Ice Network Profile: In Appreciation of Jackie Wong

[Impromptu]

http://web.icenetwork.com/news/2017/12/05/262870912

Nice read (written by Phil Hersh) about all of the work Jackie does to keep us informed.

And I'm definitely one of the folks who keep tuned to Jackie's twitter feed during events.

 

[Spun Silver]

Amazing! I had no idea! I just hope he finds time to take care of his health, with a schedule like that. Kudos to Jackie and thanks to Phil for a great profile.

 

[skatfan]

Lovely article. So well deserved! I have no idea how he processes all this information so quickly.

 

[Spiralgraph]

What a prolific, dedicated man. I hope he takes care of himself

 

[DDNatalia]

Incredible on many levels. The intensity, reliability and accuracy of his work is stand-out impressive on it's own, never mind also being a consultant for McKinsey (unquestionably also a very full time job). This profile and article are long overdue.

 

[misskarne]

Let us all hail Jackie the God.

No, seriously, I have such a huge appreciation for everything Jackie does (and I had no idea his full-time job was so intense and he was managing everything like that. OMG).

I also like that unlike certain other types who proclaim themselves to provide figure skating coverage/gossip, Jackie doesn't just acknowledge the existence of the little country skaters, or the lower-ranked skaters, he provides them the same coverage as everyone else. He would never denigrate or dismiss a skater's achievements or talents just because they happened to be from a smaller country or were less well-known.

 

[BittyBug]

What an incredible labor of love, not to mention an overachiever. Amazing.

 

[Sasha'sSpins]

Jackie Wong ROCKS! I live for his reports. And I do hope he takes care of himself! And he has a very nice voice! That is all.

 

[Lovemyvike]

Awwwwwww.. what a great article. Jackie is such an asset to skating. A fellow twitter friend of mine that is one of my baseball friends saw something I had reposted of Jackie's. He went to the same high school as Jackie and had the nicest things to say about him.

Let us all hail Jackie the God.

No, seriously, I have such a huge appreciation for everything Jackie does (and I had no idea his full-time job was so intense and he was managing everything like that. OMG).

I also like that unlike certain other types who proclaim themselves to provide figure skating coverage/gossip, Jackie doesn't just acknowledge the existence of the little country skaters, or the lower-ranked skaters, he provides them the same coverage as everyone else. He would never denigrate or dismiss a skater's achievements or talents just because they happened to be from a smaller country or were less well-known.

^^ THIS!!!!

 

[reut]

That he uses all those skills, sometimes simultaneously, to share his wisdom freely and provide up-to-the-second information about skating competitions reflects an intellect, work ethic and generosity of spirit that inspires no small degree of awe in anyone who has worked alongside him at an event.

This. I don't follow his pbps, it's less my thing, but I worked alongside him at two events and I know exactly how harsh conditions were at times and how not easy logistically it was to work sometimes and I have absolutely no idea how he could do so much! ("barely slept (or ate)" might be an answer )
Just have to share this tweet of mine from Moscow this year:
https://twitter.com/tuerush/status/920941291244056576
Now, when I was whining to my editor that I don't have a table and I don't have a chair he just worked.

 

[Garden Kitty]

What an amazingly accomplished man. Great to see such positive feedback for all his hard work.

 

[shady82]

Count me in as another person who wishes to applaud Jackie Wong for his work.

I must say though, I find his predictions to be very very bizarre, and sometimes they even appear to jinx the skaters. Last year, he kept saying Pogo was cementing herself as the clear No 2. When he predicted her to win GPF IIRC, she ended up finishing 3rd behind Satoko. And many times he predicts James/Cipres to breakthrough, but they don't. Now he predicts Higuchi to be #1 in GPF. I mean, I wouldn't mind it at all... but really?

 

[SkateFanBerlin]

Wong an impressive guy. But, his interviews are like most American ones - nice, upbeat. Wish we had a Russian type interviewer or two. They ask intelligent questions and follow-up. Don't accept platitudes. You actually learn something.

 

[el henry]

I sooo appreciate Jackie Wong’s style, professionalism, and thoroughness.

And I need to say, I am tired of hearing that Jackie isn’t tough enough, or God forbid (usually from bitter gossip mongerers who shall not be named) that he is a shill.

As someone who as part of my work needed to extract information by questions, from folks in a public setting where the stakes were a little higher than “what’s your jump layout this season”, I learn far more from Jackie’s style of questioning than “Come on, you can tell me, don’t you hate your coach, your rinkmates/the fans/your dogs”. The latter style of questioning gets me absolutely no news I can use. Jackie’s does.

 

[misskarne]

Wong an impressive guy. But, his interviews are like most American ones - nice, upbeat. Wish we had a Russian type interviewer or two. They ask intelligent questions and follow-up. Don't accept platitudes. You actually learn something.

I disagree. I always learn something from a Jackie interview. He asks good questions that generally get good responses while maintaining a respectful connection between him and the subject. You don't need to be a shit-stirrer or a bit of an asshole (which honestly is how some of the Russian journalists come across to me sometimes) to be a good interviewer or journalist.

And what's wrong with a nice, upbeat interview if it's also honest?

 

[reut]

Another piece about Jackie:
https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-most-trusted-name-in-figure-skating-news-1519303962?mod=e2tws