The Skating Lesson

[Amantide]

I thought TSL had some meltdown a while ago about her refusing to do another interview with them, and ever since then she's been in their bad books.

Geee, that sounds petty.

I don't follow TSL on Twitter, but I took a look at their feed.....OMG all the retweets of their cult members fans saying how everything they do is so wonderful. Insecure much?

Same as most comments on youtube. lol
I do follow them actually but I do not have the notification on for them. So I don't know what they tweet unless I go and check and I haven't checked them in over a year, till the crying in a bathroom in Grenoble happened.
I also use twitter mainly for football and Game of Thrones.

 

[topaz]

Ashley has always, 98% of the time acted professionally. I find it harsh and uncalled for those to question her professionalism. Dave has made comments about her not "working" hard, which is BS. One thing every coach has stated about her including Raf is that is she is an extremely hard worker.

Also, for those to question the "quiver" in her voice was hard for me. I don't ever remember hearing that from her, EVER. Even when she was devestated about not making the olympics in 2010. She comforted other skaters like Christina Gao in 2014 who broke down really hard. La especially irritates me the most. Her comments about Adam saying "he's there for the check". I was surprised that Jonathan stated "I would say that".

 

[Tada]

Very unfortunately the passenger pigeon went extinct, not unfortunately so will TSL.

 

[misskarne]

They sound desperate. Unfortunately there are still certain types of pathetic people that get off on this sort of trash.

 

[dinakt]

La especially irritates me the most. Her comments about Adam saying "he's there for the check". I was surprised that Jonathan stated "I would say that".

That's a direct quote from Adam, and good for him. Checks matter. See at 1:25 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OINK5QPZ8rA

 

[SkateFanBerlin]

I thought TSL had some meltdown a while ago about her refusing to do another interview with them, and ever since then she's been in their bad books.

Ashley said on the last interview I remember that she felt praised/beat up from TSL. Said she's was reluctant to look anymore.

 

[Deleted member 53443]

The Zhang Hao trashing is getting so old, predictable and boring. Yeah, he has had a long career, i guess he should have quit earlier and, idk, sit and talk shit on some youtube show instead?

That said, I like the guy to the right a lot, his demeanor and what he says. The two to the left are cringeworthy.

 

[vesperholly]

What is La's skating background?

 

[Debbie S]

What is La's skating background?

She started skating at a young age and passed through Senior MIF and FS. I think she competed at Regionals at various levels. She now coaches in the NYC area.

 

[Seerek]

1997 Worlds judging videos?

Those are Trash Can classics rehashed...

 

[Tavi]

What is La's skating background?

Here are a couple of bios for her:

https://jennifer-kirk-tuli.squarespace.com/new-blog-5/la-freelander

http://www.laurascheuhealthcoach.com/new-page-2/

 

[caitie]

Dave has made comments about her not "working" hard, which is BS. One thing every coach has stated about her including Raf is that is she is an extremely hard worker.

IMO, if Ashley was really that hard of a worker, her spins and footwork would have improved, and we wouldn’t be watching her repeat the same programs over and over. That said, it was OTT to imply she faked the injury, especially with the skaters there saying the infection was a definite thing.

Anyway, it’s interesting to watch the skaters bite back. Matt Blackmer posted he’d been blocked and Kaitlin H and Alexa both liked the tweet. Both used to be friendly with TSL, but Dave has really leaned into the whole How To Lose Friends And Alienate People thing since Jenny left.

 

[Willin]

@caitie Ashley is a very hard worker. As Rafael said, her slow pace of improvement (which is false - she has improved) is less due to hard work and more due to poor fundamentals causing her to have to relearn everything, making the learning process take longer. Repeating programs is strategic - not because she's not a hard worker. Even the people I know who hate her say she's a hard worker. In fact, they admit the reason they hate her is because she's so stubborn and hardworking that she often comes off as much ruder than she is. Although, apparently she's learned how to keep that extreme stubbornness on the ice and out of interactions with people who aren't Raf.

 

[skatfan]

The Zhang Hao trashing is getting so old, predictable and boring. Yeah, he has had a long career, i guess he should have quit earlier and, idk, sit and talk shit on some youtube show instead.

I have not liked him since he skated with Peng, when she concussed her head one day on the ice after a throw jump he showed no kindness or care. I think he’s pretty clearly in it for himself. Tracy is selling bullcr*p when she calls him “a gentle giant.”

