Arena was vandalised by fans after Men's Free Skate

[Interspectator]

I have seen Hanyu in person only twice in Japan in 2014 and 2015. After that I have been following him on TV and mostly on twitter, and my account follows only 70 persons (most of all are figure skaters) and has only about 30 followers who has nothing to do with the sport.
I have been enjoying the chat in his thread and sometimes in the Edge, but I think it is the time to take down my avatar before I will be bullied

Your avatar is great. :thumbsup: -I've got a strong bias for Yuzu in red and black.
Just being a enthusiastic or even loudly enthusiastic fan of a skater should not put anyone under obligation to answer for the actions of others determined to make trouble.
I've seen these problem fans admonished, called-out and shamed on social media by other fans, but it doesn't seem to make a difference, other than to spread their negativity and the hurt they want to inflict further. It doesn't change the minds of people who think that they have a 'right' to behave in unacceptable ways. But if you are there in person and see someone acting out you can say something, contact people in charge, and don't give them a platform.

 

[hanyuufan5]

Why are these posts saying Hanyu fans are crazy not being removed...?

Better go tell my coworkers I'm officially crazy because of who my favorite figure skater is. I wonder if they'll be more shocked or impressed that I've managed to hide my insanity so well.

Can this thread please be closed? There's nothing more to say here.

 

[AshWagsFan]

This is absolutely disgraceful. To vandalize the signatures of past Olympians who were coming together in a beautiful event, that only occurs every four years, is truly horrible. The entire point of the Olympic Games is to support your country, but also to support peace, regardless of the result. This ideal should be taken into every sporting event and competition. So if this was really someone who was so disgusted with the judgement of the competition at this year’s GPF, then SHAME ON THEM! They are not true fans of the sport. Even if you do not agree with something, do not vandalize or put yourself on a pedestal with negative attention. It just drags down everyone else.

 

[ancientpeas]

You can not blame the many for the actions of a few.

There are literally thousands of Yuzuru Hanyu fans. He is the most popular man in skating. We are lucky to have the pleasure of watching him and getting to enjoy him as a skater in real time (unlike someone like John Curry or Dick Button who few of us got to watch skate when they are forces to be reckoned with.

Nearly every super star athlete has fans that take it too far. This is not the fault of other fans of that athlete or the athlete themselves. The fault lies in the individuals who deface public property.

Good rule of thumb: If it ain't yours don't ruin it for others. I suggest that next time anyone is extremely angry or upset that they go for a walk or a run. Hang out with your dog if you are lucky enough to have one. Go pick up garbage or clean your bathroom. Channel your anger into something productive and useful.

 

[AshWagsFan]

Why are these posts saying Hanyu fans are crazy not being removed...?

Better go tell my coworkers I'm officially crazy because of who my favorite figure skater is. I wonder if they'll be more shocked or impressed that I've managed to hide my insanity so well.

Can this thread please be closed? There's nothing more to say here.

The real issue is not about who your favorite skater is. I like Yuzu as well, however, I wouldn’t deface something so priceless over Yuzu losing to Nathan, or vice-versa. This is about class and good nature among our sport’s fans.

 

[ancientpeas]

If one accepts that 1 in every 10000 fans is crazy a skater with 100000 fans probably has 10 OTT fans. If you only have 10000 fans you might only have 1 OTT fan.

But honestly this could have happened with the fans of any skater who are passionate about their favourite skater.

These offending fans who defaced the arena should have to make amends and they should probably be banned from attending ISU events for a while. They need to apologize to the those they have offended.

To me the fact that they are Hanyu fans is irrelevant. They are people with poor anger management skills and little respect for things that do not belong to them

 

[Tavi...]

It's not that scoring discourse is not worthwhile - obviously it matters that skaters are scored accurately and fairly, no matter their reputation or what fed they belong to. But these complaints weren't about the Little Guy whose future placements and funding might be affected by scoring 70 in an SP versus 65 (and therefore being able to make the free skate at Worlds or something like that), but an unfortunate and immature subset of fans throwing tantrums because their fave, a two-time Olympic champion and perennial world record holder, scored only a measly 97 in an SP where he missed his combo and got 1.5 lower PCS than the winner in a free skate where he missed a jumping pass and was visibly winded at the end of his program. Yuzuru, Nathan, and a lot of top favoured skaters have and will continue to benefit from generous GOEs and PCS bumps when they skate well (or not-so-well) compared to their competitors. It sucks, and the ISU should have moved to separate TES/PCS panels like yesterday. But it'd be nice if we could spread the concern for fair scoring a little farther than "our fave didn't win, therefore ISU automatically corrupt".

