Mark Mitchell: "Why would they come back to the rink?"

[giselle23]

Ageism is a factor in Mark Mitchell or anyone becoming a beginning flight attendant above the age of 30. Not Rippon over Minor.

I know someone who became a flight attendant in her 40s. There are no official upper age limits for flight attendants and it is illegal to discriminate against someone over age 40. That is not to say that there isn't unofficial age discrimination. But if
someone verbalized it to a candidate, the airline could get sued.

 

[MsZem]

Pan Am 1960s flight attendant would be a great concept for a skating program. The costume, with its white gloves, would inspire the ire of glove-hating FSUers. The music could be something like Esquivel, space age lounge pop exotica.

I think it would be a great program for Bradie Tennell--add some maturity and diversity to her Body of Work™.

I'm not sure Bradie is really the skater best suited for that role...

Wagner would kill in this role.

Possibly Adam Rippon as well.

 

[Vagabond]

Ageism is a factor in the "flight attendant" option. That is why I didn't mention it.
I really do feel badly for Mark Mitchell because what happened to him also happened to his student.
I would also be upset and consider options outside of skating. He has more options that I do. I don't have the looks to model unless they need an ugly person.
I needed college degrees to slide by and be sort of gainfully employed.

Issues? Did someone say issues?

I strongly suspect that Mark Mitchell has a Bachelor's degree at the very least.

From 1993:

Then came the U.S. championships six weeks ago in Phoenix. Mitchell had taken the semester off from his studies at Massachusetts Bay Community College, where he is a member of Phi Theta Kappa -- the National Honor Society of junior colleges.

At a minimum, he's smart, experienced in running a small business, and married to someone who has given no indication that he too intends to quit skating.

And as for Bradie Tennell, I think she should seize on the Tippi Hedren angle and do a program to music from "The Birds" or "Marnie."

 

[VALuvsMKwan]

Issues? Did someone say issues?

I strongly suspect that Mark Mitchell has a Bachelor's degree at the very least.

From 1993:



At a minimum, he's smart, experienced in running a small business, and married to someone who has given no indication that he too intends to quit skating.

And as for Bradie Tennell, I think she should seize on the Tippi Hedren angle and do a program to music from "The Birds" or "Marnie."

Or, if we're staying in the Hitchcock icy blonde (into hot redhead and back again) mold, Kim Novak from "Vertigo" and that fabulous Bernard Herrmann score - which could modulate into "Born This Way" by Lady Gaga, as LG's video for that song did by using the iconic "Vertigo" opening theme.

 

[Vagabond]

She should definitely use cuts from Vertigo for the spins!

 

[kwanfan1818]

I always thought Domnina looked like a flight attendant who went straight from work to dance tango in that fabulous red dress for the 2009-10 Tango Romantica CD.

 

[MIsty Blades/Skate Mom]

Stars on Ice Number for both of them. Winning.

Wagner would kill in this role. Possibly Adam Rippon as well.

 

[Coco]

Anyone remember Christina Ricci's fabuous Pan Am TV show? Always thought it was cancelled too soon!

 

[MIsty Blades/Skate Mom]

Ageism happens a lot. I interviewed a middle-aged, qualified candidate for a Director job at my non-profit that had everything: PhD, experience, and people skills. Personally, I would have asked to work for her because of everything she could teach me.

Management told me she wouldn't fit in. They were afraid of her skills and experience because she knew more than they did. She had solved all the problems we currently have the agency at her previous job. One of the problems is prejudice of all kinds including ageism.

 

[mag]

Anyone remember Christina Ricci's fabuous Pan Am TV show? Always thought it was cancelled too soon!

That was an hysterically bad show. You know when it is so bad it is good?

 

[Clutz]

Ageism happens a lot. I interviewed a middle-aged, qualified candidate for a Director job at my non-profit that had everything: PhD, experience, and people skills. Personally, I would have asked to work for her because of everything she could teach me.

Management told me she wouldn't fit in. They were afraid of her skills and experience because she knew more than they did. She had solved all the problems we currently have the agency at her previous job. One of the problems is prejudice of all kinds including ageism.

People are often afraid of those who are better than they are.

 

[Marco]

You mean where the final spot was likely chosen between the silver and bronze medalist, and the silver medalist was sent?

Yes, in that case they picked the one who had the better BOW [or only went by Nationals result because their BOW was similar].

 

[kwanfan1818]

Yes, in that case they picked the one who had the better BOW [or only went by Nationals result because their BOW was similar].

