Barb Underhill and thinking before speaking

[CordeliaFitzgrld]

Anyone catch Barb Underhill's comment that Michelle should reconsider trying for Turino as the triple-triple is obviously not within her grasp? BTW, he also mentioned that the American girls' programs are too easy, and nearly implyed that it was MK's fault! Thoughts? Grrr!!!

[crazysoul80]

What a bunch of rubbish. MK doesn't lack a 3/3. She's done it before and I'm sure she'll do it again.

[kwanette]

Beat her......and she will go......

[egskater0003]

about her comments.....it'll come back to her....

Michelle has proven time and time again that she us the queen of FS and she doesn't need to say it. She just shows it in her skating and all the critics and naysayers always end up eating their words while MK gets the last laugh.

Plus, why did Barb say that when Michelle got 6.0's for pres? Hello, if she was that horrible, then why did she receive the last 6.0? Duh! Yes she'll need a 3/3 for next season, but to say that she should reconsider going to Turino is ridiculous. Has the Pro Skating world gotten so horrible that they'll do anything to get Kwan to turn pro?

[Kabooke]

I just say ignore the whole lot of 'em!

Michelle will do what needs to be done!

Nobody's gonna bring me down today!:p

[EdenroX]

She is just blowing off envious steam. I hear she is always pulling that big foot of her's out of her mouth. There is no doubt in my mind that Michelle can do the 3/3 consistently before Turino, she just doesn't attempt things that are unecessary until they are 100%. She doesn't have to, hence, the "attitude" from Underhill.

Michelle is definitely technically preparing for some 3/3's in her programs. You can see thats why her jumps are so much higher then they were just 2 months ago. When Michelle does her 3/3's they will be textbook and not cheated because that is how she is with everything PERFECTION.

Michelle knows that the last two Olympics were won with technical merit. THAT is why she is working with Raphael.

[Yzerbear19]

Those comments were ridiculous. She said that 3/3 are out of Michelle's ability, but that isn't true. I only caught that part since I was flipping it on during commercial breaks in the hockey game. Those comments just were irritating.

Yzerbear

[Sk8Fan]

Please. She's delusional. She also said that in order to be competitive, Sasha would "need" not only a 3/3 but the quad, making it sound like the quad is mandatory now too for Sasha to have a chance at a title.

I agree that Michelle and Sasha both need to work on a 3/3 between now and the 2006 Olympics, but if anything, the new COP might make it less so than more so, and put more emphasis on things other than just the harder jumps and combos.

[Sam18q]

An interview with Michelle after her skate and they asked her about her future plans whether she will retire etc. Michelle said she love competing and when asked whether we will see her in Worlds next year, she said "Perhaps".

[nymkfan51]

Let her say what she wants ... I hope it comes back to bite her in the butt.

[ChiSkate2002]

Who is she??

[shirleyprice1]

She is just another Roz S. 's big mouth who is too jealous to see straight ! I prefer listening to people like Katt , Dorothy , Dick and Terry on this subject.:rolleyes >: :CHO

[dlg]

She is a former pairs world medalist with Paul Martini. They represented Canada, and are now both commentators for Canadian TV (and Paul did some commentating for that online thingy that didn't work out after they started charging).

[ChiSkate2002]

Oh well.. I guess she's a nobody - who's never achieved anything significant in comparison to Michelle. I guess she can continue to blabber on, won't bother me a bit.

[loyalkwanfan]

Don't listen to her! what does she know about single skating? She was a pair skater. She blew her chance for an olympic medal in 84. Jealousy of course, as phil hersh pointed out before, figure skating in Canada is a MESS, so she has to find things to talk about. i am glad she is commenting for abc, guess D&P are not too bad after all.

[NikkiFinn]

Maybe she's just jealous that they didn't (or couldn't) make it another 4 years to Calgary after they CHOKED in Sarajevo in '84.

I could see it if Shizuka had been landing 2 3/3's in her programs all season, winning all the time. But the fact is, she's not that consistent with the 3/3 in competition. She had the skate of her life today, and it probably won't happen again.
Miki Ando couldn't pull off her quad in two attempts, so I'm not going to predict "in the future, all ladies will need a quad to be competitive".
They said that about the 3axel back in the early '90s, and the jump has all but disappeared.

Sasha does need a 3/3 IMO. She can't skate a clean program, so she needs something to balance that out. If she could land a 3/3, it would lessen the effects of making a mistake later in the program

[neneth]

And during the interview they asked if she going to retire after this or what.Michelle said"retire gee I have not thought that far.Rigth I just want to enjoy myself with skating the sport that I love".

