USA Today - Nancy and Tonya 10 Years Later

[PAskate]

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/columnist/brennan/2004-01-06-brennan_x.htm

[duane]

It's about time that Nancy is being inducted into the US Figure Skating Hall of Fame. With all her Olympic and World titles...oh, she has none. Well, with her multiple National titles, she deser...oh, wrong again. She has one National title. Well, considering she is the first female skater to land a 3/3 combo...oh, scratch that. Um, oh, her amazing feat of being the first American female to land the 3-axel makes her...no, that was the "other" skater.

Well, considering she was the victim of the famous WACK heard around the world, it's about time!!

[Tapper]

So, what criteria did they use to put Nancy in the H of F?

[MQSeries]

I think every National champion will eventually get inducted into the USFSA Hall of Fame sooner or later, regardless of whether her skating had a big impact to the skating world or not and regardless of the number of gold medals won.

[2footedquad]

Originally posted by duane
It's about time that Nancy is being inducted into the US Figure Skating Hall of Fame. With all her Olympic and World titles...oh, she has none. Well, with her multiple National titles, she deser...oh, wrong again. She has one National title. Well, considering she is the first female skater to land a 3/3 combo...oh, scratch that. Um, oh, her amazing feat of being the first American female to land the 3-axel makes her...no, that was the "other" skater.

Well, considering she was the victim of the famous WACK heard around the world, it's about time!!

Duane -- hilarious! And you are 100% accurate!

[Roma]

Originally posted by MQSeries
I think every National champion will eventually get inducted into the USFSA Hall of Fame sooner or later, regardless of whether her skating had a big impact to the skating world or not and regardless of the number of gold medals won.

If this is true, then induction to the Hall of Fame is meaningless: they may as well just hand each national champion a Hall of Fame certificate at the time they give them their gold medal.

Nancy Kerrigan was a good skater, but she is not Hall of Fame material.

[Tapper]

Originally posted by Roma
Nancy Kerrigan was a good skater, but she is not Hall of Fame material.

What is the criteria for being inducted into the H of F?
Does Nancy meet the criteria?

I assume she meets the criteria, otherwise she wouldn't have been inducted; but what is the criteria? Is it only gold that gets you in?

[Roma]

Tapper, I don't know if the criteria have changed, but at least in the past, a National gold was not necessary, as coaches sometimes were inducted. It was a few years back when I read the criteria, but I think at that time for skaters it had to be a certain number of years since you left the eligible ranks. If I recall correctly, there were some vague criteria which could allow some questionable inductees (as well as questionable omissions).

I find it a little fishy that Kerrigan is being inducted at the very time that the whole Tonya/Nancy affair is being resurrected via these '10th anniversary' articles and tv reports. I would not put it past the USFSA to try to ride the wave by inducting Nancy. Even if she were to be a legitimate condender for an inductee, this is extremely fast. Kitty and Peter Carruthers, who were Olympic silver medalists, world medalists, and who won about 4 National titles were just inducted about 3 years ago, and they left the eligible ranks in 1984. They appear to be much stronger candidates than Nancy, and yet it took them about 7 or 8 years longer than Nancy to get inducted. Same with Roz Sumners, who in addition to her Olympic silver had a World title and was also a multiple Nationals winner, making her also a stronger candidate than Nancy. And she just recently got inducted, too.

Considering how long it took those others to get in (and also the fact that I think Peggy Fleming either never was inducted or was just in the past 10 years) I wouldn't expect Nancy to get inducted anywhere near this fast, if at all. Hmmm...

[Tapper]

Roma,
Thanks for the info. I hadn't thought about the anniversary... but now that you mention it... If it were a motive, maybe they hoped it would help to bring that saga to a close? I don't know... it could be more sinister than that, but I'd prefer not to think about it that way... I like my rosy glasses.;) And I really liked Nancy a lot when she was competing, and all through the saga. Big Fan!

[Roma]

Tapper, you're welcome for whatever help my vague recollections provided. Although I liked Nancy too, there just seems to be something a little odd about the timing of this induction, both because it seems like she has been pushed ahead of others who IMO are more worthy inductees, and also because of it coinciding with the - ahem - 10th anniversary. (By the way, OJ was the same year, I wonder if we'll also be getting a slew of 10th anniversary OJ stories come this June? :roll: )

[Sheila]

Duane, I was LMAO at your correct observations- too funny.

[smallsilly]

Is Kristy in the Hall of Fame? If not...there is definatly something weird about her induction...

[Sheila]

Also, if Midori Ito isn't there then the whole thing is just plain bogus.

[Little Bit]

If Americans can forgive Pete Rose then we should also forgive Tonya Harding...... After all she was the better skater.

Now will this start a controversy? Lets see? :oops:

[Sheila]

Love ya girl but like I told you in the other thread, this ain't gonna happen in this or any other life time. Women's FS up until now has always been about clean little bird skates and even cleaner noses. I personally don't care what happens off ice, I would just like to see some ladies airborn. I'm hoping the Japanese can get there this year at Workds with Ando and her Quad. I also have crossed fingers for Sasha, she is amazing.

[FollowYourHeart]

I dont think Midori Ito would be inducted since this is the USFSA Hall of Fame. I would think everyone inducted is a US citizen or atleast competed for the US. I could be wrong?