U.S. Ladies [#19]: Do You Know the Way to San Jose?

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IIRC from Christine Brennan's book, Tonia's comment about the soup cans was made before Nationals. I forgot the context (interview, etc.)...
 
I can't remember where but I believe Tara Lipinski once said in an interview, a few years back, that after she fell in the SP and found herself in fourth she was approached backstage by a USFSA official and told not to sweat it because her spot on the Olympic team was safe regardless of how she skated in the free.
 
I still haven't given up on Polina E. I like her programs this season. I am hoping she skates well in France.

Granted Ashley is my favorite US lady. But I have "much love" for Karen, Mirai, Courtney and Polina.
 
topaz said:
I still haven't given up on Polina E. I like her programs this season. I am hoping she skates well in France.

Granted Ashley is my favorite US lady. But I have "much love" for Karen, Mirai, Courtney and Polina.
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I never count Polina out. Girl's a fighter with a head for competing.
 
topaz said:
I still haven't given up on Polina E. I like her programs this season. I am hoping she skates well in France.

Granted Ashley is my favorite US lady. But I have "much love" for Karen, Mirai, Courtney and Polina.
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Polina's programs are wonderful and she is growing to become a stunning performer. I wish her the best this weekend.

Now that she is in college and seems to be enjoying it immensely, I wonder if she will continue after this season (regardless of whether she makes the Olys/ worlds?) I mean, she has been to the Olympics and Worlds, won 4CCs, medaled at Nationals etc. That is already a very respectable career between 2014 and 2016 (half of that season anyways) and I wonder if she can still find motivation to train hard to fight upwards again.
 
Regardless of what happens to Polina the rest of the season, Olympics or not, I hope she continues on to 2022. It would be a shame for her to end her career just as she was starting to blossom artistically.

But as Marco said she seems to enjoy being a college student quite a bit. She clearly has life and future plans beyond skating, which is a good thing. Chances are this nationals could be her last hurrah ala Rachel Flatt 2014 although I hope not.
 
It's sort of funny how the past Olympic cycle, Polina is still the only U.S. lady to win an international competition beyond a GP event, and she wasn't competing for a season and a half.
 
essence_of_soy said:
Tonia giving SHADE. How did I miss that?
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She didn't say it in the kiss and cry - the video is on YouTube. She was on the verge of tears but only really said thank you.

FWIW, Tonia also skated terribly in that FS, only two (or three?) clean triples. Low marks were not unexpected.
 
NAOTMAA said:
True Tonia didn't make the Olympic team but she did have her moment at worlds two months later. She was clutch and helped the US preserve spots for 1999 if I recall correctly :cool:
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Yes, she was awesome at Worlds. It was a great way to end her eligible career.
 
shady82 said:
IIRC from Christine Brennan's book, Tonia's comment about the soup cans was made before Nationals. I forgot the context (interview, etc.)...
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Edge Of Glory by Christine Brennan has an index so I was able to find the quote. The following comes after a description of Kwiatkowski's short program at Nationals:

But for all their joy, Heiss and Kwiatkowski were concerned that, all things being equal, Kwiatkowski wasn't going to make the Olympic team. Bobek, Lipinski, and Kwan were the three previous national champions, and they were appearing together in a Campbell's Soup commercial that was airing that week.

It was as if the Olympic team had already been selected.

"Hopefully," Kwiatkowski said, "I'll skate really well and they'll have to change [the soup cans]."
 
missing said:
Edge Of Glory by Christine Brennan has an index so I was able to find the quote. The following comes after a description of Kwiatkowski's short program at Nationals:

But for all their joy, Heiss and Kwiatkowski were concerned that, all things being equal, Kwiatkowski wasn't going to make the Olympic team. Bobek, Lipinski, and Kwan were the three previous national champions, and they were appearing together in a Campbell's Soup commercial that was airing that week.

It was as if the Olympic team had already been selected.

"Hopefully," Kwiatkowski said, "I'll skate really well and they'll have to change [the soup cans]."
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And I can still remember seeing the ad on TV!!!!!!

BONUS: who remembers TV guide the Olys week????

There were 4 covers! 2 of them being Tara and Michelle!!!!

I purchased Tara's
 
Clay said:
I was curious about this statement. I just watched Kwiatkowski and I didn't hear her say this in the Kiss n Cry in 1998. She didn't love her short program required scores, but seemed to like her presentation scores. In the long program, she looked sad but kept saying Thank you. Was this a statement in a press conference? I know many of us were thinking Kwan, Lipinski and Bobek were shoo-ins.
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Yup, Tonia K whispered this to her coaches (Carol Heiss among them) during her final seconds in the Kiss n Cry. It was loud enough to be caught by the NBC cameras. Just saw it on my DVD. “At least they got the soup cans right!”
 
alchemy void said:
impossible. urban legend. ;)
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Yeah, it appears that the Campbell's Soup endorsement topic was discussed a lot in the media re Tara/Michelle/Nicole being on the Campbell's Soup cans. I don't think it was Tonia who originally voiced it in any snarky or whiny way. At least I haven't been able to find any reference to Tonia herself having said anything negative about the Campbell's campaign.

