Jeremy Abbott ‘kind of on the fence’ about retiring

[karne]

Well he won over Max Aaron, who has more speed and quads. He also finished 6th in the SP in Sochi ahead of several skaters with quads, so, I guess the preferential treatment has already happened.

He also beat Jeremy in the long program, who has good lines and a quad...oh. Now I get it.

 

[el henry]

And this from the story quoted by Mrs. P above about Jason Brown

His favorite stories are those of him inspiring children.

“That really hits home and really means a lot to me,” he said. “I want to be the best role model I can be. If I don’t have a great skate, I want people to be able to watch it and not be disappointed but be inspired, and say, ‘Wow, he carried himself well in that situation.’

“People have talked to me just as much about my character just as much as my performance.”

Now how does that contrast with some other quotes about poor performances?

I don't care if Jason's mother was the Queen of England and he has Bill Gates' money. He puts on great performances, and appears to love performing, and that is what US figure skating needs. That said, he will need to go out and skate and earn it, just like Jeremy.

 

[karne]

That said, he will need to go out and skate and earn it, just like Jeremy.

But so far, he has.

Juvenile Champion. Intermediate Silver. Novice Bronze. Junior Champion. Senior Silver. In between, JGPF champion, World Junior Bronze, World Junior Silver. A handful of golds and silvers on the Junior Grand Prix circuit. And now TEB Bronze. It always surprises me when people act as though Jason has come out of nowhere, because he's been coming for a long time, and building the pedigree of a superstar.

 

[Ryan O]

It always surprises me when people act as though Jason has come out of nowhere, because he's been coming for a long time, and building the pedigree of a superstar.

Jason is an unknown as far as the general public & media are concerned - this was his first Olympics, and he hasn't been to a World Championships yet.

 

[KwanIsALegend]

Jason is an unknown as far as the general public & media are concerned - this was his first Olympics, and he hasn't been to a World Championships yet.

How many unknowns have 4 million + views?
Jason is very friendly and very likable. He's sweet, humble and good natured. He has what is known as an infectious smile.
His skating is very energetic and he has great choreography.
But I don't mean to go along with the Jeremy vs. Jason theme, I just think saying Jason is unknown is not true.
A lot of people who don't watch skating regularly know who Jason is.

 

[phaeljones]

How many unknowns have 4 million + views?
Jason is very friendly and very likable. He's sweet, humble and good natured. He has what is known as an infectious smile.
His skating is very energetic and he has great choreography.
But I don't mean to go along with the Jeremy vs. Jason theme, I just think saying Jason is unknown is not true.
A lot of people who don't watch skating regularly know who Jason is.

All true. Regarding Jason, his accomplishments are all hard-earned through hard work and being decent, and he does not take them for granted. He also seems a true student (and accomplished practitioner) of the sport, developing and improving with a clear direction.

I don't subscribe to the Jason-Jeremy theme. I never considered them in the same thought until I came across this thread. To me, Jeremy's problems have nothing to do with Jason, and Jeremy has BIG problems.

There is some alienation-from-the-rest-of-the-world issue Jeremy has. Because of that, there is simply no way that he is ever going to be popular or liked generally. I laud the merciful souls who can like the guy, but the numbers seem to show that there are a lot of us who simply can't stomach him and have reached our limit. That is apart from his skating (which in a perfect world should be all that matters) but, in his case, because of the extent of his egregious behavior, a lot of people just see this creepy person on blades. That is the reality. Just as Jason hard-earned his accolades, Jeremy seemed to work overtime on establishing his particular type of credentials as well. The interior decorating comments, the U.S. Nationals pre and post skate shenanigans, and the Olympics. Golly gee. After he finishes skating, he should be a graveyard digger. That is one job I can see him excelling at.

I have no problem with him continuing to skate. That should be his option, and his alone. But if he thinks that people generally care for him or care enough to want him to continue, it is just another example of his delusion and his alienation-from-the-rest-of-the-world issue, perhaps even making the diagnosis a complete one.

 

[BlackPack]

All true. Regarding Jason, his accomplishments are all hard-earned through hard work and being decent, and he does not take them for granted. He also seems a true student (and accomplished practitioner) of the sport, developing and improving with a clear direction.

I don't subscribe to the Jason-Jeremy theme. I never considered them in the same thought until I came across this thread. To me, Jeremy's problems have nothing to do with Jason, and Jeremy has BIG problems.

There is some alienation-from-the-rest-of-the-world issue Jeremy has. Because of that, there is simply no way that he is ever going to be popular or liked generally. I laud the merciful souls who can like the guy, but the numbers seem to show that there are a lot of us who simply can't stomach him and have reached our limit. That is apart from his skating (which in a perfect world should be all that matters) but, in his case, because of the extent of his egregious behavior, a lot of people just see this creepy person on blades. That is the reality. Just as Jason hard-earned his accolades, Jeremy seemed to work overtime on establishing his particular type of credentials as well. The interior decorating comments, the U.S. Nationals pre and post skate shenanigans, and the Olympics. Golly gee. After he finishes skating, he should be a graveyard digger. That is one job I can see him excelling at.

