Did anyone see Davis’s post-gold-winning interview? He barely looked at the freaking camera.
He wouldn’t practice with the Team and even practiced outside the US because he felt the team did nothing to help him get where he was.
Then he skips out on the team skating, because that’s not what he is there for!?
Does anyone else find this absurd?
Shanni Davis btw.
i fucking hate that guy. what a complete ass. its fine if you want to be an ass to your teammates but you dont need to be an ass to the reporters. he is very selfish and i hope that no companied pick him up for endorsements.
on a side note i have heard some pretty nasty things about melissa stark from guys that went to college with her.
You could tell she thought it was ridiculous.
The same stuff with Ray Ferraro earlier today criticizing the USA Women’s Coach for not having the right players on the team. He blatantly said that his wife was the former captain and the coach cut her. The guy needs to leave his own beef somewhere else. Not some bullshit whiney crap on air.
[quote]TriGWU wrote:
Did anyone see Davis’s post-gold-winning interview? He barely looked at the freaking camera.
He wouldn’t practice with the Team and even practiced outside the US because he felt the team did nothing to help him get where he was.
Then he skips out on the team skating, because that’s not what he is there for!?
Does anyone else find this absurd?[/quote]
I personally know Shani and although hes a really great guy with a big heart, he can do some pretty stupid stuff. Like acting pissed off during his interview after winning a fuckin gold medal. As far as the other stuff goes, when he says he got to where he is today out of his own merit and not US Speedskating’s - he is correct. He has his own sponsors, doesn’t receive any funding from US Speedskating, pays his own way to overseas competitions, pays for his own icetime, his own coaching, everything.
So yes, the team basically did nothing for him - however, I think he didn’t do a good job of furthering his agenda by acting like an asshole on NBC when a few million people were probably watching.
As far as the team skating - the team pursuit - is a new event. Brand new last season, and at the Olympic trials where everybody gets to find out if they go to Torino or not, because Shani had skated so good at the distances hes skating in the Olympics, he had been prequalified. He skated at the Olympic trials but even if he came in dead last that particular weekend, he still would’ve gone to Italy - it was just a formality.
He didn’t try out to skate in the team pursuit, he didn’t express interest in the team pursuit and yet they assumed that he was going to skate in it because hes good. Think about it, if you knew you had a serious chance at not just a medal but a gold medal, would you want to do anything that you feel jeopardized your chances? The team pursuit was 2 days before the 1000m today - his best distance. Theres some other factors that are a bit more complicated but I can explain if you’re still confused.
But basically when I saw his post race interview I was thinkin “wow Shani, way to fuck up your public image.” I know a lot of athletes don’t care about public image but as far as keeping sponsors happy, theres a certain element of public side that you have to display to keep them satisfied.
[quote]chrismcl wrote:
I personally know Shani and although hes a really great guy with a big heart, he can do some pretty stupid stuff. Like acting pissed off during his interview after winning a fuckin gold medal. As far as the other stuff goes, when he says he got to where he is today out of his own merit and not US Speedskating’s - he is correct. He has his own sponsors, doesn’t receive any funding from US Speedskating, pays his own way to overseas competitions, pays for his own icetime, his own coaching, everything.
So yes, the team basically did nothing for him - however, I think he didn’t do a good job of furthering his agenda by acting like an asshole on NBC when a few million people were probably watching.
As far as the team skating - the team pursuit - is a new event. Brand new last season, and at the Olympic trials where everybody gets to find out if they go to Torino or not, because Shani had skated so good at the distances hes skating in the Olympics, he had been prequalified. He skated at the Olympic trials but even if he came in dead last that particular weekend, he still would’ve gone to Italy - it was just a formality.
He didn’t try out to skate in the team pursuit, he didn’t express interest in the team pursuit and yet they assumed that he was going to skate in it because hes good. Think about it, if you knew you had a serious chance at not just a medal but a gold medal, would you want to do anything that you feel jeopardized your chances? The team pursuit was 2 days before the 1000m today - his best distance. Theres some other factors that are a bit more complicated but I can explain if you’re still confused.
But basically when I saw his post race interview I was thinkin “wow Shani, way to fuck up your public image.” I know a lot of athletes don’t care about public image but as far as keeping sponsors happy, theres a certain element of public side that you have to display to keep them satisfied.
[/quote]
It doesn’t matter whether the team pays for your shit or not. You are part of a TEAM. This isn’t Team Shani Davis, its Team USA.
I am a member of two teams myself, I pay for my own coaching, my own event registrations, everything, even my freaking uniforms.
I’m working for US Long Course too hopefully this year or next, and even then I still will be paying for all my coaching, etc. Yes I could sit back and be an asshole about having to pay all my shit as a college student to get there but such is the nature of the sport.
I am not a racist by any means nor am I judging him by race, but I am sure a few of the millions will use this against him being the first black athlete to win an individual winter medal. Out of the MANY things he could have properly represented tonight, I think he let a lot of people down. Intent means nothing.
For me a lot of the controversy was up in the air, I thought it was just a lot of media bruhaha, but after that piss poor attitude in the interview, I have little respect for his accomplishments. He may have made it but he definitely but a knife in the side of the sponsors who were thinking of giving the next guy like him a chance.
I don’t hold any of this against him. He went to the Olympics knowing what he wanted to accomplish, he gave his all, and he captured gold. Just because other less capable people expected him to carry them doesn’t deminish what he accomplished.
[quote]doogie wrote:
I don’t hold any of this against him. He went to the Olympics knowing what he wanted to accomplish, he gave his all, and he captured gold. Just because other less capable people expected him to carry them doesn’t deminish what he accomplished.[/quote]
Because the Olympics is all about yourself right?