One junior event was the official BOW for Edmunds. It was a win at JGPF, but not specifically predictive of senior international results. Nagasu was likely skipped because she was coachless, which gave her no one to stand up for her and came across as unreliable/unprofessional/not serious, not because Edmonds' BOW was so superior.

And Wagner had a stronger BOW than Rippon and a more compelling reason to sub her in.

 

[VGThuy]

Are we talking about 2017-2018 BOW for Rippon and Wagner? If so, I feel like we're looking at different results.

As for Edmunds and Nagasu in 2014, I don't think it was that Edmund's BOW was superior but that Nagasu's BOW just wasn't providing anything to overturn the Nationals results where Edmunds placed higher than her and that Edmunds had enough to be placed on the team.

 

[Anita18]

I have no idea how ageism got into this convo, given that Adam is older than Ross, as someone pointed out. But jumping in anyway...

Ageism is a factor in the "flight attendant" option. That is why I didn't mention it.
I really do feel badly for Mark Mitchell because what happened to him also happened to his student.
I would also be upset and consider options outside of skating. He has more options that I do. I don't have the looks to model unless they need an ugly person.
I needed college degrees to slide by and be sort of gainfully employed.

Um, every competitive skater should have options outside of competitive skating. Maybe they can stay in the skating world by choreographing or coaching, but one day their body will give out, and they'll need to figure out something else to do with their lives. Even Plushenko's body quit on him eventually. That isn't ageism, it's plain ol' reality.

Former competitive figure skaters can often be the most focused and hardworking people out there. Given we haven't heard anything amiss regarding Ross's work ethic, I'm sure he will be fine.

I know someone who became a flight attendant in her 40s. There are no official upper age limits for flight attendants and it is illegal to discriminate against someone over age 40. That is not to say that there isn't unofficial age discrimination. But if someone verbalized it to a candidate, the airline could get sued.

Maybe in the US, but it's an open secret that on Asian airlines, you have to be an extremely attractive woman under 25 to be a flight attendant. I would not make the cut.

I did not feel jealous of them when, on my last flight to Taipei, two extremely drunk middle-aged white men (not attractive at all, mind you) spent at least 10 hours straight talking about how hot Asian women were. And kept hitting on them.

 

[jlai]

Are we talking about 2017-2018 BOW for Rippon and Wagner? If so, I feel like we're looking at different results.

As for Edmunds and Nagasu in 2014, I don't think it was that Edmund's BOW was superior but that Nagasu's BOW just wasn't providing anything to overturn the Nationals results where Edmunds placed higher than her and that Edmunds had enough to be placed on the team.

Just to add to the convo you can't apply the same reasoning across different years, the same way you can't compare skater scores across season.

Sure USFS is a flawed body and they make their share of mistakes, but sometimes the criticism levied against them is also very odd at times. (Like expecting them to be using the exact same logic over years but also make the decision improvements over time)

 

[kwanfan1818]

Are we talking about 2017-2018 BOW for Rippon and Wagner? If so, I feel like we're looking at different results.

No, I'm talking about the BOW that made the decision to put them on the team, so pre-Sochi for Wagner and pre-Pyeongchang for Rippon.

Sure USFS is a flawed body and they make their share of mistakes, but sometimes the criticism levied against them is also very odd at times. (Like expecting them to be using the exact same logic over years but also make the decision improvements over time)

I'm addressing the criticism that Miner was deluded not only for thinking that he should make the Olympic team after he won silver, but also for thinking he had any chance to make the Olympic team going into Nationals, regardless of his results.

I'm arguing that he could have looked at the 2014 decision and come to the conclusions that he had a chance going in and should have been appointed to the team after placing 2nd at US Nationals, since BOW was supposed to be the factor in both years. And I can understand why he was so upset to find it wasn't so, based on being assigned as second alternate.

 

[jlai]

Different years, different committees, different times. The same reason You can't compare a score from a 2014 competition to a 2018 competition. Even within the same year different judges give different goes to the same element in different competitions.

The thing is even the same person can have different opinions over time. That is why a voter can vote for candidate A 4 years ago and vote against that candidate now

 

[Loves_Shizuka]

Mark Mitchell spoke to TSL:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C0iHcgdO1Yw

 

[Vagabond]

Mark Mitchell spoke to TSL:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C0iHcgdO1Yw

His retirement lasted the entire length of his journey from San Jose to Boston.

