Roz interview

[sweetlilnothing]

http://www.theskateblade.com/features/articles/040220.htm

She goes into detail about her comments on Sarah and Tara. She also talks about a bit about her upcoming wedding.

[Giselle]

I didn't like what Roz said about them. Her "explanations" about why she said just don't fly w/ me. I'd like to know what SHE has contributed to the sport before she goes around pointing fingers. Just b/c Sarah is the current O champ doesn't mean she HAS to skate. Heck if she wants to retire skating and go to school to get an education, why not? And as for Tara- has Roz forgotten about that hip injury? :roll:

[icenut84]

I don't like those comments about Tara & Sarah either. So what if they're not skating right now? Just because they won Olympics, they don't have "responsibilities to the sport". They won that medal for themselves, through their own hard work and perseverence. Tara turned pro and skated professionally for several years, in SOI and also having her own specials, but Roz has seemingly forgotten that, just as she's forgotten the *reason* Tara can't skate much - her injury. As for Sarah, she carried on competing after her Olympic win for the next season, and has now made the decision to pursue another area of her life. I don't like the way Roz thinks they should both carry on competing/performing anyway, especially as she later said that by the time other skaters get older (ie. 20s) they're often too injured to carry on. If I'd won the Olympic gold and had the choice between a) carrying on skating even though I wanted to do something else and knowing it may lead to permanent injury or b) stopping and going to finish my education to fulfil another one of my dreams... it's not a hard choice.

As for Roz - can someone explain to me what her "contribution" to the sport was? Yes, she won medals, but what else? I mean, a lot of skaters have changed or pushed aspects of either technical or artistry in a notable way - such as how Tara and Sarah did with their 3-3s and consistency. I don't recall reading anything like that about Roz. Simply performing does not mean that's the only way you can give to the sport. It's similar to how some people (like Kurt Browning) have criticised Alexei Urmanov for the same, being "invisible" and not giving back etc, but they happen to have not done their research and don't give Alexei credit for what he has done - he tried to continue competing up till 99, 5 years after his win, but couldn't keep winning major titles because of the injuries he was hampered with. He is now a coach in Russia and apparently does a lot for skating there, and is very visible there.

Roz should just lay off. Tara & Sarah can do whatever they want. An Olympic gold is a great personal achievement, not a lifetime contract :roll:

[icyboid]

Assuming that the '84 in your name is your birth year, you probably don't remember anything about Roz because her biggest accomplishment was an Olympic silver in that same year.

Roz comes from a different generation of skaters who didn't make money as amateurs and looked forward to competing on the professional circuit. I think her comment wasn't primarily from a personal dislike of Tara and Sarah, but rather that she probably believes the decline in the sport's popularity (especially in the pro ranks) is largely caused by our best athletes, the Olympic gold medalists, not hanging around the sport and making full use of the popularity that comes with the medal.

[blades]

8-)

word on the street is that she's done a lot of work in the sport for little or no money along with all the paying gigs she's done...

she's worked hard and given a lot of herself to the sport...

personally, i'm not that crazy about her skating, but i truely respect her work ethic and share her love of skating...

[loveskating]

I'm pretty sure she was not criticizing Tara or Sarah...she was just saying that objectively, when the Olympic Champ cannot skate for any reason for some time after they win, it cuts down on the crowd. She is probably referring to casual fans who tune in for the Olympics and then want to take their family to see the Olympic Champ skate...which did occur right afterwards for Sarah and for a number of years for Tara.

I'm not sure that is even true beyond the year following...I think Americans are really turned off by the claim that there is so much corruption in the sport as to judges and the whole ISU -- and so many don't come and also they don't want their kids in what they see as a corrupt sport because no one can take unfair things happening to their kids!

[Alexa]

What struck me the most was what looks like laziness to me. Apparently she is financially well off enough to have four homes and to spend most of her time playing tennis, seeing her family, and playing in NY. And I guess that is okay. But when you add the comments she made about her lack of motivation to skate, she seems to have no real purpose or drive.

I thought she skated in shows occasionally because she was still passionate about it. I assumed she went to the rink somewhat regularly to keep up a certain level of training. But it sounds like she does not really even enjoy it anymore and rarely goes to the rink. So, why does she even do the few shows she is doing? There are other females that actually like to skate still that could be taking those spots.

I guess if I did not have to work, I could enjoy that lifestyle as well. But this interview comes off as if she isn't really doing anything in her life.