People really want to get rid of Michelle we all know that training very hard to get the proper technic on 3/3.And we know that she's landing them on practice.
Paul said that the American ladies need to put 3/3 on their program because a requirement for the next COP.Otherwise These ladies will be left behind with Japanese ladies.YAH rigth and look at the Canadian women who have 3/3.They are not even close to 5th place.Hello! somebody should tell Paul and Barb that they should to their backyard first before they pinpoint their finger to anybody.
Yes.the Japanese ladies and men's have quad and 3/3 so as the Russian .Now Plushy is in pain,Honda out of the World due to injury and Yoshie is in pain too.

[probativev]

Oh god, didn't you guys read my earlier post a few days ago about Barb Underhill sprouting lies so badly during the pairs competition? Let her say whatever. Even if Michelle doesn't have a 3/3, so what? Let's see, how many women in the Worlds comeptition landed 3/3s? a minority. I guess the rest of them should all go home, forget about Turino, right? Great, we'lll have like, 6 skaters competing at the entire Women's event at Turino!!!!! 3 from Japan, 1 from Italy, 2 from the US (that's Jenny Kirk and Amber Corwin BTW, who consistently have been doing 3/3toes in the last two season). We'll have 6 (possibly 7 if Irina gets her 3/3 back) entries for the Olympics at Turino, since these are the only women who can do 3/3s, and Japan can send maximum 3 entries. The rest of them should pack in their bags now. :rollin

Alexa

Edited to add: don't take for Barb said that personally. If you think what she said about Michelle was bad, man you should have heard how she torn down Shen & Zhao.

[cestlavie000000]

Didn't Barb Underhill have twin baby girls and she wasn't watching them when they were very young and one fell in her pool and died? Let me know if I'm wrong. I think if this is true she has suffered enough and doesn't need to heep bad carma on Michelle nor do we need to heep it on her.

[dlg]

What in the world is going on here? Why the character assasination of someone just because she doesn't think Michelle should go on to Turin? And bashing someone for not managing to get an Oly gold? Um... pot... kettle... black.

[pluto3658]

Who are these people? Former Canadian pairs champions and I believe they also one 1 World Championship. What makes these annoying people credible? I wouldn't listen to any crap they have to say, they should focus on getting the Canadian FS program ESPECIALLY THE LADIES back on track. Who are they to judge, pass on opinions about anyone's career, let alone Michelle's. I think Babs and Paul need to comment more about Canadian FS issues than US ladies FS, period!

[iloveskating]

Underhill was having major problems leading up to & including 84 Olys, but the boots hadn't been singled out as the culprit. After Olys, Brian Orser suggested she try her old boots again. She did, and all her problems disappeared, she used the old boots at Worlds and they won handily.

And yes, one of Barb's babies drowned in their pool and I think one had best be careful how they pass judgement on her in that situation.

[EdenroX]

She is just jealous because Figure Skating is HUGE in Canada and Canada can not produce any singles skaters with any real chance at winning international comps.

Sale and Pelletier are retired so she is frustrated.

[kwanette]

Cest, Yes, one of Barb's twin daughters drowned in a swimming pool...It was quite tragic...I remember when she and Paul returned to the ice and they skated a "Beatles" number...can't remember which one...as a tribute...Horribly sad..

Martini and Underhill were wonderful skaters...I was fortunate enough to see them skate near the end of their professional career here in Atlantic City in Skating Romance III...(MK was in the show, too)...and they skated to "Not a Day Goes By"...I was in tears...They were fabulous....

All of that said...it has nothing to do with idiotic remarks that are made during competitions...

[GiaMarie]

The only person that beat Michelle was Michelle herself. If she had skated a clean QR and if she did not have the two second problem in the SP, Michelle would probably be on the top of the podium today. I don't mean to put all the if's in but lets face it, the only way anyone can beat Michelle is when she messes up. BTW, didn't Michelle win the FS? She had a lot more 6.o's than Shizuka. I think Michelle has a strategy for getting to 2006 Olympics. And, I think that is the only medal she cares about right now.

[Angkok]

SEE I told you This woman has to go! :lol

[sandrakae]

Michelle was second in the free skate. If she would have won the free skate. She would have the gold, because Shizuka finished a head of Sasha.