Aunt Joyce's Ice Cream Stand (Dave Lease) May 25, 2010, reflecting back on 1998: scroll down
"The 1997 Nationals were a giant wake-up call to everyone that the sport was shifting. Sadly, Tonia didn't get the memo. Campbell's Soup did and they decided to put Tara, Michelle and Nicole on the soup cans. In many ways, they picked the Olympic Team for the USFSA. The 1998 Nationals were unnecessary. It didn't take a genius to rank that top four. Sadly for Tonia, she could work day and night on her edge jumps and get a glitzed out dress for Madame Butterfly, but we never thought she had a chance in hell of making the team unless Jana and Joyce actually weren't able to get Nicole Bobek to focus for two solid weeks of training."

And here's old newspaper references I found in the lead-up to 1998 Olympics:
St. Louis Post-Dispatch from St. Louis, Missouri on January 9, 1998 ... (full text/context unavailable):
https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/141862919/
Jan 9, 1998 - "Campbell's Soup Co. this week released it's Dream Team, placing images of Kwan, Lipinski and Bobek on soup cans as part of a campaign. 'Hopefully,' Kwiatkowski said, 'I can skate really well, and they'll have ... I'm sure they're going to review it and scrutinize it. ...'"

The Tennessean from Nashville, Tennessee on ... - Newspapers.com (full text/context unavailable):
https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/113430251/
Jan 10, 1998 - "And they just might have the goods to get the gold. ... 'This year, we're going with the intention of medaling, and we feel if we can ...' Tonia Kwiatkowski heard all about the Campbell's Soup cans that three of her competitors would grace. ... she has not been technically precise on one of her jumps (the lutz)."

The Philadelphia Inquirer from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on January ... (full text/context unavailable):
https://philly.newspapers.com/newspage/178160776/
Jan 8, 1998 - "I can see Campbell doing it with two of the girls, but under the circumstances, I think they should have waited to see who the third girl would be. ... mmm, mmm, good that its soup cans would be adorned with images of Lipinski, ... Kwiatkowski reached her one and only worlds in 1996, when she finished ..."
 
vesperholly said:
She didn't say it in the kiss and cry - the video is on YouTube. She was on the verge of tears but only really said thank you.

FWIW, Tonia also skated terribly in that FS, only two (or three?) clean triples. Low marks were not unexpected.
Click to expand...

Yes, I recall that there was a lot of screaming from her fans that "she wuz robbed" because USFSA wanted to put the other ladies on the team. But...... It's not like she put out a skate that said "pick me"

That said, there are no soup cans this year. Heck, NBC is still showing promos with Gracie Gold :) I don't think advertising is what it used to be and since USFSA isn't getting much, if anything, from endorsements I don't think that's going to be a huge issue. (The sponsorship agreements are fewer, shorter term and I would bet for less money!)
 
NAOTMAA said:
I can't remember where but I believe Tara Lipinski once said in an interview, a few years back, that after she fell in the SP and found herself in fourth she was approached backstage by a USFSA official and told not to sweat it because her spot on the Olympic team was safe regardless of how she skated in the free.
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It actually stated this too in my local paper the day after the short program!
 
Carolla5501 said:
Yes, I recall that there was a lot of screaming from her fans that "she wuz robbed" because USFSA wanted to put the other ladies on the team. But...... It's not like she put out a skate that said "pick me"

That said, there are no soup cans this year. Heck, NBC is still showing promos with Gracie Gold :) I don't think advertising is what it used to be and since USFSA isn't getting much, if anything, from endorsements I don't think that's going to be a huge issue. (The sponsorship agreements are fewer, shorter term and I would bet for less money!)
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No soup cans this year. But with all of the suspect Grand Prix Series podium placements in the ladies' competition this season, instead the ISU judging panel are being put on a box of Cheetos.
 
Maximillian said:
Can you point out where this would be? The Nationals were on ABC that year and this has Tonia in the K&C and I don't see it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mG6r1dBjcXQ
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It was on ABC (Olys on NBC). I also have it. Watch as Tonia and her coaches leave the KnC seats. Gazing down, Tonia mumbles "At least the soup cans are right..." or very similar. Coach Heiss-Jenkins laughs in an embarrassing way. I'm sure that the copy of the video at USFS headquarters -- and whatever they've uploaded to YouTube -- is sanitized, without Tonia's comment. My copy is what I taped directly off the TV, as it happened.
 
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