AJC > Sports > Columnists > Archives > 2006 > January > 27 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USWhy should Kwan get a pass?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Jeff Schultz
What a wonderful precedent this is. Never mind the injuries that have led to general absenteeism. Never mind that the rest of this country’s figure skaters actually qualify for the Olympics against other competitors. In a filled arena. With actual judges.
Michelle Kwan: You’re cute. You’re sweet. Love that smile. You make sponsors sing. We feel so bad that you’ve never won a gold medal before.
So tell you what: You get a pass.
“I felt there was criteria for the competition and I met it,” Kwan said Friday night. “That’s all I can do. I didn’t make the decision. It wasn’t up to me. It was up to the committee. As far as the criticism — there’s nothing I can do about it.”
Really? So America’s sweetheart is going to the Olympics kicking and screaming?
Kwan was named a member of the U.S. Olympic figure skating team Friday. The decision came from a five-member “monitoring panel” of the Michelle Kwan Swoon Over America Tour. They watched her skate short and long programs in Kwan’s ice rink in California and determined “that Michelle could win the Olympics.”
Personally, I believe that given Michael Vick’s flare for the dramatic, the Falcons could win the Super Bowl this week. The problem, of course, is they didn’t make the playoffs and ABC didn’t have a vote.
It was Kwan who let it get this far. It was she, who after a year of injuries that forced her to pull out of the recent U.S. Championships, petitioned to be put on the team, anyway. It was she who used her smile and her position in the sport to effectively take a deserving Olympic team away from Emily Hughes (who finished third at the nationals).
This isn’t about figure skating. (If it was, like, I probably wouldn’t be writing it.) This is about competition.
Some have said this is nothing new. They have the chutzpah to cite Nancy Kerrigan being selected for the 1994 Olympic team despite missing qualifying. But that was about a kneecapping, orchestrated by Tonya Harding’s trailer park entourage. There is a little known Olympic rule that reads: “In case of a knee-capping, you get a pass.”
Kwan did not miss the nationals because Shane Stant was hiding behind the curtain. She had a groin injury. That followed a hip injury. That followed a silver medal in the 1998 Olympics and a bronze four years later. On both occasions, many had her penciled in for gold.
I have no problem with somebody getting a third chance to win a gold medal. Just earn it. We do this for Michelle Kwan but not the Buffalo Bills?
Imagine if it worked this way in other sports. Basketball fans were so moved when they saw Willis Reed drag his leg onto the court for Game 7 of the 1970 NBA finals between the Knicks and Lakers. If New York had actually lost that game, would there be a vote to take a month off, let Reed heal up and make it best-of-nine?
Ernie Banks. Ted Williams. Dan Marino. Charles Barkley. Patrick Ewing. We all should have just voted them into the championship.
Really, if this is all about Kwan and what she has done for the sport, why didn’t they just run career highlights on the scoreboard at the U.S. championships?
“Wow! Look at what she used to do,” we could scream. And then we’ll give polite applause, throw roses, blow kisses, tear up and send her to Italy.
Evander Holyfield would love to rely on his resume. Think of all the title shots he would still be getting.
The Braves’ new closer: old footage of Bruce Sutter.
This is not to say that Kwan will do a face plant in Turin. But she shouldn’t have the opportunity without so much as a judge’s score.
Athletes get injured all the time. They win. They lose. They amaze. They disappoint.
What they shouldn’t do is advance to Final Jeopardy because the world is wrapped around their finger.
Permalink | Comments (13) | Categories: Jeff Schultz, Other
Comments
Commenting is now closed for this entry.
By Bryan G.
January 27, 2006 09:52 PM | Link to this
I just read a column about figure skating. Doesn’t get any better than that.
By mrejr
January 27, 2006 09:59 PM | Link to this
hey jeff are you channeling christine brennan? i always heard she had the eerie power to cloud the mens’ minds.
sincerely yours,
dick button
By wordup
January 27, 2006 10:22 PM | Link to this
FYI only the national champion is guarenteed a spot on the Olympic Team. The panel who selects the team could have have picked the 5th place finisher, if they wanted to.
Also, Nancy Kerrigan is not the only skater to have been given a bye. Todd Eldrige was given a bye to the 1992 olympics after withdrawing from the national championships (yes, he was chosed over the bronze finisher), and also in 1998 a pairs team who could not compete due to injury were selected over the team that came in third.
I am pretty sure Todd Eldridge (who’s name I am probably spelling wrong) and the pairs team (who’s name I cannot remember) had the world wrapped around their finger when they were selected over the third place winner at the national championships.
By Patty
January 27, 2006 11:55 PM | Link to this
let the kid skate. emily, not michelle. and it’s “flair” for the dramatic. not “flare”. cheers!
By Hugh G. Rection
January 28, 2006 08:57 AM | Link to this
Why do you have such an axe to grind with attractive women Jeff?
By Matthew
January 28, 2006 09:55 AM | Link to this
I feel that Michelle Kwan should earn her spot and it was a travesty that she was appointed. That spot belongs to Emily Hughes.
When I used to figure skate I was awesome. I was the 13 year old regional champ and 3 time Marine national figure skating champion. I could have made the Olympics if I hadn’t hurt my knees.