[redvispa]

WHat is it with all these Canadian commentators? They really dislike Michelle ....almost at every competition I hear about some Canadian commentator critisizing Michelle...:rolleyes its so odd...maybe its something in the Canadian water....:b

[sandrakae]

Because they have never had a top notch ladies skater. Except maybe Liz Manley, but look how long ago that was.
Jen Robinson never did anything but build up frequent flyer miles. Jose Chourinard was a zaboni most of the time. Cynthia Phenouf is an awkward skater. She wont amount to much.

[gatzbee]

uhh ok they should not speak when shikuzu's 3/3's haven't been THAT perfect this competition. in the SP, they were DEFINITELY underrotated, so its almost like doing a 3-2.5 combo =p. PLUS. out of alllll the ladies, michelle has landed quite a few 3-3's in competition. she did it at 2 worlds, a couple of nats competitions, and a couple of other ones, just to name off the top of my head. so its not like mk has almost been having it easy... :rolleyes

[Ogre Mage]

WHat is it with all these Canadian commentators? They really dislike Michelle ....almost at every competition I hear about some Canadian commentator critisizing Michelle... its so odd...maybe its something in the Canadian water...Perhaps Barb is trying to tear down the USA ladies to build up the Canadian ladies ... not that there is anything to build up ... The truth is she would be screaming in happy delight if Michelle or Sasha was a part of her federation. I remember in '92 when some of the Canadian commentators were trying to claim Josee Chouinard could compete with Kristi Yamaguchi ... no offense but she couldn't hold Kristi's sports bra...

Sandrakae ... :rollin

[taf]

Please sandrake, get your facts right. If Michelle had won the LP she would have the silver. Shizuka had 1st in QR and 2nd in SP, so a 2nd in FS would have still got her the gold. Michelle needed someone else to beat Shizuka & 3 ppl including herself to beat Sasha.

Re Barb & Paul, they are annoying commentators sometimes, but we have plenty of those in the US. They are right about the 3/3's-we all know it will probably be a factor in Turino so why can't they state their opinion? They probably don't talk about it for their ladies because right now Canada doesn't have any contenders.

[sandrakae]

taf2002

I'll make a deal with you. You spell my name correctly and I will work on my facts, even though I still think I am right..

[neneth]

Paul said that the Japenese are better technically that the American ladies.Is he blind?Miki Ando's jump are obviously cheat even Arakawa.They did not get any deduction.Just singling out Michelle for not havind3/3 is wrong.I rather see Tracy Wilson next year to to do the commenting than paul and Barb.At least Tracy point out the true lutz and other element just to educate the viewer.Paul and Barb it just on and on blah blah.

[Pather2000]

Cestl: that was freaking god awful thing to say. To attack her for her idiot comments on Michelle is one thing. But personal attacks on a death of a child if Childlike. Growup, you were there & you don't have a clue to what happend that day.


Leave that personal attack alone. Stupid remarks like that make all Michelle Kwan fans look downright evil.

This has to be the most HATEFUL things I have every read on this board. That was just HATEFUL.:rolleyes

[savvysearch]

Barb's comments are annoying. What does she know is within Kwan's grasp? She doesn't know Michelle at all. And implying she shouldnt go to Turino? That's rude and unprofessional.

[Nicalash]

I am sorry for this off topic kind of question, any knows what time is the CBC broadcast for women's LP at the west coast? I thought it was at 2 PST???

Thanks...

[TwinnerA]

The Beatles song that Barb Underhill and Paul Martini skated to when they returned to skating after the death of Barb's baby was Yesterday. It was the saddest thing to hear her talking about the loss of her child. I think I will give her a pass and just chalk up her comments to ignorance and leave it at that.

[Gingerfire]

She should stop worrying about Michelle and Sasha and start helping the Canadian women who seems to need the help right now. She should channel all that hot air into something positive.








:TOS Michelle with attitude.

[Baxter The Cat]

the most was their total lack of recognitionof just how much of a cheat Arakawa had especially in the SP!!!

I also thought both Barb and Paul were FAR too doom and gloom, it's like they think neither Sasha nor Michelle have any chance at getting 3/3's at all.

[All4Kwan]

Cestlavie, regardless of how idiotic Barb Underhill's comments were...and they were idiotic...they don't compare to your own idiotic comments.

Losing a child in a tragic accident like that is horrible...and I wouldn't want to wish that kind of pain on my worst enemy.

Your comments are vindictive and cruel. Maybe YOU should be the one to think before you speak...or post for that matter. Let's keep this about the skating. Personal attacks like that should have no place on this forum.