Welcome to My World by Johnny Weir - It's here, deal with it!

[REO]

He took himself out of contention for the GPF after being injured in a freaking handstand contest?! What an idiot.

That he lost to Evan might be part of what has contributed to his animosity toward Lysacek. JMO, though…..

Right?! I bet that went over like a lead balloon with his coach.
I doubt it had anything to do with his tiff with Evan though. It wasn't Evan's fault he was too drunk to do a good handstand.

[Clarity]

At a party following Cup of Russia, a tipsy Johnny spotted Evan sitting in a corner, and challenged him to a handstand contest. They adjourned to a hallway upstairs, where Johnny was "losing terribly" and then "came down wrong" on the toe of his "very pointy gray leather boots," spraining his ankle. There went the GPF.

That's one of those stories that's either too stupid to be real, or too stupid to be made up. Their history of bringing out the 5 year old in each other leads me to believe that, in this case, it's the latter.

[judiz]

Reading the thread about worse people you sat with at competitions, one has to wonder if Johnny's negative feelings about Michael Weiss has to do not so much with Michael but with what Michael's family might have said about Johnny in the stands.

[judiz]

Got the book today at Barnes and Noble, my son wanted a book so we went and there was only one copy in the whole store. Given that the official release date isn't until Tuesday, makes me wonder if somone put it out by mistake.

[cmkrcwi]

I know a lot of skating fans didn't like Michael Weiss because they thought he flaunted his wife and kids too much in order to prove his heterosexuality.

[Rex]

He has landed two: one during 2000 worlds short, the other one I think at 2005 world.

Weiss didn't make the 2005 world team. Maybe you meant 2003?

[dr.frog]

Well, Michael Weiss has one thing that sure has Johnny eating his heart out: a long-standing gig with Stars On Ice.

Seriously, for several years there Weiss and his family definitely rubbed a lot of people the wrong way, including his competitors and his competitors' families. But, somewhere after that 2003 "junior skaters" comment, I think Weiss got the message that you don't have a successful pro skating career by being rude to your colleagues, whining to the media, or burning bridges with TPTB. Nowadays I have to point to him as an example of somebody who has been extremely smart in managing his long-term career in the sport.

That said, I also think Weir had more natural talent and the potential to be a far better skater than Weiss ever was. But, Weiss has ended up with a long and successful pro career, and Weir seems to be trying to make a living out of publicity stunts.

[Civic]

I've never met either man and I prefer Weir's skating. I agree with Dr. Frog that Weir has the greater natural talent. However, I have to give Weiss props for making the most of his skating talent; something Weir failed to do.

I also remember some of the PR stunts Weiss and his family pulled between 1998-2002. They seemed to be trying to position him in the USFSA and fans' minds as THE STRAIGHT AMERICAN SKATER complete with wife and kids. Back then, I considered this strategem only mildly annoying; silly and a bit heavy-handed but nothing to get really worked up about. But, of course, I wasn't one of his rivals and I'm not gay.

If I had been one of his rivals and gay, Weiss' PR strategems might have enraged me. They were appealing to peoples' homophobia. Weir could change his coach, training regimen, etc. but he couldn't change his sexual orientation nor should he have been expected to try.

[Carolla5501]

Well considering the other Weiss post on here.. while he may have made errors in his skating days he certainly is giving back to the sport. Got to give Weiss credit for that. I hope Johnny, Evan and others take a page from that book. It would help out the sport over the long term (And I don't mean givng thier funds, but just doing things to help out, fund raising skates,clinics etc... you can give back in ways other then dollar donations!)

[Rex]

Weiss did come across as annoying back in the day as an eligible, but it sounds like he's matured and I actually enjoyed some of his commentary during the Grand Prix.

Don't know what else to say about Johnny. I wish he had been able to capitalize on his skating talent more than the stuff he's doing now, but I guess it's a living.

I'm kind of curious about the book.

[mag]

From what I have read in this thread (and that may not be the whole story,) I think Johnny has written about Weiss the way kids talk to each other on 1/2 hour sitcoms. They are rude and disrespectful. The thing is, on TV everyone laughs and no one is ever hurt by the comment. In real life, it just comes across as immature and classless. I don't understand why people feel the need to put others down - especially in public. I wouldn't know Weiss if he handed me a loaf of bread in the supermarket (to paraphrase from the Caroline Zhang thread,) but even if he was a complete a$$ to Johnny when they were competing, that was years ago and should be water under the bridge. Most of us say and do things that we regret and I'm sure that Johnny would get his knickers in a real knot if someone said something similar about him. I don't plan to buy the book. Johnny is an adult; perhaps it is time to grow up.

