Michael Weiss: "Put [Nathan Chen] in a pair of Levis and a white T-shirt with fake tattoo arms!"

[meggonzo]

Here's the infamous pre-Worlds 2003 interview: https://www.washingtonpost.com/arch...a90-92d8-5f308fb0dcfe/?utm_term=.0a30531dc2e3

My favorite part:
"If I'm at my best, I don't think anyone can beat me," Weiss added later. "Plushenko is obviously a great skater, but I feel if I hit both of my quads, both triple axels, all that stuff, then I'm better. I'm sure he feels the same way. I'm sure a number of athletes feel the same way."

 

[misskarne]

Here's the infamous pre-Worlds 2003 interview: https://www.washingtonpost.com/arch...a90-92d8-5f308fb0dcfe/?utm_term=.0a30531dc2e3

My favorite part:
"If I'm at my best, I don't think anyone can beat me," Weiss added later. "Plushenko is obviously a great skater, but I feel if I hit both of my quads, both triple axels, all that stuff, then I'm better. I'm sure he feels the same way. I'm sure a number of athletes feel the same way."

Wow. I think I just redefined my personal definition of arrogance. Holy shit.

 

[VGThuy]

I think to be a successful athlete, you need a balance of arrogance and self-awareness. You can't be too arrogant to not understand things you need to work on to improve and understand why others are beating you, but you also can't be so self-aware that you pay too much attention to what you cannot do that others can that you already admitted defeat before it happens. These are people who probably dealt with more nay-sayers and skeptics than we probably know. I also think if someone is so arrogant, they must have adopted it as a form of self-preservation/defense.

 

[misskarne]

Well, of course - all elite athletes, or anyone who is elite in their field, have to be arrogant, because you don't get to that level without some arrogance. But claiming that not only was he better than Plushenko - and this was At His Peak Plushenko, not Old Broken Plushenko or anything - but that Plushenko would agree is a bit beyond the pale.

I mean, at least when Plushy says something arrogant, he can back it up. Weiss didn't exactly walk the walk to back up his talk.

 

[VGThuy]

I think Weiss was saying Plushenko would feel he himself was the best skater, not that he would agree Weiss was better if he hit his quads and 3 Axels. Like how the best think they're the best.

Honestly, as someone who watched Plushenko win those championships in real time, the way I feel about him is the way some feel about certain champions now in that I don't think their actual skating suggests they are as unbeatable as the judges do based on their marks making them nearly unbeatable. Plushenko deserved all his wins though and had the command of a champion to be convincing as unbeatable. Plus, he usually was the only one who skated well while doing all those quads.

 

[Erin]

Well, Weiss did beat Plushenko once. At 2000 Worlds when Plushenko melted down

In all seriousness, when watching Weiss during his SP at 2003 Worlds prior to the fall on the triple lutz, I had a moment where I went OMG, I think he actually could beat Plushenko. He was really on fire during that program until he blew it on the easiest jump in the program and what had, at one time, been his best jump (although it had already declined that season).

 

[Erin]

Sorry for the double post - just saw this:

ETA: I wish there was a video of that GPF performance.

I don't have a computer with a DVD player on it, but I might have a friend who could upload my DVD of the GPF on to YouTube.

 

[Doggygirl]

I so needed a good laugh today!!! Thank you @Aerobicidal !! From now until etermity I will not be able to keep a straight(tm) face when Mikey is a commentator!

 

[jenny12]

Here's the infamous pre-Worlds 2003 interview: https://www.washingtonpost.com/arch...a90-92d8-5f308fb0dcfe/?utm_term=.0a30531dc2e3

My favorite part:
"If I'm at my best, I don't think anyone can beat me," Weiss added later. "Plushenko is obviously a great skater, but I feel if I hit both of my quads, both triple axels, all that stuff, then I'm better. I'm sure he feels the same way. I'm sure a number of athletes feel the same way."

This is GOLD!! Especially the bib as well as “all that stuff”.