 

[aliceanne]

@caitie Ashley is a very hard worker. As Rafael said, her slow pace of improvement (which is false - she has improved) is less due to hard work and more due to poor fundamentals

Yet he has Derrick Delmore on his coaching team who was also a student of Shirley Hughes.

 

[Willin]

@aliceanne I thought we established that Derrick Delmore was there to teach artistry and do some choreography as opposed to teaching technique on jumps and spins? (Also that he's a more of an assistant that comes in a couple days a week than a head coach along with Raf) Or am I wrong here?

 

[Sylvia]

Derrick Delmore is not officially part of Team Arutunian - more about him here: https://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/th...icles-latest-news.100751/page-59#post-5200278

 

[Tada]

I forced myself to sit through their Skate America review, couldn't help but fast forward yet made sure I later viewed it all.
I checked the link to La's bio. She is involved in yoga and wellness, but no skating credentials with training an elite athlete. I can't make sense of someone of so little credentials touting themselves as a wellness devotee yet sitting on camera in a 'Sunday best at home' complaining repeatedly about Chen's outfits with a dismissive shameful tone. How is that congruous with wellness? God bless those in skating and outside of skating experiencing her ignorance. How do you feel ok about anything you say La?
Dave kept posturing in a reptilian use of movement, ready to pounce at the first opening of negativity. Oh wait, did he squeeze out a positive? Wow, he did. Positive or negative, his comments come with a warning like a chameleon "Don't listen to me, don't talk to me, or at some point I will change and enjoy hurting you." Jonathan is trying so hard to be gratuitous yet slips into petty unresearched opinion with conviction his opinion is of course correct. Your profession of opera singer is admirable, your petty cathartic comments incite no respect. I don't remember who the coach on the far right was. He seemed shocked by the experience, just maybe he experienced in the moment he could not stomach being a part of such lunacy. One can hope. I hope he's inspired to keep working hard and understanding first he needs to coach skaters in elite levels before he thinks he can offer an opinion that is respected.

 

[Tada]

I now just researched Jonathon Byer on the Internet. What I saw for the first listed several links were of a blog, instagram, his own website, his agents blurb on him.
It must be an excruciatingly difficult journey in opera that is unfortunately terribly underrated in North America. His presence professionly no matter how hard earned appears as far I can see to be limited. In one vignette it shows he sings with Phil Hersh's son as conductor. That's a nice achievement for them both yet they are not working at an elite comparable level of the skaters Jonathon has chosen to present himself as an aficionado of. And yet he CHOOSES to be a condescending snarky voice presenting his opera experience as the ultimate music, skating, ballet, and modern dance voice, shocked by repercussions in 'a whoa is me ' bathroom experience. Perhaps in opera they don't teach you that 'Whatever you dish out expect it to come back ten fold."
Does anyone wonder what would be if he used his knowledge mixed with true skating knowledge, a refusal to be a part of snark culture, and an understanding of an elite athlete or performers life?

 

[Tavi]

So, were you trying to stir up drama and rouse support for Jonathan and La by attacking them? I have mixed feelings about TSL, but I don’t think the credentials “elite skater” or “elite coach” are necessary to good, insightful skating commentary. Almost all of the commentators on Ice Desk, for example, are former elite skaters; some of them are really, really good and others are not so good. In contrast, I don’t think Jackie Wong skated at anywhere close to the elite level, but his commentary and analysis is usually balanced and informed.

I listened to the most recent TSL, and since none of my particular favorites were discussed, I was able to be more objective than usual. I actually like the 4-person format, and found some things they said interesting, but for me they’re going a bit overboard on the snark these days, and a little too light on the substance - the extended criticism of Ashley was really over the top.

I would have appreciated Jonathan’s attempts to relate skating to opera more but for the fact that his comments and demeanor here were far more negative (read: bitchy) than in the past. And I gotta say it - it’s kind of ironic that someone who tweeted that he was “crying in a bathroom in Grenoble” after Kori and Rohene were allegedly mean to him would question the fact that Ashley was near tears in her Andrea Joyce interview.

 

[allezfred]

Opera (or any performing art) is a tough gig, so the crying in a bathroom over mean comments is even more WTF, to be honest.

 

[Foolhardy Ham Lint]

I don't remember who the coach on the far right was. He seemed shocked by the experience, just maybe he experienced in the moment he could not stomach being a part of such lunacy. One can hope. I hope he's inspired to keep working hard and understanding first he needs to coach skaters in elite levels before he thinks he can offer an opinion that is respected.

That guy on the right must owe TSL money, to appear on their show.

