RE: John Baldwin getting mugged

[Lark]

Someone brought up the fact here, like what, 6 weeks ago, that John Baldwin had been mugged in Russia during the Grand Prix Final?

And it is JUST being reported on-air at a competition NOW?

And I do not understand Christine Brennans attitude. She basically hinted that John could have been lying about the whole mugging, because there had not been a police report filed in Russia.

As a "reporter", and I use that very loosely when it comes to Brennan, could she not go to the hospital that John went to for treatment when he got back to LA, and find out the truth?

Is John Baldwin seen as a Harding/Bowman type of character in the skating community? Dishonest, untrustworthy, troubled? Why would Brennan accuse him of lying about the incident?

[MQSeries]

And I do not understand Christine Brennans attitude. She basically hinted that John could have been lying about the whole mugging, because there had not been a police report filed in Russia.

As a "reporter", and I use that very loosely when it comes to Brennan, could she not go to the hospital that John went to for treatment when he got back to LA, and find out the truth?


I agree with Brennan's cautious attitude on this story. You're a top American athlete competing in a foreign country. You were alledgedly beaten and robbed while you were in the country for a competition, and you failed to report the incident to anyone at the USFSA about it, much less file a police report that your wallet, credentials, etc, have been stolen? Did the USFSA team leader and doctor in Russia choose to ignore the whole incident so that it wouldn't bring bad press to the organization and the host country? I seriously doubt that.

Assuming that a reporter had gone to the hospital in California and found out that John had indeed went in for some sort of checkup. What would that have proven? He could've have gotten in some scruffle when he got back in LA for wall we know. Getting mug and beaten in a foreign country, especially when you're there represeting your country, is a serious, serious business. I don't know why anyone in that situation would not tell any officials there and then sort of casually mentioned it a few days later on his web site.

If it looks like a fish and smells like a fish then ...

[Lark]

To me, it seems as "old" as John is, and as long as he has been around the skating scene, if he were the type of person to make up something like this, then it would not be the first time.

Does anyone have knowledge of John telling tall stories in the past? Or acting unstable?

[Nicki]

I also thought that Christine's reaction to this incidnt was odd. Usually journalists can't wait to report on something like this, but Christine didn't even seem like she wanted to investigate the story at all. Rena said that she immeadiately took John to the ER once they got off of the plane in LA, so it seems like that wouldn't be too hard to look into.

[Oracle]

I was recently in the hospital in my small home town & was told that employees at the hospital can no longer speak of patients to anyone without receiving the patient's consent. I don't think anyone can go to a hospital & ask for information concerning a former patient. It's considered an invasion of privacy. IMO, I believe Rena. John's a question mark to me.

[Lark]

IMO, I believe Rena. John's a question mark to me.

How can you believe one person, and disbelieve another, when they are telling the same story? :roll:

[jazzpants]

You know... maybe it's just I'm not in on the gossip and I don't know John well enough but... why would John (or anyone) would want to make up story that someone mugged and beat them up? It's just one of those things that I find it hard to not believe them when they said this happened to them. :??

[doubletoe]

I was looking at some of the comments on another discussion board and it sounded like a few people had heard a version of the story that was less flattering to John--i.e., not that he hadn't gotten beaten up, but that there were different circumstances than what he claimed. If the reporter had also heard that there was a different version of the story out there, then that would have been a reason to ask John about it. What Rena experienced was that he was gone and then he showed up looking like crap, so her story would be the same regardless of how it happened. I was uncomfortable hearing John asked that question, but that's a reporter's job and I guess that's why I'm not a reporter. . .

[jazzpants]

I was looking at some of the comments on another discussion board and it sounded like a few people had heard a version of the story that was less flattering to John--i.e., not that he hadn't gotten beaten up, but that there were different circumstances than what he claimed. If the reporter had also heard that there was a different version of the story out there, then that would have been a reason to ask John about it. What Rena experienced was that he was gone and then he showed up looking like crap, so her story would be the same regardless of how it happened. I was uncomfortable hearing John asked that question, but that's a reporter's job and I guess that's why I'm not a reporter. . .
Yeah, I read that too.