 

[SpeedySucks]

I thought that was just a joke. Someone really screamed like that and distracted Mike? Did that poster do it for that purpose?

ETA: I wish there was a video of that GPF performance.

Here it is in all its glory:

https://youtu.be/6XWItN63gYQ

 

[Rukia]

Here it is in all its glory:

https://youtu.be/6XWItN63gYQ

Omg I'm dying. There is so much going on here. The hair. The music. The weird marching choreography. The scream. The brutal commentators. This is legendary.

 

[meggonzo]

Omg I'm dying. There is so much going on here. The hair. The music. The weird marching choreography. The scream. The brutal commentators. This is legendary.

Don't forget Lisa's outfit!

 

[Vagabond]

Don't forget Lisa's outfit!

And the highlights in Mike's hair, his visible pain in the Kiss and Cry, the salute on the upright spin, the Daria Panenkova-style raised arm on the walley at 3:38, all of which we would have deprived of if he had been smart like Jeff Buttle and not skated!

 

[BreakfastClub]

Here it is in all its glory:

https://youtu.be/6XWItN63gYQ

Oh. My. God. BLESS.

It's been at least 14 years since I've watched that video and forgot just how loud he screamed. Holy **** I'm dying of laughter.

I also forgot how big an egg Mikey had been laying up to that point. I still have no idea if he heard it let alone if it distracted him enough to fall on the flip, but he was already so off that day it's impossible to tell.

 

[Messalina]

That was a trip down memory lane. I never could stand Michael Weiss or his skating, and I had a horror of being associated with him for years and years (as an American living in Europe). I mean, I absolutely abhorred every single thing about him, from his obnoxious, demonstrative heteronormativity to his empty quad braggadocio. And the fact that his father's Gold's Gym was just down the street from my mom's house and had to be passed whenever we drove a certain direction - just too close for comfort! Then he retired and years passed &tc. and now I'm finally over it and can just laugh. The ridiculous Mikey faux soldier boy look complete with spikey orange highlights, the 'manly' (i.d. stiff, blank-faced) skating, the pukeface throughout that entire skate (probably literal pukeface as he had the flu). Yes, and Lisa's outfit!!

Who are the commentators on that video?

 

[Erin]

Who are the commentators on that video?

Barb Underhill, Paul Martini, and Mark Lee.

 

[just tuned in]

Was he always so high in the knees? And were his crossovers always so short and choppy?

 

[misskarne]

Here it is in all its glory:

https://youtu.be/6XWItN63gYQ

Oh my god

Also, holy lip, Batman. That's close enough to almost call a Lutz.

 

[alchemy void]

I was really checked out on skating in the 02-06 quad, so I've never seen this program before. I'm totally loving it.

Shit, this is one of the WTF programs I've ever seen. The frosted tips and facial hair. The tight glorious costume. Those wooden gay march/vogue moves at the beginning. The flying camel salute. The Mike Pike orgasm. And of course, Lisa's outfit!

And this won GPF bronze! How did KVDP not beat him?

On a somewhat serious note, I kind of liked how the PA would announce the planned technical score before announcing his actual tech score. ISU should bring that back.

 

[Erin]

And this won GPF bronze! How did KVDP not beat him?

KVDP wasn’t even attempting the triple axel - I think he had been injured over the summer. The real question is how KVDP even made it to the GPF with that content and the answer was that everyone else was a disaster trying to figure out the COP and Kevin managed to mostly do some clean programs with low content. Amazingly, his disastrous SP at Skate Canada, where he was last after the short, didn’t keep him from qualifying. Taking a look at the protocols, it’s also pretty remarkable that he did that well not even maxing out on allowable jumping content...he did take advantage of the three jump combo to do a triple-triple-triple, but then only did six jumping passes. He maybe could have beat Weiss by throwing more double jumps. He was allowed to do at least one more double axel back then (either the limit was 3 or it didn’t exist) and if there was a limit, he could have done a double lutz.

