ways that people have ended pairs partnerships.

Daniel Day Lewis dumped the mother of his child (a famous french actress whose name I've forgotten) by fax. Breaking up with someone by text or fax or letter is called "The gutless goodbye" for a reason.

 

[BearryBear]

Article about what happened over the split.

 

[gsk8]

Posts have been removed that are bringing up Cipres. Please refrain from further discussion of this nature as it is not topic-related.

 

[bartlebooth]

Daniel Day Lewis dumped the mother of his child (a famous french actress whose name I've forgotten) by fax. Breaking up with someone by text or fax or letter is called "The gutless goodbye" for a reason.

Isabelle Adjani. By fax. So '90s.

 

[skylark]

One aspect that I think has been somewhat neglected is that, as Eric stated, show skating is his primary income, whereas Meagan owns a skating school with her very successful coaching husband, and she also coaches. Eric said he understood her priorities and was happy for her success and stability, but his situation with shows, being dependent on her participation, gave him a feeling of being unsure of his own future.

Whenever Eric told Meagan about his experimenting with Vanessa, there was the possibility of Meagan feeling blind-sided. In fact it's nearly a certainty. When is the exact moment when it wouldn't have been a shock? Is it different for every person? And would it have jeopardized their skating partnership if he'd told her his uncertain thoughts earlier, before the possibility with Vanessa panned out?

Marissa Castelli said the minute Mervin Tran told her he was leaving for California for a tryout with someone else, their partnership was over. It was a shock to her in that moment, but he had to have been thinking about it for some amount of time. So when should he have told her he was thinking about it?

It seems to me that Eric did the best he could as the opportunity with Vanessa took shape. That's human, and it's not black and white or cut and dried. We all have to deal with ambiguity and even ambivalence to some extent.

 

[el henry]

I was being somewhat overly dramatic with "meltdown" but the general idea applies.

Think about it: We're now pages and pages into speculation about who said what to whom and when.

And when everything is stripped down, this is over the personal/business relationships of three people who we don't know, who we will never know, who don't know us and don't really care what we think other than how it might impact their own futures, and who aren't significant in our lives in any meaningful way.

But that has always been the case, I think.

As I said in a previous post, personally, "pure athletics" have never been my focus. I *loved* "Up Close and Personal the ABC way" during the Olys in the 70s. We just have more of it now, thanks to the wonders of the Internet.

And jumping off and not directed at you, I most certainly can take sides based on information I have. For me, Meagan's reaction was natural and real. Eric was far more "me me me me and let's make it more about me" than Meagan. But all of this is just our opinions, as dedicated fans on an FS Board, and that's why we post.

It probably helps that I don't really care if Vanessa skates again or if Eric is lyrical or whatever. If I cared about seeing them skate, I could read it a different way, maybe, But I don't....

 

[4everchan]

Omg, I am so happy for James! Duhamel/Redford were before my time, but I James skating so much, and I was heartbroken that she was forced to retire. Like, after Ilyushechkina/Biladeau short-lived and promising start, I am not holding my breath, but I want to see James skate again. Though, lol, the way Canadian ladies field is, she probably could do it in singles....

tell me how? does Vanessa have all her triples... or 3-3 combos? I doubt she hasn't tried a triple harder than a salchow in over a decade. I find this kind of post very disrespectful to the young athletes who are raising their games year after year. We have a number of women with the harder triple jumps and competitive combos. Fine... right now, with Kaetlyn's retirement and Gabby's injuries, Canada is not as competitive as it used to be a few years ago, but really? And if you wanted Vanessa to do singles, if you are going to be logical about this kind of ill-reasoning, she wouldn't have to get a release from France. I am sorry but ridiculing Canadian ladies has to stop.

 

[drivingmissdaisy]

Article about what happened over the split.

After reading this, I don't really feel like anything was handled wrong. Meagan very clearly says she doesn't want to compete. If Eric does, they aren't going to be able to be skating partners. Did she feel like she was entitled to have an opportunity to change Eric's mind and convince him that he should only do shows with her and end his amateur career? I don't see the point of Meagan airing any of this publicly.

 

[Tavi...]

One aspect that I think has been somewhat neglected is that, as Eric stated, show skating is his primary income, whereas Meagan owns a skating school with her very successful coaching husband, and she also coaches. Eric said he understood her priorities and was happy for her success and stability, but his situation with shows, being dependent on her participation, gave him a feeling of being unsure of his own future.

Whenever Eric told Meagan about his experimenting with Vanessa, there was the possibility of Meagan feeling blind-sided. In fact it's nearly a certainty. When is the exact moment when it wouldn't have been a shock? Is it different for every person? And would it have jeopardized their skating partnership if he'd told her his uncertain thoughts earlier, before the possibility with Vanessa panned out?

Marissa Castelli said the minute Mervin Tran told her he was leaving for California for a tryout with someone else, their partnership was over. It was a shock to her in that moment, but he had to have been thinking about it for some amount of time. So when should he have told her he was thinking about it?

It seems to me that Eric did the best he could as the opportunity with Vanessa took shape. That's human, and it's not black and white or cut and dried. We all have to deal with ambiguity and even ambivalence to some extent.