Meh... I'd rather give him the benefit of the doubt. Something's just not right about the "other version" of the story and I can't put my finger on it. I can't really say what... only that I saw this video (http://www.spokesmanreview.com/skate/blog/?postID=585) and I believe John's version of it.

[Lark]

I was looking at some of the comments on another discussion board and it sounded like a few people had heard a version of the story that was less flattering to John--i.e., not that he hadn't gotten beaten up, but that there were different circumstances than what he claimed.

Are we talking a "Mathew Shepherd" type of rumor?

[AnnM]

What seemed odd to me about this whole story is that if John were hurt so badly that the first thing they did when they got off the plane in LA was to head to the ER, how the heck was he even allowed to board the plane in the first place? How did he endure a lengthy flight without it being some sort of issue for the flight crew? Why would he want to spend that much time on a flight, in pain and with possible injuries, instead of getting checked out at a Russian hospital first? After all these are athletes who rely on their bodies for their livelihood. And if his wallet, credentials, etc were all atolen, how was he able to board the plane without any ID unless some sort of officials were notified?

I haven't heard what the other rumors are as to what might have happened, but my bs detector went off when I saw the clip during Nationals. Things just didn't add up and Rena's body language didn't help at all.

[Lark]

Ann, I saw on TV where John and Rena stated that they called Rafael Artunian (Kwans ex-coach, I am not sure what he does now), since he was the only person in Russia, who they knew, that was bi-lingual. They stated that Artunian warned them not to go to the police in Russia since nothing would be done. I guess in Russia robberies are not uncommon.

Artunian also warned them not to go to a Russian hospital, I guess because Russian hospitals are not really all that great?

To my knowledge, Artunian has not come forward and denounced this as untrue.

As for I.D. needed for traveling, all John would need would be his passport. There is no reason to think John would be carrying that with him to a bar.

I still want to know what rumors are going around, darnit!!! :x

[sunjoy]

American skater gets mugged in Russia. Who to call? Well, USFSA, the American Embassy come to mind. Oh, yes, your insurance company. A reasonably competent sports agent ought to have experience taking care of international medical problems. Even if the police were corrupt and a waste of time, -- I'm not saying that's necesarilly so -- the doctors in Russia aren't. It's rather stupid to fly when you might have blood clots or who knows what else wrong with you.

When I first heard the story I just assumed he'd gone to a Russian hospital. Strange that he didn't. If he didn't.

[Lark]

This mugging occured in the early morning that John and Rena were scheduled to fly out. In the interview I saw, John stated that nearly everone that he thought to turn to had already flown back to the states.

I guess this comes down to whether you want to believe John or not. I have never been viciously beaten and left for dead in a foreign country, so I cannot condemn someone who has been for their reaction.

[sunjoy]

I have never been viciously beaten and left for dead in a foreign country, so I cannot condemn someone who has been for their reaction.Yeah, I guess I should clarify that I don't especially think that the whole thing was staged. Perhaps, *perhaps*, the skater had been drinking (drugs are probably out of the question due to testing), or involved in something else that he'd prefer stayed out of the media. Perhaps, in an effort to do so, he exagerated the severity of the beating.

Perhaps not. And if not, and lacking any clear evidence to the contrary, well the guy was assaulted, and deserves sympathy and support for that, not speculation. Furthermore even *if* he'd been involved with drinking (so what?), gambling, crime, and/or prostitution, he was still the victim of an assault, and deserves compassion, even if other nefarious (and as yet apocryphal) activities of his might deserve censure.

I'm sure the media is digging into it, and until they come up with something, I guess it behooves me to treat this particular victim of a mugging the same way I'd treat anyone else who got assaulted.

[MQSeries]

I find it's hard to believe that the USFSA would be completely silent when one of their atheletes was mugged and beaten in a foreign country while there for a competition. I suspect that the USFSA choose to ignore the issue, because it doesn't believe John's version of the story.

If John wants people empathy for him then he should tell the truth. If a thief get beaten up, no one would feel sorry for him. Why should people automatically feel sorry for John just because he gotten roughen up?

[Lark]

:roll: If a thief get beaten up, no one would feel sorry for him. Why should people automatically feel sorry for John just because he gotten roughen up?

Are you implying that John was commiting a crime when he was beaten up? That is quite an accusation. What were you doing that night in Russia? Oh, you WEREN'T there. :roll: