ISU threatens national federations

[Rae]

On the heels of Cinquanta's public, I am not afraid of the WSF statements, comes this latest missive from the ISU Council, as reported by Associated Press, to susupend judges and officials and indeed whole member federations from the ISU if they support WSF.

And isn't Phyllis Howard on the ISU Council?

When in doubt, threaten, is what it is.

http://www.sportserver.com/other_sports/story/835063p-5880834c.html

[Emilieanne]

Now is the time to write the commercial sponsors of the respective federations and the TV networks to urge them to place ethical clauses in their contracts with the federations and the ISU when those contracts come up for renewal (most come up for renewal in the next year) the way John Hancock Financial Services did with the USOC...no reason why the TV networks and commercial sponsors for the various federations cannot do the same thing (they should...that is just good business). John Hancock got results. The ISU needs to be walloped hard in the wallet! That is the ONLY way to get through to them. If figure skating is to survive, this is something that MUST be done by all of us! Time is of the essence.

When you write, do not expect a reply...the goal here is to flood the mailboxes and FAX machines...that will certainly get the attention necessary. I will post the contact information for the commercial sponsors of the USFSA and the TV networks in the US later...although all I have is FAX and snail-mail infomration, they will get the job done.

Remember...figure skating needs YOU!

[Emilieanne]

As promised, here is the contact information for the TV Networks and USFSA Sponsors:

Mr. Alex Wallau, President
American Broadcasting Companies, Inc.
77 West 66th Street
New York, NY 10023-6201
212-456-7777
212-456-1424 FAX

Mr. George W. Bodenheimer, President
ESPN, Inc.
935 Middle Street
Bristol, CT 06010
860-766-2000
860-766-2213 FAX

Since Disney owns both ABC and ESPN...

Mr. Michael D. Eisner, Chairman & CEO
Mr. Robert A. Iger, President, COO & Director
The Walt Disney Company
500 South Buena Vista Street
Burbank, CA 91521-9722
818-560-1000
818-560-1930 FAX

USFSA Sponsors:

Mr. John F. Smith, Jr., Chairman
Mr. G. Richard Wagoner, President & CEO
General Motors Corporation—Chevrolet
300 Renaissance Center
Detroit, MI 48265-3000
313-556-5000
248-696-7300 FAX

Mr. William R. Johnson, Chairman, President & CEO
H. J. Heinz—Smart Ones
600 Grant Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15219
412-456-5700
412-456-6128 FAX

Mr. George M. Sherman, Chairman
Mr. Douglas R. Conant, President & CEO
Cambell Soup Company
Campbell Place
Camden, NJ 08103-1799
856-342-4800
856-342-3878 FAX

Mr. Richard H. Lenny, Chairman, President & CEO
Hershey Foods
100 Crystal A Drive
Hershey, PA 17033-0810
717-534-6799
717-534-6760 FAX

Mr. Edward B. Rust, Jr.
State Farm Insurance
1 State Farm Plaza
Bloomington, IL 61710-0001
309-766-2311
309-766-3621 FAX

Here it is...let's go to it.

[IgglesII]

Originally posted by Rae
On the heels of Cinquanta's public, I am not afraid of the WSF statements, comes this latest missive from the ISU Council, as reported by Associated Press, to susupend judges and officials and indeed whole member federations from the ISU if they support WSF.



I defy the ISU to suspend or sanction the USFSA or its judges. The ISU needs the $$ brought in by the USFSA and its media.

[Emilieanne]

IgglesII, that is precisely why we need to write to the sponsors and the TV networks as I had mentioned in my previous two posts. There are over 1100 members on this board...if everyone did just that, it would have a significant impact.

For those of you who dismiss this idea, you are challenged to come up with an alternative solution that everyone can implement.

[Aaron W]

Originally posted by IgglesII
I defy the ISU to suspend or sanction the USFSA or its judges. The ISU needs the $$ brought in by the USFSA and its media.

PML at the thought of the ISU suspending the USFSA. :D If the ISU hasn't already lost it's contract renewel with ABC, they can kiss it goodbye if they hand out a suspension.

[loveskating]

This is HILARIOUS!

The WSF forms an organization which OPENLY seeks to destroy the ISU, which publicly and opely bashes it, and then everyone is so very outraged when the ISU says it will suspend any federations that join the WSF!!!!

Duh. Want a war without war? Hmmm.

[IgglesII]

Originally posted by loveskating

Duh. Want a war without war? Hmmm.

You're surprised by this? It's the same thing everyone thought was gonna happen when the US invaded Iraq...the side under attack wouldn't fight back.

There are people who seem to miss the concept that "War" has 2 sides, not one. "Bullying" is one-sided.

[Vash2003skate]

The ISU is fighting back- AFTER the world championships. The WSF stole the spotlight at worlds. The spotlight should have been on the skaters. The ISU is doing the right thing- fighting back, at the right time- AFTER the worlds. I don't justify everything that ISU does, but I do believe this should have been handled internally.