[mmscfdcsu]

http://www.amazon.com/Welcome-My-Wor.../dp/1451610289

The price is dropping. I love how the new copies are cheaper than the used ones.

[manleywoman]

I looked a bit online and couldn't find a direct quote. Weir's online journal from that event says something to the effect that he "became aware" that Weiss was calling his skating "junior-ish" but doesn't give a source.

I recall that it was a tv interview. Weiss said something to the effect that everything Johnny landed was what Michael was doing as a Junior.

Which, yes, would be true since with the exception of the quad (with which Weiss was hardly consistent), most juniors have all the jumps of a senior skater. But Weiss sort of ignored all the rest of Weir's skating, such as terrific spins, flow and ease. And it came across sounding really petty.

[manleywoman]

Reading the thread about worse people you sat with at competitions, one has to wonder if Johnny's negative feelings about Michael Weiss has to do not so much with Michael but with what Michael's family might have said about Johnny in the stands.

It;s very possible.

Well, Michael Weiss has one thing that sure has Johnny eating his heart out: a long-standing gig with Stars On Ice.

Seriously, for several years there Weiss and his family definitely rubbed a lot of people the wrong way, including his competitors and his competitors' families. But, somewhere after that 2003 "junior skaters" comment, I think Weiss got the message that you don't have a successful pro skating career by being rude to your colleagues, whining to the media, or burning bridges with TPTB. Nowadays I have to point to him as an example of somebody who has been extremely smart in managing his long-term career in the sport.

That said, I also think Weir had more natural talent and the potential to be a far better skater than Weiss ever was. But, Weiss has ended up with a long and successful pro career, and Weir seems to be trying to make a living out of publicity stunts.

Agree 100%. I wish Weir -- and his coaching staff -- could have spent the last 4 years reading the COP rules and maximizing points instead of blaming everything and everyone else for why he wasn't on the podium. Weir's programs consistently threw points away. He easily should and could have been top three.

[jlai]

Weiss didn't make the 2005 world team. Maybe you meant 2003?

Sorry, yes. I thought DC world but typed 2003.

[luCN]

That's one of those stories that's either too stupid to be real, or too stupid to be made up. Their history of bringing out the 5 year old in each other leads me to believe that, in this case, it's the latter.

BEST QUATE

[neptune]

Well, Michael Weiss has one thing that sure has Johnny eating his heart out: a long-standing gig with Stars On Ice.

Well, Johnny may not have his long-standing gig yet, but once he and Tonya get their pairs' act together, not even death and taxes could be more certain.

[Rex]

Agree 100%. I wish Weir -- and his coaching staff -- could have spent the last 4 years reading the COP rules and maximizing points instead of blaming everything and everyone else for why he wasn't on the podium. Weir's programs consistently threw points away. He easily should and could have been top three.

He seemed to like COP in the beginning; he had nothing but good things to say about it. But when he started struggling, that was when he became critical of it. I remember reading a 2005 issue of IFS Magazine, that summer after he won Nationals and he thought CoP was a good idea, because before its implementation, "people won medals with awful programs", according to him.

[antmanb]

He seemed to like COP in the beginning; he had nothing but good things to say about it. But when he started struggling, that was when he became critical of it. I remember reading a 2005 issue of IFS Magazine, that summer after he won Nationals and he thought CoP was a good idea, because before its implementation, "people won medals with awful programs", according to him.

Really? I never recalled Johnny being positive about COP.

Ant

[museksk8r]

It seems that Johnny's 2006 Olympic LP experience just took the wind out of his sails and broke his spirit. For me, he was never the same skater after, not even during his comeback 2007-2008 season. When COP became the name of the game, he always had to rely on the mistakes of others to medal because his programs were still molded in the 6.0 system. It is indeed a shame that he couldn't fully capitalize on his exceptional talent. To be as successful as he was having only started skating at the age of 12 is pretty amazing. I'm glad he was able to have his satisfying 2010 Olympic skates!