After I hurt my knees did they offer me an Olympic spot? No they did not, even though I was a great figure skater. They cut me no slack because I had injured knees.
If me and every other figure skater has to earn a spot to compete in the Olympics then Michelle Kwan should also.
If anything, this is just part of a conspiracy by the liberal media to boost Olympic TV ratings.
By Alex
January 28, 2006 09:57 AM | Link to this
Jeff, I’m sure you know this, so I’ll say it only one time. Michelle Kwan is the Winter Olympics. Do you know what the ratings were for her part of the competition in 2002 Park City Games? Maybe you should look it up. NBC wants her to be there, so does the US Olympic committee, they know what sells, they know what “star power” she has on what is a US team of unknown skaters. I’m an avid sports fan. Michelle Kwan is the only female US ice skater that I know other than Sasha Cohen, and that’s only b/c I saw an ESPN highlight when she won the recent US championships for the first time.
Do you know that most likely, the people don’t care about Sarah Hughes little sister, she’s won nothing, and is only 16 years old. They care about Michelle Kwan. They want to see Michelle Kwan get one more chance before her upcoming retirement. When I say the “people”, I mean everyone else but you. Get a grip, and stop comparing the Olympic games a place where you represent one’s country to the Superbowl and the Buffalo Bills.
By KIm
January 28, 2006 09:59 AM | Link to this
Only the winner is given an automatic berth, Michelle played by he rules get off her back!
By Juice
January 28, 2006 10:55 AM | Link to this
Yeha, how dare they give Kwan a pass!? I mean, something like this could never have happened in, let’s say, college football, where if a team lose its conference championship game, then it’s automatically kept out of the national championship game. I mean, if it couldn’t even win its conference, then it obviously has no business getting in the championship game!
Oh wait… Scratch that.
Maybe Jeff and I should have actually read the rules on the selection process before opening our big mouths on Olympics and BCS, respectively… Here’s my mea culpa. I’ll expect Jeff’s here soon.
By ron
January 28, 2006 11:17 AM | Link to this
mr.schultz i broached this subject on one of the blogs the morning after the nationals,michelle kwan do not belong on the us olympic team.the reason being is that she did not compete and how horrible it must be for emily hughes,her family and fans to have your place taken and granted to someone else.the problem with the olympics is politics is always involved in some form or the other.kwan has had two olympics in which she has been the overwhelming favorite and has come away without the gold on both occasions.it’s apparent she does not handle the pressure of olympic proportions.winning world titles is a little different than olympic pressure.my hats off to sarah,emily and the hughes family for handling this with class,you could have easily caused a stir with the press in regards to this matter.with emily being 18 yrs.of age,do she want to wait another 4 years when she’s 22 yrs old to try for an olympic berth.kwan has had two previous opportunities and failed and now she has bumped a deserving young lady of once in a lifetime chance for a third olympic berth. while i watch the figure skating which is my favoite of all the olympic events i will be pulling for michele kwan to fall on her face while performing.this is the story she deserve to end her career.sorry blog fans i do not possess the class of the hughes family and that’s to remain silent.i’m sure the disappointment is hurting them horribly.you’ve shown class in the matter and is to be complimented for it.
By Skating Fan
January 28, 2006 03:33 PM | Link to this
Why does Michelle Kwan deserve a “pass”? First, she did not get a “pass”—-she had to demonstrate to this committee that she was fit for the ultimate skating competition. Secondly, let’s think about why she afforded this opportunity—-look at Michelle Kwan’s credentials. She has had plenty of opportunities to go pro, yet her desire to compete has caused her to remain an amateur. What other figure skater in American history has the same level of achievement (just her number of national titles alone is mind boggling) or has done as much for the sport over time? Do you see Tara Lipinski or Sarah Hughes still in the sport and doing anything to promote it? Heck, no—-they got their 15 minutes of fame and glory and moved on.
Why don’t you do your research more carefully, and then it should be obvious to you why Kwan has earned everything she has achieved. This is probably her final shot to earn that elusive gold, and I personally think the USFSA OWES it to her to let her try one last time. Boo hoo for little sister Hughes….she is baby and has the rest of her life to compete. One decent showing at national on her part does not mean she has the mettle to compete at the Olympics.
I think it is sickening how you and other media types are villifying her and making a big deal out of absolutely nothing. Why on earth everyone is trying to tear down a dedicated and hard working young athlete is beyond me.
By DavidU
January 28, 2006 03:35 PM | Link to this
If it wasn’t for this Michelle Kwan “controversy” no one would even know that there would be figure skating on NBC in the coming weeks. People already don’t care about the Winter Olympics, how are you going to keep your biggest star out, when its in the rules to allow her in. Its like a sponsor’s exemption in Golf. If its allowed by the rules, than that’s the way it is. I hope next year Schultz is keeping an eye on figure skating also…oh wait Kwan will be retired, so who cares?
It must really suck to be a sports columnist when there’s a two week wait for the Super Bowl, because obviously there is nothing to write about if we are discussing figure skating.
By mmm
January 28, 2006 04:03 PM | Link to this
Irresponsible journalism.Kwan not only abided by the rules, she will medal and probably win.