Except Eric also has a spouse. The idea that as compared to a man, a married woman doesn’t really need to work and can just rely on her successful husband for income is a pretty old fashioned one, wouldn’t you say?

 

[el henry]

After reading this, I don't really feel like anything was handled wrong. Meagan very clearly says she doesn't want to compete. If Eric does, they aren't going to be able to be skating partners. Did she feel like she was entitled to have an opportunity to change Eric's mind and convince him that he should only do shows with her and end his amateur career? I don't see the point of Meagan airing any of this publicly.

After reading this article, it solidifies my original impression.

Eric handled this unprofessionally and Meagan has every right to air her opinion. I think more highly of her for having done so. Just shows how much it is all a matter of perspective and opinion.

That said, Eric will move forward and skate competitively with Vanessa. People who want to see them skate can do so. And so it goes....

 

[skylark]

Except Eric also has a spouse. The idea that as compared to a man, a married woman doesn’t really need to work and can just rely on her successful husband for income is a pretty old fashioned one, wouldn’t you say?

I didn't say that, I don't see it that way, and what I said wasn't a statement of philosophy, old fashioned or otherwise. *ETA: The way I understood it, Meagan and Bruno were equal partners in the pairs endeavor. *end of correction.

If I perceive anything correctly about her, it's that she would never let Bruno carry the bulk of the work himself. It's a fact that he's an established coach with a great reputation, and that's a substantial asset. But I feel sure that she does everything she can to do her part, whether that's coaching-wise, or administratively, or managing relationships with clients, or something else. I probably should have said all that in my earlier post, but I was trying to keep the wordage reasonable.

I just think it was reality. As Eric said, from 2019 and forward, he was happy for the stability she'd earned and established. While at the same time his own situation felt more fluid, more transition-like and transitory and ambiguous. (And anyone who's worked freelance can surely relate to how that feels unstable and often scary.) Depending on their temperament, some people can sustain that state for longer than others. He said he welcomed the opportunity to explore what he could do, and I believe him, but it's a fact that his income depended on whether Meagan said yes. His work with Vanessa was an extension of that exploration.

Anyway, that's how I see it. Thanks for giving me the opportunity to clarify.

 

[chasingneverland]

The article really just proves though that up until February both of them were completely on board with skating shows for the season together. Meagan talked earlier about a verbal contract but here she's saying that the verbal agreement was for the SOI shows - Canada and Japan. "The last we chatted before that, was to discuss training for that,” she said. “That was in February.” That completely aligns with what Eric said where he said "My plan in February was to do both stars on ice Japan and Canada with Meagan".

That 100% agrees with each other. And that's the ONLY verbal contract that was given. Therefore, Eric didn't break it at all. It got cancelled - or at least Japan's is still going on but travel makes that prohibitive for both Meagan and Eric. Neither can do anything about that and if they could go they would BOTH be there. And also - that was for the Spring shows.

There were no verbal commitments beyond that from either of their statements.

From the article, re a return to competition for Meagan: Duhamel said she would have told him that she was not interested, that she wanted to have more babies. And had he said this was still something he wanted to do, she would have supported him all the way.

So Eric should have made it clear maybe a month or two earlier but people acting like this has been in the motion for years and Meagan only just found out are wrong. It's been in motion for only months.

In fact when he first started skating with Vanessa, it wasn't for competition, it was just for shows and for fun.

So yes, Eric should have told her but it wouldn't have changed anything. Meagan wasn't going to come back to competitive skating. Eric could no longer do shows because that would conflict with training/the competitive season.

I get Meagan's hurt feelings and I feel for her - uncertainty is an incredibly hard thing and maybe she thought she deserved to know earlier - but the idea that she was blinded by the news coming out earlier this week is kinda ridiculous. It wasn't news to her. She already knew. Like yes, she thought after COVID was over they would do more shows, but there was no verbal agreement for that. (Let's be honest, Ontario is in it's third lockdown - the chances we have SOI this year isn't likely. I live in Alberta and we're looking to maybe be done the first vaccine by September/October at best?) The OHL season is cancelled, WHL playoffs are cancelled, Women's World's hockey is cancelled (was supposed to be in NS). Like I think it's different in other parts of the world, but COVID is still a giant thing in Canada.

 

[chasingneverland]

I am sorry but ridiculing Canadian ladies has to stop.

This. Yes, Canada as a whole isn't as competitive. Yes, ladies in particular is a weak spot although overall depth is lacking. However, in men, pairs, and ice-dance, our best are about top 5-10 in the world, maybe a bit higher sometimes.

However, it's NOT like our women aren't trying. Yes, they can't compete with Russia. But let's be clear. No one else, except Japan at it's absolute absolute best, can do that.

Do they need to work on upgrading their technical content and gaining consistency? Yes. But that's the case for ladies all around the world (with the exception of some of the Russian's and they'll have to do that just to get out of Russia.) Also, it must be noted that a lot of the Canadian ladies are fairly young no they're not 15/16 like the Russian girls or Rika are when they debut on the senior stage but they're still young with very little international experience. Like Maddie only made her junior international debut last season.