Just to clarify, Yu-na did not refer to a specific athlete or country. She did not use a word that implied intentional obstruction. She referred to athletes putting the pressure on during warm-ups (e.g. by jumping nearby), something we all know goes on. It's called competition, but SBS added a malignant nationalistic taint. The media conjured up all the hooplah and the Japanese Fed made an official response. I don't know why Yu-na receives so much bad PR for that.
Kim's representatives end Orser's coaching relationship threads merged
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Just to clarify, Yu-na did not refer to a specific athlete or country. She did not use a word that implied intentional obstruction. She referred to athletes putting the pressure on during warm-ups (e.g. by jumping nearby), something we all know goes on. It's called competition, but SBS added a malignant nationalistic taint. The media conjured up all the hooplah and the Japanese Fed made an official response. I don't know why Yu-na receives so much bad PR for that.
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- Oct 19, 2009
Is it just me...or is it extremely predictable which posters are going to rip YuNa and who's going to defend her every misstep?
If things were working out easy-peasy perfectly then do you think YuNa would have broken up with Orser? Clearly, something was wrong to have made her go this far.
Honestly, every action by YuNa is fine except the part about not being forthright and direct. That could have saved everyone a lot of trouble and hurt. If she had decided, she should have shared it with Orser, and together announced it on better terms.
Also, I must admit, YuNa should leave the Cricket Club. It was Orser's home before it was opened to her. And I don't think it would be good for her to continue working with anyone else who works there, including David Wilson. I know it's a tough choice, but that's definitely a way to make things less tense between everyone there and in the environment in general.
If things were working out easy-peasy perfectly then do you think YuNa would have broken up with Orser? Clearly, something was wrong to have made her go this far.
Oh, please. I know you have nothing personal against YuNa (at least not in the traditional Mao vs YuNa manner) but this is ridiculous. YuNa called him out on some lie...probably for making statements that depicted YuNa like she was confused and it was her mother who was calling all the shots. She said "she has decided." And if Orser felt he was so underpaid, he coulda refused to coach YuNa. He's a big boy, isn't he? And if he's hired by YuNa, YuNa could decide that she's not getting what she needs from him and let go of him as a coach. I believe the hearsay that claims she offered him more and he refused.
Honestly, every action by YuNa is fine except the part about not being forthright and direct. That could have saved everyone a lot of trouble and hurt. If she had decided, she should have shared it with Orser, and together announced it on better terms.
Also, I must admit, YuNa should leave the Cricket Club. It was Orser's home before it was opened to her. And I don't think it would be good for her to continue working with anyone else who works there, including David Wilson. I know it's a tough choice, but that's definitely a way to make things less tense between everyone there and in the environment in general.
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- Aug 18, 2010
If Yu Na has hurt Orser by ignoring and ungrateful to him, Orser has hurt Yu Na by publicly destroying her reputation in her country and in whole world. So Orser is no better in this ugly mess.
Publicly destroying her reputation in her country and in the whole world--isn't that a bit of an exaggeration?
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- Oct 19, 2009
I believe that those people calling YuNa "ungrateful" don't know what gratitude is. And no, I disagree that Orser has destroyed YuNa's reputation.
Point out to me how Orser destroyed her reputation. I've read pretty much every interview he's given and I didn't see once where he threw any mud at her.
He pointed out his frustrations at not getting response to his e-mail, having to find out that she's opting out of the GP from the media and getting a call from Shae-Lynn Bourne that she's choreographing her SP without a single word from her student. He never held Yuna responsible. If he called out anyone, it was her agent.
He never once said "Yu-na is a horrible person" or "Yuna is a liar." In fact, he kept saying how talented she is and how sad he was about the relationship ending.
Heck in the Canada AM TV segment he responded to the tweet stuff with "I'm glad she put her voice out there." If that isn't being classy, I don't know what is.
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Isn't it far too early to decide her reputation is destroyed in her country and the whole world? I have no idea what is being said in Korea but from what I've seen on TV in Canada I don't view YuNa negatively at all and I don't feel Brian wants me to either.
