the Hugheses + possible lawsuit

[triplejumps]

http://www.bayarea.com/mld/mercurynews/sports/5535926.htm

[Alexeiskate]

Would not having Hughes on this year COI tour really hurt the tour that much financially? Tom already has a high profile tour with the likes of MK, TG, B&K, and Plushy that he should do well financially without Sarah and not disappoint too many fans. Tom should just let this issue go and let Sarah do what makes her happy.

[ceceB]

I feel so awful for Sarah! It's not been a great year for her.

I must say, my dislike for Tom is growing ever stronger. First Shae and Vic aren't going to be in CSOI because of him, and now this!

[turtlehead]

How can you say that Shae and Vic aren't doing CSOI because of Tom Collins? He didn't force them to sign on with his tour. They did that on their own free will. :roll:

[Melanie Z]

I think it is fairly common in the entertainment world to have initial verbal commitments that are binding. Anyone remember Kim Bassinger getting sued over her verbal yes to star in Boxing Helena? (She lost) I remember being surprised about verbals being so binding and thought a written contract from the word go seemed MUCH smarter.

If Sarah committed verbally, then I wonder if he has a case. In any event, if she did I believe she has an obligation to fulfill her end of the bargain.

On the other hand, shame on Tom Collins for promoting her without a written contract. It's not like the tour starts 4 months from now, he should have had this worked out a long time ago. I wonder why it was left hanging this long to begin with, unless they were not sure about the status of her injury. Either way, it seems like her ride on the fame train is getting a bit bumpy.

[adrianchew]

As much as Tom Collins might have done for eligible skaters, he seems to have business priorities above those of the welfare of the skaters... COI in some ways is almost a bad thing, IMO. The tour is long, it taxes the skaters, the performance levels dwindle - the best COI shows are the first few stops - and it would see most skaters don't get paid very much either.

The USFSA being in cahoots with Tom Collins doesn't help the situation any either - that those US skaters who get exemptions to do SOI post-Olympics have been royally screwed and ditched by the USFSA says it all.

I'm considering just selling my COI tickets and not going this year - there's really nothing much that I haven't already seen, to be had.

[memememe76]

How can you say that Shae and Vic aren't doing CSOI because of Tom Collins?

Because he put that provision into the contract? I doubt Shae and Victor demanded that they be forbidden from going to CSOI.

He didn't force them to sign on with his tour. They did that on their own free will.

It's called goodwill.

[Trillian]

:roll:

[IgglesII]

If there's no written contract, then if a judge forced her to skate, there would still be the little detail of negotiating a written contract.

SO, I say, Sarah - go DIVA on their a**!!

1 - won't do the stupid meet & greets for VIPS

2 - must skate last in every show

3 - must have a bowl of M&Ms, plain, with no yellow ones before every show.

4 - $500 per diem

5 - will only do interviews w/ MTV

6 - must travel w/ personal hairstylist, who must be from Manhattan and must be one of those who books months in advance

7 - no traveling by bus. First Class airfare from every city.

8 - doesn't do the stinkin' finale

9 - travel expenses for up to 10 friends (every Oly Gold medalist needs an entourage) paid in full by Collins

10 - oh yeah, salary - $1 million.


That story says that Tom has a LETTER from John Hughes saying that she'd skate. That's nice, Tom. If it doesn't include the details that a contract normally includes, you're now screwed - Sarah has no obligation to negotiate in good faith if you've gone out and hired yourself a lawyer.

[JDC1]

If John Hughes is acting for his daughter (and lawyers do act for their clients and it's binding) and he agreed to the tour then Tom Collins has the basis for a lawsuit as to whether he'll win or not who knows...he just might want the Hughes to offer a settlement, getting a lawyer doesn't mean it has to go to trial.

[NorthernLite]

Originally posted by IgglesII
If there's no written contract, then if a judge forced her to skate, there would still be the little detail of negotiating a written contract.

SO, I say, Sarah - go DIVA on their a**!!


IgglesII, your post cracked me up, especially after the SarahBashFests I've read a couple other places.
She sure is turning down a lot of $$s if she skips the tour. But as she doesn't need that money, I understand her desire to not tour, especially right now with other things going on i her life. And I think she's just a bit burned out on the whole skating scene.
And yes, one of the crucial factors in this whole mess does seem to be the way COI "manipulates" the eligibles (keeping them from SOI), and misleads audiences about skater appearances. (For which the *skaters* take the heat from fans.)

[Kemy]

Well, Tom Collins says he has a letter from Sarah's dad saying that she would skate. Great...Isn't Sarah almost 18? I think that this will add to the confusion. Not quite being a legal adult, yet she will be during the tour. I think that if that letter says what Tom reports, this will be a very sticky situation centered around who makes the decisions for Sarah.

[irene2020]

Bad Tom. He wanted to create some controversy and free advertisement using Sarah. If he said he wouldn't force someone to skate on the tour, why not just leave the people alone. Yes, I am jumping to conclusion. :lol: Sarah should be suing him for using her as advertisment without her commitment and consent.