As for Tara/Sarah--I do think she took her comments a bit too far. I see her point, but Tara and Sarah are not personally responsible for the sport of figure skating. As someone else mentioned, Tara did stay in the sport for a few years. As for Tara, and the comment about not competing against Michelle, what was Roz talking about? Tara beat Michelle at the Olympics of all places. I assume she meant that Tara should have continued as an amateur, but it was a weird statement.

[Samskate]

I don't think she was being critical of either Tara or Sarah. I think she was just making an observation about the general state of figure skating right now and maybe saying that those two young ladies not still being in the sport has had a negative impact on the sport.

As far as her coming across as lazy, I don't agree. I think she's just savoring some time to do what she wants to do after so many years of touring and doing shows. I agree she doesn't seem to be very interested in skating right now, but maybe she's just a little burned out. It happens to the best of us.

[skatingfan3]

Did the author said twenty five years after her silver medal win at Sarajevo?? It's only been 20 years.

[AxelAnnie22]

Originally posted by loveskating
I'm pretty sure she was not criticizing Tara or Sarah...she was just saying that objectively, when the Olympic Champ cannot skate for any reason for some time after they win, it cuts down on the crowd. She is probably referring to casual fans who tune in for the Olympics and then want to take their family to see the Olympic Champ skate...which did occur right afterwards for Sarah and for a number of years for Tara.

I'm not sure that is even true beyond the year following...I think Americans are really turned off by the claim that there is so much corruption in the sport as to judges and the whole ISU -- and so many don't come and also they don't want their kids in what they see as a corrupt sport because no one can take unfair things happening to their kids! This is a rare moment.......I actually disagree about Roz's intention with her Tara/Sarah remark. "AWOL" is not a nice label, no matter how you try to gloss over it. If she simply wanted to point out that the loss of participation by Sarah and Tara hurt the sport, she would have simply said that without the nasty dig. She must have been pretty jealous of Tara to have so much hostility....calling her absent without leave.....after Tara skated through a heck of a lot of pain in SOI. And what was the business about not competing against Michelle? Who the heck did she think she was competing against during her entire eligible career?

I do agree with you about what has turned viewers off. SLC was a mess (except for Sarah). And then, Sarah came back for that year, and she was a mess. (And, I mean that truly, not meanly. She was going every which way, trying to do everything, please everyone, and compete. It was a recipe for disaster)

The other thing that hurt skating is the PRO/AM comps. The worst of all worlds. And, the length of the season (although I adore it), not only causes injury to the skater, buy confusion to the fan..........my husband, bless his heart, always thinks he has already seen the skate because it is the same program.....over and over.

Then, the commentators don't help. Well, I could go on and on.....but then I will be in trouble for not working.

[Samskate]

Possibly some of the words used in the interview were taken out of context? Or maybe AWOL was just an expression that she used for lack of a better word? When someone is being interviewed, I don't think they necessarily say the "right" thing because it is an interview and they say the first word or words that come to mind. I'm not particularly defending Roz, just pointing out how things can be said that aren't exactly what the person intends to say or is trying to say. I know I've certainly said things that kind of "came out the wrong way" on occasions.

[Woofy2]

samskate. let's not make excuses for roz about her interview. i mean, she's been a commentator, and i'm sure she knows a little about journalism, and how her behavior and comments would be perceived by the public.

i think it's sour grapes. like what other posters have mentioned, tara and sarah have no obligation to us. roz should be proud of our girls to win the olympic gold for the US. instead, she's tearing them down, and blaming them for the lower ratings. she should focus her attention to the judging fiasco, etc.

she kept saying that she does not want to tell tara and sarah what to do, but she did exactly that! how hyprocritical. i'm glad roz is moving on; thanks goodness, cuz her whining attitude is wearing thin. :(

[Samskate]

I was not making excuses for Roz, merely stating possibilities as to why her words might have been misinterpreted. I went back and reread the article and I still don't feel she said anything all that awful. BTW, at the beginning it states 20 years after she was at the Olys, not 25, for whomever mentioned that.;)

[Tapper]

I'm on Roz's side! I don't think even Roz herself has a clear understanding of what she feels about Tara and Sarah not being in the sport anymore. I do however believe that she was not intending to slam either Sarah or Tara, as she points that out several times. I think she was just grappling with what is perhaps a difference in values between her notions of what the expectations are for an Olympic Champion and what Tara and Sarah's notions are. She is clearly not faulting either girl, otherwise she'd come right out and blast them.