I just pulled up CBCsports.ca You have to go into Figure Skating specifically to read about the split. It's already yesterdays news, no one who isn't specifically interested in figure skating will remember this by the weekend ( assuming they remember it at this moment).
So if you are concerned about her reputation "in the whole world" take a deep breath and relax, all will be fine.
Within the skating world, everyone already knows the players and will have already formed their opinions. Rink gossip thrives here but I really believe in the end YuNa will still be admired and looked at as an amazing athlete and Brian will still be respected and loved by many.
It's only online in sport specific forums that these things tend to drag on and on and on.
I just pulled up CBCsports.ca You have to go into Figure Skating specifically to read about the split. It's already yesterdays news, no one who isn't specifically interested in figure skating will remember this by the weekend ( assuming they remember it at this moment).
So if you are concerned about her reputation "in the whole world" take a deep breath and relax, all will be fine.
Within the skating world, everyone already knows the players and will have already formed their opinions. Rink gossip thrives here but I really believe in the end YuNa will still be admired and looked at as an amazing athlete and Brian will still be respected and loved by many.
It's only online in sport specific forums that these things tend to drag on and on and on.
I can't believe I read through this whole thread....before I go psychoanalyze myself, I do want to say that I feel badly for all involved. I admire Yuna as a skater/competitor very much and enjoy watching her (I also hoped to see her continue as a competitor and grow - i would love to see pointy toes and better knee-flex, for example); I also enjoyed the whole "team" - watching Orser skate at the boards with her...Wilson delight in choreographing for/with her...
I have always admired Brian's skating - and loved that he became a coach and such a well known and respected coach with Yuna.
No way can or will I take sides in this - but from what I read (which seems voluminous), I don't really believe Orser slandered Yuna - perhaps he could have remained quiet and a "high roader" to paraphrase Mathman; however, I can't help fut feel that it is very strange and must have been very uncomfortable that Yuna would continue to train at the same club after dismissing her coach without a public statement (one that could have simply said: great coach, great ride, I need to pursue new avenues now in order to continue to grow/mature/learn). I'm not suggesting she has NO RIGHT to stay with this club, just that I can imagine that it is unusual and uncomfortable for such a high-level/profile skater to do so and more so with all the silence on what was going on. Perhaps she and her team just wanted to finish out the summer or something, but still, it strikes me as a lot to ask of the coaches and pupils of said coaches at that club.
In the end, I'm sure both "sides" will continue to impress the skating world with their talents and hard work....I do hope any bad feelings they have experienced diminish with time.
I have always admired Brian's skating - and loved that he became a coach and such a well known and respected coach with Yuna.
No way can or will I take sides in this - but from what I read (which seems voluminous), I don't really believe Orser slandered Yuna - perhaps he could have remained quiet and a "high roader" to paraphrase Mathman; however, I can't help fut feel that it is very strange and must have been very uncomfortable that Yuna would continue to train at the same club after dismissing her coach without a public statement (one that could have simply said: great coach, great ride, I need to pursue new avenues now in order to continue to grow/mature/learn). I'm not suggesting she has NO RIGHT to stay with this club, just that I can imagine that it is unusual and uncomfortable for such a high-level/profile skater to do so and more so with all the silence on what was going on. Perhaps she and her team just wanted to finish out the summer or something, but still, it strikes me as a lot to ask of the coaches and pupils of said coaches at that club.
In the end, I'm sure both "sides" will continue to impress the skating world with their talents and hard work....I do hope any bad feelings they have experienced diminish with time.
I'm guessing the poster's mistaking this sticky predicament with Brian. Yu-na (ATS, poor management, whatever) has hurt her reputation big time. Koreans are bashing her hard for being ungrateful and non-Confucian in her dealings with Brian. No words necessary on the Canadian sentiment. It will be hard for her to recover. I'm trying to avoid this fiasco by deferring judgement all together, but some posters are crossing the line. I still love Yu-na. I can't help it, so I feel obliged to try to defend her from excessive bashing.
Can we at least avoid judgement on Yu-na's character? We don't know exactly what has happened. There's probably a lot we will never know.
