... ... My own comment above on Phil had to do with starting in right away with a quad question. This was bound to come up, but I was a little irked that this was the first question by the first journalist. If he had asked Jason if he was ready for Worlds, how his programs felt, or if his injury had healed, anything else..., and THEN moved on to asking about quads, that would have been different. As it was, it turned me off and I decided I could wait until later to listen and assumed someone would post a summary by the time I got dinner in the oven . So, thanks!
Couple of points:
(1) These teleconferences always start with the moderator asking the skater to make some opening remarks.
The questions from reporters do not start until after the skater's opening remarks.
Jason's opening remarks:
Feeling really great heading into the World Championships.
It has been quite a journey from my injury in December to now and I'm feeling much, much stronger and more confident than ever.
... [audio was garbled, I couldn't hear a sentence?] ...
I'm really, really excited.
So before any question from any journalist (Hersh or otherwise), Jason already had a chance to say (and did say) that he was feeling great -- stronger and more confident than ever.
Those thoughts from Jason were in one of yesterday's other tweets:
(2) The moderator decides the order in which journalists are called upon to ask questions.
It's not as if Hersh was able to ask Jason the first question b/c Hersh (metaphorically) shoved other reporters aside to be first.
I'm fairly new to this board and I'm not that familiar with the comments on Phil. ...
If you or anyone else chooses not to listen to audio of Phil or chooses not to read what Phil writes, of course that is your choice to make.
Because you are new-ish, I will be careful to say that the following comments do not refer to you:
What I have a problem with is that some Jason fans repeatedly snark about Phil -- in this thread and in other threads.
Their recurring snark is quite a contrast to Jason's consistent sweetness.
I will add that Lynn Rutherford was the second journalist called on by Michael in Jason's teleconference yesterday.
And guess what? Lynn's first and second questions to Jason also were about quads.
She first asked whether he would have a quad toe in both programs at Worlds.
Jason (as is his prerogative) did not answer the question directly.
"The main goal is to do what I can do and to do it in the most competent manner ..." [ETA: Or maybe he said "most confident" manner?? The audio was hard for me to hear.]
As her second question, she followed up by asking sort of rhetorically whether he would see how practices go in Helsinki ...
Jason's brief and cheerful reply: "For sure."
My point is that even if Michael had called on Lynn (for example) first instead of Phil, you still would have had to either "deal" with
her questions about quads or chop vegetables instead.
(Side note: I have met Lynn Rutherford in person and she is a very pleasant human being. And I feel sure that Jason has positive feelings about her.
But FWIW, on yesterday's media call, Jason for whatever reason did not give her a big "Hi!!!" like the one that he gave to Phil.)
If you are not crazy about questions from any reporter about quads, I can understand that.
But what has happened in the past is that when Phil asks a question about quads or writes about quads, he becomes the target in this thread of another round of demonization.
Whereas when other reporters (who -- just like Phil -- have a history of asking Jason questions about quads and of writing about quads) ask more questions about quads or write again about quads, no one in this thread posts one word of complaint.
Leads me to believe (although it is just my opinion) that some Jason fans "love to hate" Phil, whether Phil deserves it or not. YMMV.