I didn't even notice the videographer, but you're right, he's pretty decent!
Margo Robbie producing a Tonya Harding comedy (movie)
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I didn't even notice the videographer, but you're right, he's pretty decent!
skatepixie
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Love the old school ads on the boards. TWA for the win!
skatepixie
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As a parent, I can't imagine sending one of my kids to her for training. Just...no.
And even if someone is willing to swallow that, their friends might not let them live it down.
alchemy void
Post-its for the win.
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MacMadame
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Me either. But they did. And, from what I gathered, they stopped because she became unreliable about showing up, not because of outside pressure or them coming to their senses.
You know, I personally probably could get past her misdeeds if I felt like she has shown any real remorse of growth over the last twenty years. But from her interviews she just the same old Tanya and unreliable, selfish, and not really doing anything to help herself out.
Yazmeen
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Tonya has a chip on her shoulder the size of a Scottish caber because she firmly believes everyone benefitted and made money from the "whack" and the resulting frenzy and publicity but her. She suffered, and of course, there was no way she could possibly have a good life (like getting a real job, moving forward, etc.). I think she lives for those moments when the cameras come back to her and she gets another 15 minutes. I'm personally waiting for her to attempt to either sue Robbie and company, demand a percentage of the movie earnings, or just plain whine on and on as to how they are mischaracterizing her. In any way, it gets her publicity.
I firmly believe that Tonya was guilty of more than she admitted to - and I remember once reading an opinion piece about OJ Simpson that suggested while he was guilty of murdering Nicole and Ron, he may have actually managed to talk himself into the delusion that he wasn't guilty to keep up an image of himself as wronged and truly innocent. I sometimes think Tonya just keeps revising her story in her own mind to enforce the concept that she was innocent to herself along with the public. She has gone from saying she associated with the wrong people, to claiming her husband and associates gang-raped her to keep her quiet, to claiming she never knew the perpetrators aside from her husband (my favorite moment in the NBC/Mary Carillo documentary was where she claimed she never even knew Shawn Eckerdt at all and then they promptly showed footage of her essentially introducing him to the media as "her bodyguard" back in 1994...). Tonya will never admit to the truth, she'll never change, and she doesn't want to. Somewhere in that delusional little mind I think she still hopes people will come around and proclaim her innocent (and she'll make some sort of comeback and money after that happens).
My point exactly. Yeah, everyone did make money except her, but she committed a crime. Own up to it truly and better yourself. Like she could have gone back to school and done some charity work and stayed out of the limelight for ridiculous reasons. I know she had a rough life and didn't really have any skills besides skating, but a lot of people have tough lives and manage to succeed into functional adults. If she cut the crap and lies I think people may perceive her as someone very different. But at this point I agree she will never change.
Tonya had a lot of fans, particularly in the NW, and a lot of people identified with her "wrong side of the tracks" image more than Nancy's (however inaccurate) "ice princess" image. If Tonya had stayed out of trouble, she could have parlayed the publicity in to plenty of appearances, books, articles, etc. Perhaps she could have become a jumping coach if she did not attend USFSA events. But there were always stories of drugs, violence, and other trouble following her.
Exactly. I am not a Tonya hater. I respect her as a skater very much and rooted for her to not be involved and at least get her life better. Do they ever lift lifetime bans? Let's say if she had gotten her life together and was a jumping coach or something or does her involvement in illegal activity automatically ban her for life?
She just seems like a very selfish person based on her behaviour as portrayed over media. 
skatepixie
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See, I don't know if I could, sadly. Even if she pulled it together, her reputation is bad -- and I would never want anyone to look at my kid and think "that's Tonya's student," you know what I mean? Because the association with Tonya would put the kid under greater scrutiny, people looking to see if she is becoming "like Tonya," etc.
Of course, I would feel bad for a (theoretical) repentant and reformed Tonya. But a parent should prioritize their loyalty to their child (and their child's reputation/career/image) beyond any pity they feel toward a potential coach.
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MacMadame
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USFS only has authority over their own events. Therefore the lifetime ban only keeps her from getting a coaching credential at a USFS sanctioned event that distributes them. She could coach within ISIA. She could be a jumping coach. She could even coach at a rink with a USFS-affiliated club, if the rink was willing. (Many rinks contract with the coaches directly so USFS is not involved and there are skating coaches who aren't USFS members and make a living.)