Also, I don't think that living one's life the way one wants to live it is being lazy! She's discovering that skating interrupts her life now... That means she's really busy living! It does take energy to live one's life to the fullest! So, there's nothing wrong with that. She's just coming to grips with the notion that she actually nearing the "been there, done that" stage of here career... one that she has devoted her life to up to this point.

[ariel]

Roz is a very jealous woman. She never got over, nor will she get over losing gold and taking home silver. It permiates just about everything she says, skating wise, to this very day. Sarah and Tara owe no explainations to Roz or anyone else. They won their gold and moved on.

[Samskate]

Well, she got over it enough to be good friends with Katarina Witt these days!;)

[jcspkbfan]

Here's another slightly more positive article about Roz (her 1983 Worlds medals had been lost for years and she finally got them back recently):

http://canadaeast.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20040225/CPS/23385026

Gee, I'd probably feel a little bitter, too, if I had three World Championship medals (did they award one for each portion of the competition back then?) floating around and I didn't know where they were. ;)

I'd also like to congratulate Roz and Bob for finally setting a date for their wedding! It's been sooo long since I've heard any mention of them, I wasn't sure whether or not they were still together. Best wishes to them! :)

[Tapper]

Originally posted by ariel
Roz is a very jealous woman. She never got over, nor will she get over losing gold and taking home silver. It permiates just about everything she says, skating wise, to this very day. Sarah and Tara owe no explainations to Roz or anyone else. They won their gold and moved on.

I think you are dead wrong in your assessment of Roz's character.

And no one in the interview ever said that Sarah or Tara owed any explanations to ANYONE for their actions.

[ariel]

I maintain Roz still has not gotten over losing the gold.

[manleywoman]

I have to agree that I don't think Roz has ever gotten over losing the gold, and I do feel that she's very whiny about not only her career but the pro skating world. Every interview I've ever seen/read she's never satisfied with her accomplishments. And i know she's friends with Kat Witt...but I still agree that she's not gotten over the loss.

But I don't think Tara or Sarah owe her an explanation at all.

[MQSeries]

Originally posted by manleywoman
I have to agree that I don't think Roz has ever gotten over losing the gold,

Well, the title was pretty much hers to lose after the CF and SP. After a strong opening in the free program, all she needed to land was at least one more triple and complete her two remaining 2axels, but she pulled a "Nikodinov" and doubled all the remainihng triples and single all the axels in her program. So it gotta be disappointing for a couple of years after that. But it's about 20 years now since the Olympic; I doubt if she's still bitter about the loss after all these years.

[Tapper]

Originally posted by manleywoman
But I don't think Tara or Sarah owe her an explanation at all.

She never said they owed her an explanation. She was simply commenting on the phenom that both American Olympic gold medalists are no longer skating, and that both left the scene quickly.

Roz built a 20 career with her skating; her values differ in that regard, obviously, from Sarah's and Tara's. And, if you'll go back and read the article, you'll see that Roz does not pass judgement on either skater for leaving.

[Samskate]

I have a question about Roz and the Olys. Was there some problem with her and her coach during that competition or something? IIRC, I think there was something on TV about that several years ago. Anyone remember something like that?

[Giselle]

All I remember hearing is that after her main competetor skated roz said the look on coach's face made her feel that not even her own coach believed she could win. I am very unsure though, it's very vague memory to me.

[Samskate]

Giselle, that sounds like what I probably heard her say too. Thanks for your reply. I also kind of remember her having some problems with nerves. Am I right about that?

[ariel]

This is interesting. I wish so much that someone could start some sort of permanate thread on "where are they now" and also little known facts about past skaters. Skating stories, if you will, that would be interesting to know. Is there anyone with a good knowledge of like really old facts and figures from lets say, Dick Button's time on up? Just a suggestion.

[Tapper]

Originally posted by Samskate
Giselle, that sounds like what I probably heard her say too. Thanks for your reply. I also kind of remember her having some problems with nerves. Am I right about that?

Ok, I'm stretching here, but I think that the first time I ever heard of a "sports psychologist" was in reference to Roz using one to help her deal with her nerves at competitions. Please don't hold me to this... it's a pretty sketchy memory.

[Tapper]

Originally posted by ariel
This is interesting. I wish so much that someone could start some sort of permanate thread on "where are they now" and also little known facts about past skaters. Skating stories, if you will, that would be interesting to know. Is there anyone with a good knowledge of like really old facts and figures from lets say, Dick Button's time on up? Just a suggestion.