 

[Lacey]

To me, the trouble with Mike's skating was that his wife Lisa became his choreographer, and she was not a skater or a skating choreographer, so all of his moves look labored.

 

[Rukia]

To me, the trouble with Mike's skating was that his wife Lisa became his choreographer, and she was not a skater or a skating choreographer, so all of his moves look labored.

Theoretically your coach should be helping to fix that though. Plenty of skaters have used non-skater choreographers and done fine. I've heard that no one at their rink could stand Lisa though. Go figure.

 

[snoopysnake]

Good satire! But in all seriousness, Michael Weiss is one of the nicest people I've ever met in figure skating.

 

[Eeyora1]

Good satire! But in all seriousness, Michael Weiss is one of the nicest people I've ever met in figure skating.

That’s the killer. I expected he’d be a total douche. He’s one of the few who will actually have a full on conversation with his fans. I think he sets lofty goals. I had him sign my Champions on Ice book at 2016 Worlds. I told him I missed the days of the COI tour. He actually mentioned wanting to start a similar one. He’ll sign every single autograph for every single fan.

 

[VGThuy]

I mean I can't hate him too much for the Michael Weiss Foundation which actually helped so many skaters.

 

[Vagabond]

I'd also say that he's a good commentator ("partner" issues aside). He doesn't talk too much over the skating, and his remarks are to the point.

 

[Holy Headband]

While I found the OP hilarious, I have to say I was starting to feel a bit weird about the outpouring of hate it provoked, so I’m glad we’ve gotten some positive comments for balance in case Weiss ever reads this thread

 

[Seerek]

I believe that she choreographed one program I liked, which was his Beethoven program (the first one in 1998, not the redux in 2006, which was meh).

What's interesting with that program was that it started off as a free skate in 1997-98 then morphed into a short program in 1998-99 (with the middle Sonata "Pathetique" section removed for the shorter time length).

 

[livetoskate]

I enjoyed the "interview," but agree with those who have said Michael Weiss is a nice guy. Back in my law school days, I sometimes skated on freestyle sessions with him and would see his mom there giving trampoline lessons. His older sister was also a coach at the Fairfax rink. Sometimes it was just me and Michael on the ice, around '97-99 when he'd be attempting his quad lutz, not landing most of them. He never had tantrums or had any attitude, just seemed like a normal humble person working his butt off. I've skated at some rinks where competitive kid skaters were full of themselves, but he never seemed pissed off that he had to skate with a lousy skater like me, who could barely do an axel or a 2 footed double loop on a good day. It was great that he had the skating scholarship and held benefit shows for many years. He helped a lot of skaters & it's nice to see he's still involved in skating.

 

[aftershocks]

Good satire! But in all seriousness, Michael Weiss is one of the nicest people I've ever met in figure skating.

That’s the killer. I expected he’d be a total douche. He’s one of the few who will actually have a full on conversation with his fans. I think he sets lofty goals. I had him sign my Champions on Ice book at 2016 Worlds. I told him I missed the days of the COI tour. He actually mentioned wanting to start a similar one. He’ll sign every single autograph for every single fan.

Exactly. And thanks to you both for sharing your experiences. I too was pleasantly surprised about how nice, friendly, and appreciative toward fans Mike was when I met him at an event. He was very easy to talk with, genuine and open. And as already mentioned, Mike has done a ton of giving back to skaters and to the sport, as has his coach, Audrey Weisiger.

Yes, sometimes the satire is funny and it's a release to laugh at ourselves every now and then, as long as it's not mean-spirited. Every one of us are flawed. None of us are perfect human beings. In fact, that's probably one of the reasons why fans enjoy watching athletes achieve the impossible. Just getting to the point of reaching for glory takes an awful lot of sacrifice, grinding and going through ups-and-downs. Some athletes never reach the mountaintop, but not for want of trying. Mike Weiss was never the best, but he surely applied himself in his era, and he achieved a bit of success. In the end, what mattered, was his belief in himself, his love for the sport, and his effort.