Lysacek, Shibutani and Shibutani Withdraw from 2013 U.S. International Classic

[Olympia]

I agree with Sasha's statement 100%.

As far as Evan's popularity, you can't gauge it just by just looking at skating sites like FSU, Great Skate, and ONTD. I know many Evan fans, and 95% of them do not access the skating forums because they view the posters as too catty, mean spirited and cruel.

That's very interesting. I've always admired Evan and did so even more when he won the OGM. He isn't particularly charismatic, but he's a wonderful example of doing the most with the talent you have, and if he wants to give it another try, more power to him. It doesn't look great for him right now, but there's still time for him to surprise us, and I for one will find it gratifying if he does well at Nationals, whether he makes the team or not.

As for the prediction that he'd be lucky to make the top five in Sochi, what's so terrible about that, compared to any other American's possibilities right now? We'd be very fortunate to have a man in the top five in Sochi. Maybe Max Aaron is moving into position to achieve that kind of result internationally (that would be great!), but it's not as if American men's skating is crowded at the top.

ETA: I just went back and watched Evan's interview with Bob Costas the day after he won the OGM in Vancouver, and it's the most wonderful, measured, mature interview. To hear someone that articulate speak about skating is a delight, and it's not all that common. On that night, Evan was the face of skating to American viewers of the Olympics (many of whom weren't all that savvy about our sport), and he made skating look good. That's one more thing that will always make me a fan of his.

 

[lavender]

Well I just hope Evan stops getting injured because it is painful.

 

[Selene]

USFSA should just give Jason Brown the Skate America spot right now instead of pretending that Evan Lysacek will compete in the event. His whole "comeback" has been a total joke. He hasn't skated in a single event since the Olympics, and I suspect he will keep pulling out of events with "injuries" because he doesn't have the technical content to compete with the current men's field.

 

[Violet Bliss]

I don't value Lysacek's highly reputed work ethics any more, seeing him being perpetually injured even without any competition. Something is not right with his training.

 

[sky_fly20]

USFSA should just give Jason Brown the Skate America spot right now instead of pretending that Evan Lysacek will compete in the event. His whole "comeback" has been a total joke. He hasn't skated in a single event since the Olympics, and I suspect he will keep pulling out of events with "injuries" because he doesn't have the technical content to compete with the current men's field.

yep, but apparently his work ethic is still unmatched, lol
I don't know why he pretends to even comeback

he will surely pull out of Skate America and the Nationals
or compete and finish in 10th place

 

[Skater Boy]

At least he wasn't twerking!

 

[Skater Boy]

That's pretty funny!

So True though; I don't want to be mean but it is almost like he should have to pay a fine or something lol - I am not sure he is acting totally in good faith - maybe it is hard to commit to coming back (nerves)) or retire.

 

[louisa05]

I don't value Lysacek's highly reputed work ethics any more, seeing him being perpetually injured even without any competition. Something is not right with his training.

Or he is 28 years old; this is a physically demanding sport, and he has been putting his body through grueling training since he was eight years old.

I don't know why anyone would believe that an athlete would train with the intent to be injured and unable to compete. Why is it so hard to comprehend that punishing the human body like that usually catches up with an athlete?

Now, should they try to continue when they are reaching that point? Maybe not. But that is not a decision fans get to make and Evan is certainly not the first athlete to perhaps push beyond his limits at an age when he should retire. He won't be the last, either. Every sport is full of them.

 

[Skater Boy]

Me too. Heck I don't even know if he can do what Sasha did and that is to compete at Nationals.

He is a competitor; he will fluke it out like Sasha to do respectable at least regardless of the situation. And he is an OGM winner.

 

[Skater Boy]

His brand's shelf life is nearly expired to begin with. He knows that he needs to compete at the coming Nationals/Olympics. Without visibility his financial opportunities will fade. It doesn't matter if he doesn't do well at the Olympics, he'll always already be an "Olympic Champion" and have a base-line ability to throw that title around to make money. He wants more than just the base-line, though, and this is the only way he'll get it - competing. Almost nobody actually cares about him as a skater or individual. He needs the platform of the Olympics to simply present his name to a new audience.

Sadly male skaters especially singles aren't worth a lot comparatively to most athletes. THe "studly" image doesn't for whatever reason seem to come from male individual skaters or evoke the machismo that sponsors like. Johnny Weir has a niche market though not a huge endorsement rate. I can guarantee you no OGM Kwan is far more marketable.

 

[Skater Boy]

I' m no Evan fan, but I always found it interesting how little people cared about his win and gold medal. he got some endorsements but I don't think he made that much money. Figure is skating is the one sport where women make more money than man.

ita

 

[Mathman]

Figure is skating is the one sport where women make more money than man.