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- Jun 3, 2008
Not that I have anything against that but poor Orser?? If he felt underpaid he could have asked for more money per hour, whats the use of now saying "I nly got 110$ per hour" , if not to advertise his club and coaching? and also his reputation was up more levels with Yuna, which top athlete did he have before Rippon or even before Yuna? and now he is a coach of the ladies OC, plus he did advertsments in Korea where he was gloryfied for being her coach. Not bad I d say.
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- Mar 14, 2006
If this is aimed at me, then yes, it's just you. My past posts on Yu Na are few, I've never posted on Brian AFAIK and I never get involved in the board wars. So I'd appreciate your not stereotyping me.
Bottom line, Yu Na dumped the guy who led her to the OGM (and even more riches) in a cowardly way and called him a liar. Nothing he has said about her has been accusatory or below the belt.
Yeah, he could have walked away and didn't because he wasn't in it for the big bucks. That doesn't mean SHE wasn't cheap.
AND you're right, she should have had the guts to fire him face to face. Or even return his calls and emails.
We agree on this one.
I do find Brian's narrative much more impressive and convincing than Team Yu Na's. If it turns out to be false, I'll acknowledge my error.
This is definitely news to me. I haven't seen anything mentioning this in any of the English-language Korean sources, but of course most will remind me that the English-language sources are lacking. Is there any coverage (translated?) that points to this fact?
I think the other problem is that people (maybe myself included) who believe Brian had good intentions or reason in his approach to the media are taken are automatically on the anti-Yuna side by her fans. For me anyway, that's further from the truth. Do I wish that things could be handled differently? Sure. Do I think Yu-na is a liar/passive-aggressive/wrong? Not really.
I now live in Korea (moved this summer). The people around me have been talking. The disappointment (even anger) is palpable on Korean websites like Naver.com. Web users have accused her of terrible things (Dohn-Yeon-a, "Money Yu-na" ditching her coach to make big money on shows). Articles have been written on how she's "bae-eun-mang-duck" (ungrateful, but with harsher connotation). She's been criticized hard for that show of immaturity on Twitter. I really don't want to elaborate.
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I think this breakup is at the stage that everything is a wound to both sides. Eventually things will sort out. But it sure is painful to watch this phase of the proceedings.
Like many of you, I think it's a bit exaggerated to say that Brian is trashing YuNa's reputation. Just complaining about her behavior in this instance is not the same as trashing her. In any case, even if he had such low motives, he couldn't do an iota of harm to her reputation. She's one of the greatest skaters ever and is an economic power all by herself in Korea. If she comes back and continues to skate competitively at her 2010 level, she'll still win most of the titles she tries for. (Whether she has the motivation to remain at that level is another issue.) If instead she decides to skate professionally, the sky's the limit. She could single-handedly boost the pro circuit in Asia, which is full of avid skating fans. She could tour in North America and Europe. (I doubt this current situation would drive fans away--she's far too exciting to watch. I'd certainly go!) She could do TV. She'll still do gobs of product endorsements in Korea. And she can sing! She'll be all right. Whether she can get another coach in Canada right now, I don't know enough to forecast. But she'll find a coach somewhere, if she wants one.
Brian will also do fine. He's a coach with an Olympic Gold Medalist, and it's largely due to his efforts, his strategic smarts, and his protectiveness of his skater. Frank Carroll waited decades to achieve that! Carol Heiss has never reached such a pinnacle. Neither have the Scotvolds, the fine coaches of Paul Wylie and Nancy Kerrigan. Brian can probably coach anyone he wants to.
Speaking of Carroll and Kwan: I think the big fuss at that time, as I recall, was not "he said, she said." No one said much of anything. The fuss sprang from sheer stupefaction on everyone's part (probably including Carroll) that a skater of Kwan's caliber, who was mere months away from a possible win at the Olympics, and who had trained under Carroll for her entire senior career, would suddenly turn away and attempt to coach herself. The one thing I remember from Carroll was a comment that if Kwan needed to ask him for any help or advice, he was available to her. I think they both behaved with complete courtesy, though it's still the one moment of Kwan's career that has me dumbfounded. There are some things we're just not meant to know or understand in this world.