Its about being part of your country. Representing your country.
Individual accomplishments are for the World Cups.
[quote]TriGWU wrote:
doogie wrote:
I don’t hold any of this against him. He went to the Olympics knowing what he wanted to accomplish, he gave his all, and he captured gold. Just because other less capable people expected him to carry them doesn’t deminish what he accomplished.
Because the Olympics is all about yourself right?
Its about being part of your country. Representing your country.
Individual accomplishments are for the World Cups. [/quote]
If the USA had a training program like the former Soviet Union, that paid all of Davis’s bills, I’d agree with you. As it is, I don’t. The Olympics are about doing the best you can do as an individual in your event.
[quote]doogie wrote:
If the USA had a training program like the former Soviet Union, that paid all of Davis’s bills, I’d agree with you. As it is, I don’t. The Olympics are about doing the best you can do as an individual in your event.
[/quote]
I disagree, if that is all its about, take the flag off.
[quote]TriGWU wrote:
Because the Olympics is all about yourself right?
[/quote]
Of course it is, especially when you’re paying your own damn way. In this day and age why are people still holding on to some trite pie-in-the sky ideal about the olympics?
Nothing personal against you triGWU, but I think this is a distorted way to look at ANY sport; People treat international sports like it’s religion or war. For crying out loud, it’s speedskating not D-day. Pat Tillman represented his country, Shani Davis participate in a glorified hobby.
[quote]
Individual accomplishments are for the World Cups. [/quote]
Individual sports are about individuals, regardless of the venue.
[quote]KJ Bridgewater wrote:
TriGWU wrote:
Because the Olympics is all about yourself right?
Of course it is, especially when you’re paying your own damn way. In this day and age why are people still holding on to some trite pie-in-the sky ideal about the olympics?
Its about being part of your country. Representing your country.
Nothing personal against you triGWU, but I think this is a distorted way to look at ANY sport; People treat international sports like it’s religion or war. For crying out loud, it’s speedskating not D-day. Pat Tillman represented his country, Shani Davis participate in a glorified hobby.
Individual accomplishments are for the World Cups.
Individual sports are about individuals, regardless of the venue.[/quote]
Everyone pays their own way in sports. It’s part of being an athlete. He’s being a whiney bitch about something that every athlete goes through.
Tri,
Maybe from his point of view, people are attempting to be a part of his success?
If some “program” is trying to claim him now, after all his hard work, I can see being a bit pissed. Where the hell where you when I needed help… you don’t get to claim me as a part of your “system” now.
I didn’t see it, but I would agree that being a bit more gracious certainly would have been a good idea.
[quote]vroom wrote:
Tri,
Maybe from his point of view, people are attempting to be a part of his success?
If some “program” is trying to claim him now, after all his hard work, I can see being a bit pissed. Where the hell where you when I needed help… you don’t get to claim me as a part of your “system” now.
I didn’t see it, but I would agree that being a bit more gracious certainly would have been a good idea.[/quote]
Thats exactly the problem thats going on with Shani Davis and the governing body - US Speedskating. He doesn’t want them to benefit in any way from his success. Now I’m not sure how he can successfully separate himself from them completely - I mean the organization is “US Speedskating” and he speedskates. People are going to associate the two no matter how much he doesn’t like it.
I think theres a line between standing up against people who have wronged you and completely alienating yourself. I think with his attitude after the winning the gold medal, he pretty much alienated himself.
[quote]vroom wrote:
Tri,
Maybe from his point of view, people are attempting to be a part of his success?
If some “program” is trying to claim him now, after all his hard work, I can see being a bit pissed. Where the hell where you when I needed help… you don’t get to claim me as a part of your “system” now.
I didn’t see it, but I would agree that being a bit more gracious certainly would have been a good idea.[/quote]
Good point and thats how I thought it was until the interview. Whether that is the case or not the interview was horrid. He wouldn’t even look at the camera.
There are not very many likeable athletes in this crop of Olympians.
I’m pretty sure he skipped out on the team events because he wanted his legs to be fresh so he could accomplished what he had dreamed about since he was young. If that’s cool with him and with the team we shouldn’t hold anything against him. I didn’t see the interviews or anything, so if he was an ass, then hey, he was an ass, lots of athletes are, but it still does’t detract from their ability.
[quote]KJ Bridgewater wrote:
TriGWU wrote:
Because the Olympics is all about yourself right?
Of course it is, especially when you’re paying your own damn way. In this day and age why are people still holding on to some trite pie-in-the sky ideal about the olympics?
Its about being part of your country. Representing your country.
Nothing personal against you triGWU, but I think this is a distorted way to look at ANY sport; People treat international sports like it’s religion or war. For crying out loud, it’s speedskating not D-day. Pat Tillman represented his country, Shani Davis participate in a glorified hobby.
Individual accomplishments are for the World Cups.
Individual sports are about individuals, regardless of the venue.[/quote]
KJ, that was a very good post, you know… for a cunnuck =)
[quote]JMUdude509 wrote:
I’m pretty sure he skipped out on the team events because he wanted his legs to be fresh so he could accomplished what he had dreamed about since he was young. If that’s cool with him and with the team we shouldn’t hold anything against him. I didn’t see the interviews or anything, so if he was an ass, then hey, he was an ass, lots of athletes are, but it still does’t detract from their ability.[/quote]
Team race was Wednesday. His race was Saturday. You’re an olympian you still need THAT much rest!?
[quote]TriGWU wrote:
Team race was Wednesday. His race was Saturday. You’re an olympian you still need THAT much rest!?[/quote]
The finals for the team race were on Thursday night.