 

[tylersf]

Ageism had nothing to do with Adam vs. Ross. Ageism was brought into this thread when a middle-aged person decides to change careers.

I have no idea how ageism got into this convo, given that Adam is older than Ross, as someone pointed out. But jumping in anyway...

Maybe in the US, but it's an open secret that on Asian airlines, you have to be an extremely attractive woman under 25 to be a flight attendant. I would not make the cut.

I did not feel jealous of them when, on my last flight to Taipei, two extremely drunk middle-aged white men (not attractive at all, mind you) spent at least 10 hours straight talking about how hot Asian women were. And kept hitting on them.

 

[skatingguy]

Interesting to note that Mark Mitchell found out that he was not on the Olympic team in 1992 when a reporter for ABC came up and asked him 'How do you feel about being left off the Olympic team?'. Makes the text message that Ross Miner got seem very considerate in comparison.

 

[Carolla5501]

Mark Mitchell spoke to TSL:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C0iHcgdO1Yw

Well, that just dropped him another notch in my estimation. Why would he waste time talking to TSL?

 

[livetoskate]

Well, that just dropped him another notch in my estimation. Why would he waste time talking to TSL?

I don't follow TSL all the time, but I was surprised Mark agreed to speak with them too. But this was a really good interview. Mark Mitchell comes across as a really level-headed, knowledgeable skater/coach. It's so much better than when it's just Dave and Jonathan talking.

Also want to add that I met Mark very briefly at nationals about 12 years ago, and he was gracious when I complimented him on that YMCA program he did as a pro. It was like he was surprised anyone still remembered his skating career. Seemed like a nice guy.

 

[chapis]

USFS has the most controversial selections or it is simply that people are more interested in their selection than other countries?

 

[Spiralgraph]

USFS has the most controversial selections or it is simply that people are more interested in their selection than other countries?

Or it might be that other countries don't have as many elite top skaters as the US has. So if country A has just two top ladies, there's no controversy on who is selected for their world or Olympic teams.

 

[chapis]

Or it might be that other countries don't have as many elite top skaters as the US has. So if country A has just two top ladies, there's no controversy on who is selected for their world or Olympic teams.

Japan, Russia, Canada have enough elite skaters

 

[Cleo1782]

I don't follow TSL all the time, but I was surprised Mark agreed to speak with them too. But this was a really good interview. Mark Mitchell comes across as a really level-headed, knowledgeable skater/coach. It's so much better than when it's just Dave and Jonathan talking.

Also want to add that I met Mark very briefly at nationals about 12 years ago, and he was gracious when I complimented him on that YMCA program he did as a pro. It was like he was surprised anyone still remembered his skating career. Seemed like a nice guy.

I was shocked at Nationals how many coaches, skaters, officials, etc. were talking to Jonathan very openly. Jonathan is actually very nice and informed when I met him. I don't think TSL is the pariah we think it is to the skating community. Anyway, Mark came off very well and really just had a really long week. Coaches with lower level skaters were there before New Years! That can't be easy.

 

[smarts1]

I don't follow TSL all the time, but I was surprised Mark agreed to speak with them too. But this was a really good interview. Mark Mitchell comes across as a really level-headed, knowledgeable skater/coach. It's so much better than when it's just Dave and Jonathan talking.

Also want to add that I met Mark very briefly at nationals about 12 years ago, and he was gracious when I complimented him on that YMCA program he did as a pro. It was like he was surprised anyone still remembered his skating career. Seemed like a nice guy.

I really wish Jenny was back on TSL. She was much more level headed and knowledgeable than the other two, and a lot of Dave's and Jonathan's discussions these days are just them gossiping as opposed to giving us any meaningful info.

 

[Willin]

@chapis Russia and Japan have enough top skaters to make for controversial decisions. I'd disagree about Canada - for Ice Dance they have three clear favorites for the team (and three spots), with ladies two clear favorites (and three spots), and men only one clear favorite (but more than one spot). Pairs was the only slightly controversial one, but I think the 3rd and 4th spots were evenly matched so it was fair to use Nationals as a chance to separate them.

For Russia, I think fans and skaters are just used to the cut throat nature of things. They have a lot of fans who follow every year and are used to their competitive selection process. As everyone always talks about, nothing's easy in Russian skating and I'm sure the skaters know this.

As for Japan, I think it's a cultural difference. You don't complain if you fail or fail to reach your goal, you just go back home and work harder. Well, they may say they're disappointed, but I don't think they'd make a big deal out of it or blame anyone but themselves.