I have no problem with him continuing to skate. That should be his option, and his alone. But if he thinks that people generally care for him or care enough to want him to continue, it is just another example of his delusion and his alienation-from-the-rest-of-the-world issue, perhaps even making the diagnosis a complete one.

In short "headcase."

A headcase that rants at the world for calling him a headcase.

A headcase who considers himself a martyr.

A headcase who thinks he can medal even though he's 30 points behind the lowest-ranking medalist.

 

[spikydurian]

I find some of the comments here on Jeremy very unfair and uncalled for. I wonder how many headcases have won National competitions and be above top 20 world rank in a sport.

I wonder who's going to be the next target when Jeremy finally bows out of competition? I am sure there will be a next whipping boy and girl.

 

[Sandpiper]

Am I the only person who:
a) does not care for Jeremy's skating
b) but has no problems with his comments?

While I can see why some people may find his comments annoying, I don't think they're so bad it's worth burying him for. And I don't think it has any bearing on his skating.

The truth is, his headcasing hurts no one more than it hurts Jeremy himself. I can only imagine how terrible he'd feel about another Olympics disaster as the reigning national champ, and he is asked to address people who have made some partially true, but still hurtful, comments about him. Yes, those people have every right to "doubt" him considering his track record. And he has every right to respond to them. I'm sure he is miserable enough as is; there's really no need to increase his misery. (It's almost like people are accusing him of failing on purpose, and there's no way that could be true).

Anyway, I don't have a horse in this race, since I don't think care if Jeremy stays and don't think he'll be a major factor good or bad even if he does. But he is a human being, and no matter how much of a "deluded headcase" you think he is, he deserves a certain amount of respect and compassion simply for that.

EDIT: And yes, I'm aware I'll get responses of, "Well, he told us to f--- off so he's not respecting the viewers either!" I'll just say a) consider how terrible he was feeling at the time. Is it surprising that he lashed out? b) even if he acted like an a-hole in one angry moment, that doesn't justify the amount of vitriol that being thrown at him (how dare he simply consider not retiring!)

 

[Duality]

Am I the only person who:
a) does not care for Jeremy's skating
b) but has no problems with his comments?

His comments and actions don't seem to me as terrible as some people view them either. I mean some of his comments might be bad but for me not as bas to view him as a "creepy person on blades".

But if he thinks that people generally care for him or care enough to want him to continue, it is just another example of his delusion and his alienation-from-the-rest-of-the-world issue, perhaps even making the diagnosis a complete one.

I don't think that he thinks so. I guess he just wants to compete and improve his results.
And I think that people generally care only for a few refined tops like Chan, V\M or skaters who are strong enough to get a medal at next Olympics.

A headcase who considers himself a martyr.
A headcase who thinks he can medal even though he's 30 points behind the lowest-ranking medalist.

He didn't say anything about wanting to get a medal in his last interview and we don't know what he thinks and how he considers himself.

 

[lefeury]

I still believe he wants to continue for himself, to see if he can do the 2 clean programs internationally. He was changed by the realization that audiences are not your enemy, they are supportive of performers. It's his journey not just as a skater but as a person to try to completely understand this issue and to see if his new perspective helps him do a good job for himself internationally. I don't know if he thinks he will get medals or not. He probably just wants to do a good relatively clean year of competing and if that's what he's after I would love to see it.

 

[BlackPack]

His comments and actions don't seem to me as terrible as some people view them either. I mean some of his comments might be bad but for me not as bas to view him as a "creepy person on blades".



I don't think that he thinks so. I guess he just wants to compete and improve his results.
And I think that people generally care only for a few refined tops like Chan, V\M or skaters who are strong enough to get a medal at next Olympics.



He didn't say anything about wanting to get a medal in his last interview and we don't know what he thinks and how he considers himself.

I was referring to the "I may not be Olympic champion, but I showed the world how to get up when you fall" (paraphrasing) comment. Isn't that dramatic. What about all the skaters who overcame truly great struggles like Berezhnaya - I think they have the right to say that, not him. I don't think someone who falls on his quad, which is highly frequent for him when it's international, and gets up, is particularly amazing. It was respectable but not a deeply awe-inspiring act of heroism. Skaters fall and get up and continue to perform all the time.

Midori fell into the camera pit and jumped back on the ice and continued her program. She even apologized to the cameraman after her performance. We don't hear Midori being all wise and didactic about it.

Even the near-xenophobic Sochi audience cheered for him, so he touched people with his determination.

But as soon as he made his fall to be some extraordinary didactic lesson that will enlighten the world.... sorry, you're not the one to do it.

He frequently bombs plum PR opportunities. Opportunities when he can really milk sympathy or support, he instead antagonizes or discourages people.

It's ok if it's just "deal with it people" sort of thing, but it has affected his career and lack of endorsements.

He doesn't need to be explicit about wanting a medal. Actually, does anyone? Does anyone compete for the joy of skating? People compete for the joy of fighting for a medal. He was 5th, so he thought he had a shot. Others are quick to point out he's too far from it. What can he possibly hope for by staying for another season? Another the joy of splatfesting? Of course, he thinks medalling is possible.