 

[semogal]

TSL crossed a line in their discussion of Ashley Wagner. it is one thing to make a snarky comment about a costume and quite another to accuse Ashley of being a liar. I am done with them. And I hope that USFS is too when it comes to press credentials.

 

[Foolhardy Ham Lint]

TSL crossed a line in their discussion of Ashley Wagner. it is one thing to make a snarky comment about a costume and quite another to accuse Ashley of being a liar. I am done with them. And I hope that USFS is too when it comes to press credentials.

I'm thinking David should call it a day, and head over to anonymous sites like Datalounge to get all of his pent - up jealousy, anger and resentment out. The guy has serious internalised homophobia issues he needs to address as well.

 

[MarieM]

TSL? Crossing a line? NE-VER. They've always been like that, it's nice to see people are finally realising that.
They've crossed the line a loooooooooooooong long time ago. If there ever was a line.

 

[zebraswan]

I'm thinking David should call it a day, and head over to anonymous sites like Datalounge to get all of his pent - up jealousy, anger and resentment out. The guy has serious internalised homophobia issues he needs to address as well.

He can't get his ego stroked posting anonymously. He needs to feel like he is special and worshipped by all his hangers-on. TSL's whole raison d'etre is his narcissism and not his love of the sport.

Yeah, I find it interesting that people think he's only now crossing a line. Guess it was ok for him to make outrageous accusations about other skaters over & over again because he was just "keepin' it real!", but when he attacks a popular US skater, funny how people see it differently.

 

[Foolhardy Ham Lint]

He can't get his ego stroked posting anonymously. He needs to feel like he is special and worshipped by all his hangers-on. TSL's whole raison d'etre is his narcissism and not his love of the sport.

Yeah, I find it interesting that people think he's only now crossing a line. Guess it was ok for him to make outrageous accusations about other skaters over & over again because he was just "keepin' it real!", but when he attacks a popular US skater, funny how people see it differently.

I only watched for the interviews. Since Jenni left, TSL has been Trainwreck Theatre.

 

[morgan rye]

So, were you trying to stir up drama and rouse support for Jonathan and La by attacking them? I have mixed feelings about TSL, but I don’t think the credentials “elite skater” or “elite coach” are necessary to good, insightful skating commentary. Almost all of the commentators on Ice Desk, for example, are former elite skaters; some of them are really, really good and others are not so good. In contrast, I don’t think Jackie Wong skated at anywhere close to the elite level, but his commentary and analysis is usually balanced and informed.

I listened to the most recent TSL, and since none of my particular favorites were discussed, I was able to be more objective than usual. I actually like the 4-person format, and found some things they said interesting, but for me they’re going a bit overboard on the snark these days, and a little too light on the substance - the extended criticism of Ashley was really over the top.

I would have appreciated Jonathan’s attempts to relate skating to opera more but for the fact that his comments and demeanor here were far more negative (read: bitchy) than in the past. And I gotta say it - it’s kind of ironic that someone who tweeted that he was “crying in a bathroom in Grenoble” after Kori and Rohene were allegedly mean to him would question the fact that Ashley was near tears in her Andrea Joyce interview.

So, were you trying to stir up drama and rouse support for Jonathan and La by attacking them? I have mixed feelings about TSL, but I don’t think the credentials “elite skater” or “elite coach” are necessary to good, insightful skating commentary. Almost all of the commentators on Ice Desk, for example, are former elite skaters; some of them are really, really good and others are not so good. In contrast, I don’t think Jackie Wong skated at anywhere close to the elite level, but his commentary and analysis is usually balanced and informed.

I listened to the most recent TSL, and since none of my particular favorites were discussed, I was able to be more objective than usual. I actually like the 4-person format, and found some things they said interesting, but for me they’re going a bit overboard on the snark these days, and a little too light on the substance - the extended criticism of Ashley was really over the top.

I would have appreciated Jonathan’s attempts to relate skating to opera more but for the fact that his comments and demeanor here were far more negative (read: bitchy) than in the past. And I gotta say it - it’s kind of ironic that someone who tweeted that he was “crying in a bathroom in Grenoble” after Kori and Rohene were allegedly mean to him would question the fact that Ashley was near tears in her Andrea Joyce interview.

Yes jonathan's snarky/itchy have gotten very old.

 

[Foolhardy Ham Lint]

Just for fun, I ran an anagram generator for the name, Jonathan Beyer.
The first thing that came up was: A Berate Johnny

 

[Quadaxel2020]

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