Why don't you start one?

[Schmeck]

Tara doesn't owe anything to the sport of figure skating? If it weren't for the popularity of figure skating, and the fact that it is an Olympic Sport, wouldn't Tara still be in roller skates? :roll:

[Giselle]

Well I think she's already given enough.

[Samskate]

Tapper, I was thinking that was the first time I'd heard of a sports psychologist too, but wasn't sure enough to say it! As you can tell, my memory is pretty sketchy too! Does anyone know who her coach was? I'm sure I knew at the time but can't recall.

[ariel]

Too much work load. I hope someone does start a page or thread though, that would be so nice.

[AxelAnnie22]

Originally posted by Tapper
.... And, if you'll go back and read the article, you'll see that Roz does not pass judgement on either skater for leaving. "AWOL" - Absent without official leave....I'd say that's passing judgment!

[Woofy2]

Originally posted by Tapper
She never said they owed her an explanation. And, if you'll go back and read the article, you'll see that Roz does not pass judgement on either skater for leaving.

tapper. you got to be kidding me. perhaps we are interpreting the article differently. roz seemed whiny to me. i quite don't understand her need to criticize tara and sarah. if roz didn't pass any judgement, then why her gripe about tara and sarah as one of the causes on skating's decline in popularity? she should just be proud as an american to have two young americans claiming the gold for her country. i just don't know what her problem is.

roz should just move on and be happy with her next chapter, marriage...and leave it at that. :)

[Italiano]

That's what I think too, Woofy.

[Tapper]

Originally posted by Woofy2
tapper. you got to be kidding me. perhaps we are interpreting the article differently. roz seemed whiny to me. i quite don't understand her need to criticize tara and sarah. if roz didn't pass any judgement, then why her gripe about tara and sarah as one of the causes on skating's decline in popularity? she should just be proud as an american to have two young americans claiming the gold for her country. i just don't know what her problem is.

roz should just move on and be happy with her next chapter, marriage...and leave it at that. :)

The way I see it... She said that the reason the sport is in trouble is because the last two Olympic Champions are not skating... she also says that she's not being negative about them or telling them that they have to take on that responsibility... As I said before, Roz has different values from Tara and Sarah, and she says she is not slamming them for having made different decisions... I do see how that reads as a contradiction, and I try to excuse that as Roz having to fight with her value that an Olympian is to skateskateskate for a billion years after winning the [silver] medal... she is just saying that the fact that S and T are not skating is ONE of the reasons skating is in trouble. I don't think she's intending to blame them, as she says she's not 'slamming' them. I see the AWOL comment is an indication of Roz dealing with the conflict of values I wrote about in an earlier post. Of course, I may be totally dead wrong about all of this... I don't know Roz any better than I know any other celebrity... and as you correctly point out, it's an interpretation, and the odd one out, as the majority seems to think Roz was being whiney, at best...

I just wanted to point out that it's possible that she isn't as whiney and mean spirited as some were saying, especially since she says she wasn't "slamming" them. Why not believe her? :)

I think it's pretty clear from the interview that Roz HAS moved on, or at the very least is way into the process of moving on, and that it's even somewhat surprising to her... and if people would stop interviewing her... or if she would stop giving interviews... :D

[Samskate]

ITA, Tapper. I doubt that she is as whiney and mean spirited as some seem to think. Of course, I kind of viewed the things she said in the same context as you. So there is at least one other member of the minority with you! ;)

[Chico]

Well... I had the opportunity to meet Rosalyn a few times. She never came across as mean spirited to me. In fact, she seemed very "real" and nice.

Chico

[Woofy2]

Originally posted by Tapper
Roz has different values from Tara and Sarah...I do see how that reads as a contradiction

tapper. i totally agree on the above: different values and contradiction. i met roz twice, 2000 & 2001 US nationals. she was very nice and sweet, but my experience with her is very limited. however, i do expect her to be more careful with her statements in this article. as mentioned before, she should know better, having had some journalism training, etc.

i don't think she's a whiney person, but the overall PERCEPTION in this article says the contrary.

i would be more sympathetic to roz if she is now breaking into her pro skating career, since the ratings and attendance to these skating events have dropped considerably. however, she had a pretty good pro skating career, and claimed to be happy in her next chapter, so why not enjoy it, and leave out any negativity behind her?

my opinion of course. :)