As is only fair and right. :yes: In every other sport men make millions and women get whatever crumbs are left over, if they are allowed to play at all. Figure skating is the one little niche where the ladies get the spotlight and the guys for once have to sit in the back of the bus. Go ladies!

 

[Skater Boy]

Oh dear gosh, let's don't get into what is fair? Some may say it wasn't or isn't fair that that Evan has gotten so much as it is. Some may say it isn't fair how Carolina has fluked out so many times to get world medals. some may say it isn't fair how Chan has won so much or how Joubert has won with so little. Some may say it isn't fair how much the American ladies and Evan spend on their costumes while other nations fight to put on new blades. fairness is in the eye of the beholder.

 

[Mathman]

Still...in sports, 99% of the time girls get the short end of the stick. How can we begrudge one little sport where girls catch a break?

 

[drivingmissdaisy]

As is only fair and right. :yes: In every other sport men make millions and women get whatever crumbs are left over, if they are allowed to play at all. Figure skating is the one little niche where the ladies get the spotlight and the guys for once have to sit in the back of the bus. Go ladies!

Well, it's the free market. People are more interested in men's basketball and women's skating than vice versa. If a woman is interested in making millions she should play tennis.

 

[Mrs. P]

Well, it's the free market. People are more interested in men's basketball and women's skating than vice versa. If a woman is interested in making millions she should play tennis.

Sorry to be OT, but did anyone see that AWESOME U.S. Open final between Vika and Serena? Man that was a competition for the ages. The match time was 2:43, more than double the average time Serena had in all the wins she had leading up to the tournament.

Man it look like it was over for Vika in the second set when she double-faulted THREE times to give Serena 4-1 lead. Some how, she managed to come back and win the second set and force Serena to play for another hour!

And Serena got $3 million for winner...and even as the loser" Vika got like $250,000, not bad!

Thanks for humoring me. That game was just so awesome. As you were.

 

[drivingmissdaisy]

And Serena got $3 million for winner...and even as the loser" Vika got like $250,000, not bad!

http://www.usopen.org/en_US/about/history/prizemoney.html

Quarterfinal losers get $325,000; Vika got $1.3 million!

 

[Mrs. P]

http://www.usopen.org/en_US/about/history/prizemoney.html

Quarterfinal losers get $325,000; Vika got $1.3 million!

Right! i got mixed up. At the award ceremony they said something like and here's $250,000 more...but I think that was some sort of U.S. Open challenge thing....so I think the total is actually $1.3 million + 250k. Not bad for "losing."

 

[Robeye]

Sorry to be OT, but did anyone see that AWESOME U.S. Open final between Vika and Serena? Man that was a competition for the ages. The match time was 2:43, more than double the average time Serena had in all the wins she had leading up to the tournament.

Man it look like it was over for Vika in the second set when she double-faulted THREE times to give Serena 4-1 lead. Some how, she managed to come back and win the second set and force Serena to play for another hour!

And Serena got $3 million for winner...and even as the loser" Vika got like $250,000, not bad!

Thanks for humoring me. That game was just so awesome. As you were.

Saw it.

Victoria is actually just as much of a physical specimen as Serena. She's got all the physical tools (needs a sharper serve, though Rafa shows that you can do pretty OK in today's game without the humongous serve).

The key difference between them, IMO, is an intangible (which seems to be the case at the very highest levels of anything, more often than not): Serena's got that alpha-female-this-is-my-house-so-get-back-to-your-corner-and-eat-your-mush-before-I-get-mad-and-spank-you thing going when she's in form, which Victoria still lacks.

 

[ice coverage]

And Serena got $3 million for winner...

Serena's total earnings that day: $3.6 million ($2.6 million outright + $1 million as her challenge bonus from Emirates Airlines or whoever the sponsor was). (Same for Nadal.)

Two questions that came to mind as I watched:
(1) Being that it was obvious that both Serena and Vika are sponsored by Nike, I was wondering whether what seemed like color-coordination of the two women's attire (and even their manicures) would have been at Nike's behest?

It seemed too good to be true that coincidentally they both chose that orangey-red color scheme.
Or am I too cynical? ​

(2) Also ... is it possible/probable that Nike's contract with someone of Serena's caliber would include bonus money for winning a major? I'm thinking that it is possible that maybe even more than $3.6 million was at stake for Serena that day.

BTW, regarding the evolution of professional tennis for women:
The American Masters series on PBS has been airing a current (I believe) episode devoted to Billie Jean King. I have not seen it in entirety, but some of it is about BJK's vital role in the genesis of the Virginia Slims tour. It also covers her iconic match against Bobby Riggs.
(I do not know for sure, but I imagine that the documentary was completed well before the most recent speculation that Riggs was in cahoots with the mob to purposely lose the match [which I personally do not believe].)