Vash

[adrianchew]

Originally posted by Vash2003skate

The ISU is fighting back- AFTER the world championships. The WSF stole the spotlight at worlds. The spotlight should have been on the skaters. The ISU is doing the right thing- fighting back, at the right time- AFTER the worlds. I don't justify everything that ISU does, but I do believe this should have been handled internally.

I guess the attempts at deflection some are willing to believe - the ISU and some federations seemed unwilling to make statements when the media was right up their rear ends... if anything, stating that the skaters came first, was a nice and convenient excuse.

Nothing comes without a price... and if people believe the sport is headed down a bad path and want a change, it can only happen through hardship and sacrifices. Even if the skaters suffered some, the real question is whether the greater good and longer term future of the sport will be ensured.

I wasn't willing to jump on the bandwagon immediately with all the protests that was going to occur, but as time went by, I was convinced that the organizations - the World Skating Federation and SkateFair - definitely had the interests of the skaters and figure skating as a sport first, unlike ISU and federation officials who seem to be more interested in their own positions of power. Don't be fooled by their words.

[loveskating]

I don't think the people involved in WSF have shown any love for the skaters as a whole...just and ONLY for US and perhaps at times Canadian skaters...they have shown nothing but outright contempt for Russian skaters (some of the founding members claiming that numerous American and Canadian skaters wuz robbed for 20 years), and they have also shown a willingness to play hard ball, to ruin the lives and reputations of numerous people. They have never once accused an American or Canadian judge of bias...and yet I've seen marks that were ASTOUDINGLY biased from both.

In any case, to expect the ISU or the countries in it to just roll over is rather naive. OF COURSE they will suspend any federations which join th WSF...of course they will fire anyone who joins it. There quite obviously cannot be two federations operating at once...the skaters canot possibly skate in two running sets of competitions for one thing; and all this is why it is not unlikely that this will result in a split which will mean Americans will no longer see many countries' skaters.

[blades]

8-)

yup!...i expect some hard times ahead...but i'm with the wsf...

i've been involved in the sport since '57...and the isu hasn't done diddly for the sport in all that time...just increased it's power and wealth...and let the political aspect of the judging run amuck...

anyone who has been seriously involved in the sport knows but is often afraid to speak out about the isu corruption...

[loveskating]

Well, short of a world war or something, I'm just not willing to live in a world where I cannot see Russian, German and French, or Chinese skaters! I have seen Russian skaters since I was a little kid, and first loved the Protopopovs...through the COld War, the Civil Rights Movement, the War in Vietnam!!

I'm sorry, but I can't go along with people saying the sport has not advanced under the ISU...see, I can remember say Rodnina/____...and I know who was great and who was not at the time! I can also recall vividly when 2 jumps were the norm and then as the 3 jumps became the norm...and IMHO the 3 jumps are far more beautiful and difficult, and especially live.

I do know there is corruption...believe me, I do. Its almost obvious, its almost like they tell you months in advance what they are up to...but I've felt that there were TWO blocs and that they overall balance one anohter out and IMHO nothing so terrible has happened...except to a fanatical fan, what difference does it make if Oksana or Nancy got gold or silver? Both were great skaters, for crying out loud!

I'm just wary of any utopian solutions and mere declarations...especially highly risky ones. Its EASY to criticize, much, much harder to build something.

[valuvsmk]

Originally posted by loveskating
Well, short of a world war or something, I'm just not willing to live in a world where I cannot see Russian, German and French, or Chinese skaters! I have seen Russian skaters since I was a little kid, and first loved the Protopopovs...through the COld War, the Civil Rights Movement, the War in Vietnam!!

I'm sorry, but I can't go along with people saying the sport has not advanced under the ISU...see, I can remember say Rodnina/____...and I know who was great and who was not at the time! I can also recall vividly when 2 jumps were the norm and then as the 3 jumps became the norm...and IMHO the 3 jumps are far more beautiful and difficult, and especially live.

And who has suggested you will have to live in such a world?

Rodnina/_________... the male skaters' name are Zaitsev and Ulanov (and I am old enough to remember seeing them, as well as the goddess Irina Rodnina, on "ABC's Wide World of Sports").

The triple jumps may be (to you and others) "far more beautiful and difficult", but they are not the only part of skating. In fact, they are "far more beautiful and difficult" if done well consistently. Edges (for those skaters who use them), moves in the field, spirals, footwork - all of those are part of (if, to some, not more important than jumps in) skating. I could be wrong, but I thought that the basis of the sport of the "figure skating" (ou "patinage artistique") sport was based on edges at its core. There are those who honor that tradition currently (IMHO), and those who don't. I believe that the latest Worlds ladies' gold medalist does, and that the fourth place finisher does not do so as successfully (though she has many other fine qualities to her credit).
When the fourth place finisher does, she may be given more credit by many for her basic skating skills.