I believe she could even take her students to USFS-sanctioned competitions that didn't require a credential -- which is all the non-qualifying ones but I think, even if technically this is true, that it would not be a good idea and there are other ways to keep her out of those events that would be tried.
But, I don't think this is a good idea and, apparently, neither does Tonya. She is living a quiet live now, married with a kid, and seems as happy as she'll ever be. Coming back to skating would just pull her back into the craziness. Why would she want to do that?
Gotcha. So in theory she could be at ISU sanctioned events or would they US not allow her even if she paid her own way? I am just curious not saying the ban isn't completely appropriate. I just don't know how those things work because lifetime bans are so rare. BTW, you don't need a credential for Regionals or Sectionals just Nationals?
MacMadame
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No, not ISU because USFS is the NGB for US skaters within ISU. USFS tells ISU who is eligible.
But ISIA is an international recreational program and it's not affiliated with USFS or ISU. There are tons of skaters in the ISIA track.
You do need a credential for Regionals and Sectionals as those are qualifying competitions. It's the comp your local club holds every year to make money that isn't a qualifying competition that she could maybe get away with coaching at.
But ISIA is an international recreational program and it's not affiliated with USFS or ISU. There are tons of skaters in the ISIA track.
You do need a credential for Regionals and Sectionals as those are qualifying competitions. It's the comp your local club holds every year to make money that isn't a qualifying competition that she could maybe get away with coaching at.
skatepixie
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But could she?
Those clubs are all members clubs of USFS. Sure, you don't need to show credentials, but EVERYONE knows she was banned. She is someone the Powers That Be don't want around, even on the local level.
skateboy
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If Tonya wasn't... well, Tonya... it would be fascinating to hear her analysis of today's skaters and/or take some lessons with her. She was one of the finest technical skaters ever, so she must have some valuable knowledge. She once mentioned that she'd love to be asked for her opinions, but no one ever has. I understand why, of course, but what a shame for those insights to go to waste.
VGThuy
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I remember in E! True Hollywood Story, Tonya's agent at the time was trying to see if the Swedish or Norwegian skating federation would let her skate for them to by pass the USFS ban.
jenniferlyon
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Some of those fans are still out there. About a month ago, I popped into the old Usenet group (now a Google group) rec.sport.skating.ice.figure for the first time in years, wondering if any of the old-time skating fans were still hanging around there. The only ones left were that handful of Tonya fanatics who are still publishing "The Portlandian" on a somewhat regular basis.
Aussie Willy
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Interesting clip. She definitely has the moves down.
wouldacoulda
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Tonya would need PSA or USFS Learn to Skate Instructor memberships if she wanted to coach on anything other than a public session. And you need to pass a background check for those.
Bill Trenary
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Trenary fell on the double axel that year and did NOT beat Yamaguchi or Harding in the SP, the top two finishers.
C
casken
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Having only recently (since 2014 Olympics) become a more hardcore skating fan, I feel like I can relate to the media/entertainment worlds' interest in the Tonya story. Sounds like long-time hardcore fans are appreciating the attention to detail (e.g., the cheesy Skate America logo and boards littered with time appropriate ads).
Cannot. Wait.
Cannot. Wait.
leafygreens
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jenniferlyon
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She should have tried Azerbaijan
I seem to recall there was at least one former Soviet republic under consideration. I don't remember which one it was. It's been a few years.
I seem to recall there was at least one former Soviet republic under consideration. I don't remember which one it was. It's been a few years.
Lithuania I thought.
C
casken
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I wonder how they are going to handle Tonya's actual involvement in the attack.
The TV movie played it safe and did a he said/she said thing where they showed it from both Tonya and Jeff's sides.
The TV movie played it safe and did a he said/she said thing where they showed it from both Tonya and Jeff's sides.
VGThuy
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I love how Tonya was portrayed during both sides. The Jeff side made her so callous with laughing about the plan, and the Tonya side made seem like such a unquestioning, almost submissive wife.
StitchMonkey
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I am predicting she will be shown as an abused women going with the flow to not get the crap beat out of her. I suspect it will be set up that she knew they were planning *something* but thought with their stupidity it was going to be more on the level of stealing her costume or putting bleach in her shampoo, ex-lax in her food... or maybe messing with her blades. I.e. something to mess with the competition in more of a stupid prank way and less... well criminally violent. And while yes these things are crimes (someone was bound to point that out so i am doing it first) I think most would agree they are... shall we say less scary than a violent knee whack.
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