I'm sorry things are unfolding like this, but I think the situation is a natural result of two things: the intensity of a coach-student relationship and the inevitable let-down after such an all-encompassing goal is achieved. It's as if the armature that held Kim up for her whole life now has no reason to exist. That would certainly make me a bundle of nerves! So I'm trying hard to cut both sides some slack.
Like many of you, I think it's a bit exaggerated to say that Brian is trashing YuNa's reputation. Just complaining about her behavior in this instance is not the same as trashing her. In any case, even if he had such low motives, he couldn't do an iota of harm to her reputation. She's one of the greatest skaters ever and is an economic power all by herself in Korea. If she comes back and continues to skate competitively at her 2010 level, she'll still win most of the titles she tries for. (Whether she has the motivation to remain at that level is another issue.) If instead she decides to skate professionally, the sky's the limit. She could single-handedly boost the pro circuit in Asia, which is full of avid skating fans. She could tour in North America and Europe. (I doubt this current situation would drive fans away--she's far too exciting to watch. I'd certainly go!) She could do TV. She'll still do gobs of product endorsements in Korea. And she can sing! She'll be all right. Whether she can get another coach in Canada right now, I don't know enough to forecast. But she'll find a coach somewhere, if she wants one.
Brian will also do fine. He's a coach with an Olympic Gold Medalist, and it's largely due to his efforts, his strategic smarts, and his protectiveness of his skater. Frank Carroll waited decades to achieve that! Carol Heiss has never reached such a pinnacle. Neither have the Scotvolds, the fine coaches of Paul Wylie and Nancy Kerrigan. Brian can probably coach anyone he wants to.
Speaking of Carroll and Kwan: I think the big fuss at that time, as I recall, was not "he said, she said." No one said much of anything. The fuss sprang from sheer stupefaction on everyone's part (probably including Carroll) that a skater of Kwan's caliber, who was mere months away from a possible win at the Olympics, and who had trained under Carroll for her entire senior career, would suddenly turn away and attempt to coach herself. The one thing I remember from Carroll was a comment that if Kwan needed to ask him for any help or advice, he was available to her. I think they both behaved with complete courtesy, though it's still the one moment of Kwan's career that has me dumbfounded. There are some things we're just not meant to know or understand in this world.
I'm sorry things are unfolding like this, but I think the situation is a natural result of two things: the intensity of a coach-student relationship and the inevitable let-down after such an all-encompassing goal is achieved. It's as if the armature that held Kim up for her whole life now has no reason to exist. That would certainly make me a bundle of nerves! So I'm trying hard to cut both sides some slack.
- Joined
- Aug 18, 2010
Since Yu Na's management team is headed by her mother, it is closely tied with her. Yu Na thinks so too. To see her emotional writing, one should know. So to completely give details and put down her management group, there must be negative impact large or small on the future of Yu Na's career as a pro or as an amateur. While Orser will be flooding in with sympathy and lined up top skaters who want to be coached by him. That's just how I see it at this point.
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To be fair, the context that Orser mentioned this fact was to point out that the breakup was NOT due to money. His point was that he charged the same rate he always did and didn't have an expectation of otherwise, i.e. he wasn't in it for the money. I think posters were just reacting to it and it got out of context.
The Frank-Michelle situation is different. Frank wanted 20% of Michelle's future earning + coaching fee. Money was THE reason for the split.
Brian charged less per hour than Frank did in 2002 and had no stake in Yuna earning at all. I believe it was established that money wasn't a factor.
Brian charged less per hour than Frank did in 2002 and had no stake in Yuna earning at all. I believe it was established that money wasn't a factor.
This came up an hour ago. The situation seems to be easing... well, at least I hope. Brian's last words have me hopeful.
There's also news on Yu-na's "complete departure" long program which is one of the "best [Brian] has ever seen."
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hCJpF5v_3ApoPEf-g9WgVTDzwD0Q
There's also news on Yu-na's "complete departure" long program which is one of the "best [Brian] has ever seen."
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hCJpF5v_3ApoPEf-g9WgVTDzwD0Q
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