Bad tom. Bad tom. :evil: :evil:

[MyTripleFlutz]

Originally posted by IgglesII


5 - will only do interviews w/ MTV



LMFAO!!!!!!

I just had this vision of Carson Daly backstage "so, Sarah, uhhh, give it up dog!!"

[GreekGoddess85]

Originally posted by MyTripleFlutz
LMFAO!!!!!!

I just had this vision of Carson Daly backstage "so, Sarah, uhhh, give it up dog!!"

LOL LOL LOL :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

haha that is so funny

[Scott]

Well, verbal agreements are binding folks. So, there is a lesson here. Be careful of what you say before you make commitments. Contracts do not have to be in writing. Miss Hughes and her father should be more careful. Quite frankly I think not having her on the tour will not make much difference to the show. MK and Sasha far surpass her pulling power ( not to mention all those others that will be in the show).

[AxelAnnie22]

I think her absence will make a difference to the show. Sarah became "America's Sweetheart" after her win. That LP, her refreshingly honest joy, all went together to create magic.

People want to see her.

Another hit to COI comes with the fact that they advertised Sarah in the promotional materials. People get a little fussy about finding one of the stars of the show is not there.

[LAVENDER]

I don't think it will make a difference at all. Sarah really didn't become the sweetheart especially with the Kween still around competing and winning. Also Sasha was the hottest skater on the GP so there's nothing lost here. It would have been nice to have Sarah skating since I've never seen her in person.

[FSWer]

Just for the record,she has joined and is doing fine.

[olivia]

Originally posted by FSWer
Just for the record,she has joined and is doing fine.

Joined what? COI? Did Sarah change her mind?

I'm confused :??

O-

[CMc]

FSWer, what are you talking about? :??

Anyway, until there's word of an actual lawsuit, can we please stop speculating about it already? Collins has taken Sarah off the website AND she's out of the commercials now, so let's assume he just cut her loose with no regrets.

When I was at COI last year, there was a very significant amount of people that did not stand up for Sarah at the end of her skate even though she was the last one. More people stood for Michelle. Hate to admit it, but it happened, and it just shows that COI probably does have a very significant audience outside of Sarah. So why would he make so much trouble for Sarah when in the end it'll just make him look like a heartless b-----d.

[turtlehead]

Originally posted by CMc
When I was at COI last year, there was a very significant amount of people that did not stand up for Sarah at the end of her skate even though she was the last one. More people stood for Michelle. Hate to admit it, but it happened, and it just shows that COI probably does have a very significant audience outside of Sarah. So why would he make so much trouble for Sarah when in the end it'll just make him look like a heartless b-----d.

:roll: Or a business man. which is exactly what he is.

[CMc]

Originally posted by turtlehead
:roll: Or a business man. which is exactly what he is.

Well that's a really crappy way of doing business, IMHO.

[speedy]

Neither of the parties is going to come out looking innocent in this thing, but Sarah not being in the tour won't matter to the average COI-goer. She wasn't in the shows I saw last year either (and neither was Sasha, nor Yags, who I really wanted to see live) but it's not like people will say "Oh Sarah's not in COI, I'm not going!" If it was Michelle, that would be another matter...she's still the main draw for COI by a longshot. The Ticketmaster people need to take Sarah off their website though, she's still in the photo and cast listing when you look up tickets for the shows. I suppose this is the end of her touring career, considering she is not an SOI-type skater, and I seriously doubt she would come crawling back to COI in the future.

[NorthernLite]

Originally posted by speedy
I suppose this is the end of her touring career, considering she is not an SOI-type skater, and I seriously doubt she would come crawling back to COI in the future.

Crawling back? :roll: See above re: Collins being a businessman. If Sarah wants to tour w/COI, I'm sure he'd be interested. Because sooner or later he's going to figure out that some people don't go to COI because there aren't enough *skaters* (i.e., people who skate; not point, wiggle, strip, kiss the audience, do acrobatics, perform pandering patriotic numbers, etc.).

[proam]

Sarah crawling back? :roll:

Highly doubtful since it was Sarah’s choice not to do COI, at least under her conditions, you might say she has clout and smarts behind her.

I don’t see Sarah ever in a “crawling back” position because she has too many options, both in and out of skating. As I said in another post, Tom Collins needs Sarah, Sarah doesn’t need Tom Collins.

[LAVENDER]

I don't see Sarah crawling back and I don't think either of them (Tom and Sarah) really needs the other right now. Sarah needs a break and Tom has the main draw anyway. Maybe Tom would have felt differently last year but Sarah didn't skate in a lot of those shows either. I also think he figured out last year that Michelle still was "it" regardless of the Olympics. As for Sarah's career, it's not over yet. How can we say that after just one season (ok not so spectacular). I may not be a fan but she is a fighter and she may come back stronger next year. I think she did well enough for not being in top shape. If she doesn't I think she will do fine at school.