Bobek enters guilty plea; 8/16 UPDATE-sentenced to 5 years probation

[Frau Muller]

.....-As for her "heading a major drug ring" -- I never read anything implying that. .....

This is very much what was written when she was caught...and similar wording in one of the reports above.

[ArtisticFan]

As for her "heading a major drug ring" -- I never read anything implying that. There's a big difference between taking part in something, and actually running the whole thing. If Nicole truly were heading a drug ring, then the charges wouldn't have been dropped down to a level that had a 5-year maximum sentence.

The original media reports stated just that. In fact, she was said to have played a "significant role" in the whole thing.

"She played a significant role in this operation," said Hudson County Prosecutor Edward DeFazio said of the probe that took down a methamphetamine ring and resulted in more than a dozen arrests, including Bobek. "She was actively involved in the upper echelon of this ring."

http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/2...nicole_bo.html

[Japanfan]

She's a world championship bronze medallist...how can one acheive that without having their life together? I will probably never do anything on the world stage to rival that. And dare I say that neither will the great majority of posters here at FSU either?

When you're young, talent and energy can compensate for not having your life together.

I understood Bobek to be a party animal. I remember commentators remaking that she really lacked discipline or something to that effect. And I clearly remember a comment that her coach had slept right outside the door or her room to make sure that she didn't go out partying in the evening. It struck me because it was such an unusual and seemingly amusing comment.

[Anita18]

When you're young, talent and energy can compensate for not having your life together.

I understood Bobek to be a party animal. I remember commentators remaking that she really lacked discipline or something to that effect. And I clearly remember a comment that her coach had slept right outside the door or her room to make sure that she didn't go out partying in the evening. It struck me because it was such an unusual and seemingly amusing comment.

How's that?

I can see how being young means it's more likely that you'd have adults watching out for you (like your example with her coach) but there are still plenty of examples of older adults whose lives would be a certifiable mess if not for their friends and/or family watching out for them. Sad that either Nicole didn't have any real friends watching out for her, or that she joined the wrong crowd and left all of her old friends behind.

If not, she must have been THE most talented and energetic young woman on the face of the planet if she had to overcome her life being a complete mess to achieve what she did.

And "party animal" doesn't automatically segue into "meth drug ringleader." She had to take a pretty steep nosedive for that.

And I thought I was a boring homebody.

[Ozzisk8tr]

Poor Nicole. So August 5th is the date, well at least she only has about three more sleeps before she finds out her sentence...

[Ziggy]

It might - it has for others - she will have lots of time to think, stay away from the wrong crowd, get counselling, study, etc.?

She's not gonna serve time in Sweden.

[MOIJTO]

Her life always seemed to be on a crash course to something. Hopefully she will serve her time and will be able to be healed.

[cem]

Nicole has been a trainwreck since she was a teenager. She was accused of stealing just prior to her winning the World's bronze medal. Instead of building on that success she returned to form as a talented yet extremely lazy skater. If she had trained properly she could've easily been a medalist at the 1998 Olympics. She may not have been Kwan or Lipinski, but based on the level of skating she could've captured that bronze medal away from Lulu.

I have little to no sympathy for people who get all the opportunities in the world to clean up there life and don't do it. With her skating credentials she could've become a top flight coach making a nice living. But that would take years of hard work and we all know Nicole has no concept of working hard to achieve a goal.

She got off lucky. She only has to spend a year in jail. I feel story for her. She didn't get a proper education and the only thing she knows is skating. SOI is on life support and wouldn't take her anyway and her personality is not suited to coaching.

[PeterG]

I have little to no sympathy for people who get all the opportunities in the world to clean up there life and don't do it. With her skating credentials she could've become a top flight coach making a nice living. But that would take years of hard work and we all know Nicole has no concept of working hard to achieve a goal.

Wow. Thank you for speaking on behalf of everyone here at FSU...

P.S. Don't you just LOVE absolutes?

[skateblade]

No matter the circumstances it is always sad to see someone life ruined by substance abuse. I hope she can get healthy.

[Winnipeg]

She's not gonna serve time in Sweden.

Sorry, I forgot it was a US prison...............


She could always stick to herself and write a book?

[genevieve]

It might - it has for others - she will have lots of time to think, stay away from the wrong crowd, get counselling, study, etc.?

Unfortunately, at this point I think she IS the wrong crowd

[tarotx]

Unfortunately, at this point I think she IS the wrong crowd

Yes especially if she does get jail compared to Prison. But I think this is her best shot at getting her life together. Getting off with no jail would have been bad news altogether and getting a long term stay would have made what's more than likely a doomed for worse a sure thing.

[Carolla5501]

You seem to have a much rosier view of prison than I do. As far as keeping away from "the wrong crowd," I'm pretty sure the rest of her fellow inmates probably aren't nuns. Which is not to say that there aren't inmates who are trying to turn their lives around, but there are also plenty of bad seeds who are hard-core criminals and users. Drugs are fairly abundant in most U.S. prisons.

There's a theory that prisons are like "graduate school" for prisoners... and not a GOOD graduate school either.

Yes, we see the "succes" stories, but sadly a lot of inmates just learn more ways to break the law

I am in agreement with you here that this is not the "best" place to turn your life around, but... we can hope she will...

[Frau Muller]

Not to excuse what she did but Nicole did not have the easiest upbringing with the 'whiff of scandal' surrounding her mom and the late "auntie." I always felt a little sad for Nicole. It's always easy to be a Monday Morning Quarterback on these things but perhaps if she had a more traditional upbringing she may have learned different habits and ways? Ah well, I wish her well after the sentencing and punishment are over.

[marquise]

Bobek could have been an even bigger star than Michelle Kwan if she'd kept her head together. Agree with her being a very good prospect for bronze (or even silver, if Kwan had screwed up badly) in 1998. If only she'd had the work ethic to secure this outcome, she'd be a skating commentator or top coach now, and she'd still be commanding decent appearance fees for ice shows. She had the glamorous blonde looks that would have secured her a ton of endorsements outside of skating too.

I'm new: hi everyone!

[VIETgrlTerifa]

Not to excuse what she did but Nicole did not have the easiest upbringing with the 'whiff of scandal' surrounding her mom and the late "auntie." I always felt a little sad for Nicole. It's always easy to be a Monday Morning Quarterback on these things but perhaps if she had a more traditional upbringing she may have learned different habits and ways? Ah well, I wish her well after the sentencing and punishment are over.

You're not saying that it was the relationship between Bobek's mom and aunt (whether it was a close platonic relationship or a romantic one) that was the source of Nicole's problem upbringing, are you?

[overedge]

Not to excuse what she did but Nicole did not have the easiest upbringing with the 'whiff of scandal' surrounding her mom and the late "auntie." I always felt a little sad for Nicole. It's always easy to be a Monday Morning Quarterback on these things but perhaps if she had a more traditional upbringing she may have learned different habits and ways? Ah well, I wish her well after the sentencing and punishment are over.

Are you *seriously* saying that Nicole ended up being an admitted drug dealer just because she didn't grow up with a "traditional" mom and dad?

Hate to break it to you, but there are plenty of kids from "traditional" families who also end up getting into trouble with the law....

[Anita18]

You're not saying that it was the relationship between Bobek's mom and aunt (whether it was a close platonic relationship or a romantic one) that was the source of Nicole's problem upbringing, are you?

[Kasey]

Yeah, because if she had had a mother and father instead of a mother and "auntie", she could have grown up to be Joran Van der Sloot

Frau, you're a narrowminded, hopeless twit.