cekoni wrote:After this short sentence, we had long discussion on twitter with author, and other journalists (who, of course, defended the "right of his colleague") ... to write any nonsense
Her statement is not so bad (what we have already read), but it really baseless, almost dumb
Part II: Icenetwork.com picks faves from 2012-13
By Lynn Rutherford,...:
http://web.icenetwork.com/news/article. ... y=ice_newsBiggest disappointment:....
Close second: If the great Evgeni Plushenko was so injured, he should have stepped aside and let Konstantin Menshov compete at the 2013 European Figure Skating Championships.
Here are just final response of our
whitebamboo .... maybe she will give us "text" version
https://twitter.com/alena_hu/status/330 ... 70/photo/1
*blushes* Here was what I said on twitter to her:
My regrets in advance for any possible offense, Ms. Rutherford, I certainly do not mean the following personally, but herely in regard to your specific words on this occasion. This is bait-and-switch: in the article it was all about how Plushenko should've "stepped aside and let Menshov skate. So I believe a normal reader can only interpret it (and your later comments) to mean that your disappointment was not in his performance, but that it wasn't "gracious" that he did not do so.
Whether Plushenko himself at Euros was disappointing or not, imho it is presumptuous for a third party to suggest any athlete didn't need to try, or shouldn't, just because he has 7 or whatever number of titles, and then criticize him for trying ("I was a bit critical"). And it's hypocritical in this case to talk about how it would've been "gracious", given that it was not Plushenko who took away Menshov's spot. One could argue--in safe retrospect--whether it was the correct decision for Plushenko to go to the Euros for his own sake, but as he earned his spot as RN champion, I believe this is the only legitimate context in which the question can be discussed. Menshov not being able to go to the Euros this year might be an injustice, but it had nothing to do with Plushenko.
I'd like to mention a quote from Alexei Mishin, who said there are extraordinary people who "overcome themselves for the discovery of new opportunities". On other occasions, he said that what Plushenko is trying to do is to "open a window into the unknown"--in the sense of expanding what is considered humanly possible. This is why your statement that he has 7 European titles and therefore "doesn't need to suffer so to try for 8" comes across so jarringly to me, Ms. Rutherford. Yes, it is extraordinarily difficult for him, and fans like me worry constantly about his injuries and his pain. Nevertheless, to me (and I believe also to many others), sportsmanship is about the need to try and fight. It is about opening windows into the unknown. It is about Citius, Altius, Fortius, which is still the Olympic motto, instead of "graciously stepping aside". I believe these things are indeed a large part of the purpose of sport, and a large part of why it is inspirational for so many. And as a Plushenko fan, I do quote these words above with (however vicarious) pride, because I believe that through his career so far, he has truly done his best to carry them out.
Again, my regrets: it is very possible that we are merely talking past each other, and of course I've already butted in quite a bit as it was. Needless to say, I mean the above merely as a respectful offering of a different viewpoint.
I think I am beginning to really hate the word "gracious"...Too many times it has been used in a way that appears to me, frankly, as a demand for hypocrisy.
About her reply, I appreciate the fact that she took the time to write this long and very civil response (unlike some others, who just condescendingly told us to get "thicker skin"). I also very much appreciate that she has written many positive things about Plushy before. Still, this time, she wrote what she wrote, in the article and in later tweets, and I don't think it makes sense to talk as if Plushy fans were the ones who misinterpreted it.
I did not intend to make Konstantin Menshov the focus of the sentence, as so many Plushenko fans apparently think.
Well, I am glad that she admitted (sort of) it wasn't suppose to be about Menshov. But the way she wrote it, the focus of the sentence
was Menshov, and it wasn't about how Plushenko fans "apparently think" (implying that we're misinterpreting). Whatever she thought about Plushy at this year's Euros or whether he should have gone, it should not have anything whatsoever to do with Menshov. Period.
But yes, I do think it would have added to Plushenko’s abundant legend if he had said, “I am just too injured right now, let someone else go and I will be back.”
This last sentence, though, is rather curious to me. There's been plenty of times when Plushy didn't go to a competition due to his physical condition, and others have been able to go in his stead. But has those times added to his reputation? Frankly, what I've mostly seen on those occasions were people questioning his commitment, courage, integrity, blaming him for the loss of spots for Russia, etc., etc. Or does she mean that this business of adding to his reputation would only work if he also somehow makes a statement to the effect that "I'm stepping aside and letting someone else go because I am so injured" and therefore making himself looking "gracious" or whatever? That would be, in my opinion, what I called "demand for hypocrisy" above. If he didn't go because of his injuries--well, then it's because of his injuries. "Letting someone else go" would have nothing to do with it.
And if she wanted Plushy to talk this way, shouldn't she demand it of other skaters, too? So every time a skater decides to skip or withdraw from a competition due to injuries or whatever reasons, he or she should smile and say "I'm stepping aside and giving someone else a chance" (implicitly: "look, I'm being gracious")? The very thought is horrifying to me, frankly.
But, I don't know, I don't feel like arguing with her now. It's just kind of depressing to me, the way many people seem to think...(not about Plushy, but in general)
P. S. One more thing...So she thinks Plushy should "add to his abundant legend" by talking and not by fighting?