You know, given that there’s another thread in this very forum where people are discussing the “reasons for toxicity in figure skating fans,” I find it ironic that your two posts in this thread - which I note were liked by quite a few people - are so full of negative rhetoric themselves. Is there a reason you can’t get your point across without condescending or criticizing others as “laughable,” complaining that they “whine,” or characterizing what they say and do as “nonsense,” “petty,” “childish,” “pathetic,” “immature” and “tantrums”?

 

[Mathman]

To tell the truth I don’t know if this whole thing is funny or just pathetic. A couple of young self-absorbed tough guys think that they are such bad-a$$ ganstas that they go out and act up at a figure skating competition!!

Not only that, but while they are terrorizing the peaceful onlookers, they dress up as the fearful Winnie-the-Pooh!

If you see us comin’ better step aside.
A lot of men didn’t, a lot of men died.
One fist is Piglet, the other is Pooh,
If the right one don’t get you then the left one do.

(Won’t help to whimper, no use a-sobbin’,
Here comes our gang lord, Christopher Robin.)

 

[TT_Fin]

Every sport has "fans", who really are not fans of the sport. For example some football fans do not come to watch games, they come to fight. Figure skating is a little bit different, nobody comes to fight, I hope, but some people are over-fanatic and cannot stand anything negative to happen to their idol. It might be judging they do not like or it might be the skater's failure.

During both big competitions, WC 2017 and GP2018 in Helsinki, the local press was much more interested in to interview to fans than the skaters. They managed to interview fans, who did not much care about the figure skating I emphasize that those fans behaved very excellently and was praised because of that well-behaviour, but I think slightly there comes side effect and "fans", who are too over-fanatic and cannot stand if anything negative happens to their idol. It is a mental thing. And - if tickets are cheap, sometimes people just come to vandalize, what ever the evenemant is. We do not understand that kind of behaviour, and we do not need to understand why people do so. We need to think how to prevent that kind of behaviour. The people, who know or are related to those kind of people, could suggest them something else to take out their bad energy.

 

[shine]

You know, given that there’s another thread in this very forum where people are discussing the “reasons for toxicity in figure skating fans,” I find it ironic that your two posts in this thread - which I note were liked by quite a few people - are so full of negative rhetoric themselves. Is there a reason you can’t get your point across without condescending or criticizing others as “laughable,” complaining that they “whine,” or characterizing what they say and do as “nonsense,” “petty,” “childish,” “pathetic,” “immature” and “tantrums”?

Have you SEEN what’s being said on social media and the number of people saying them? Those adjectives call them as they are. Why do we need to sugar coat it? It’s not condescending to call out those behaviors.

 

[NanaPat]

To tell the truth I don’t know if this whole thing is funny or just pathetic. A couple of young self-absorbed tough guys think that they are such bad-a$$ ganstas that they go out and act up at a figure skating competition!!

Not only that, but while they are terrorizing the peaceful onlookers, they dress up as the fearful Winnie-the-Pooh!

If you see us comin’ better step aside.
A lot of men didn’t, a lot of men died.
One fist is Piglet, the other is Pooh,
If the right one don’t get you then the left one do.

(Won’t help to whimper, no use a-sobbin’,
Here comes our gang lord, Christopher Robin.)

Do we know that the vandalizers were young men? That may have been officially announced, and I just missed it. If it hasn't, they may have been a couple of raging grannies! Let's not make ageist/sexist assumptions.

 

[brightphoton]

Do we know that the vandalizers were young men? That may have been officially announced, and I just missed it. If it hasn't, they may have been a couple of raging grannies! Let's not make ageist/sexist assumptions.

There was a Twitter picture of two people holding up signs that said "Unfair judgement" during the medal ceremony. It was 2 men, and I believe it was those same two men who wrote "Unfair ISU" on the wall later

 

[el henry]

Have you SEEN what’s being said on social media and the number of people saying them? Those adjectives call them as they are. Why do we need to sugar coat it? It’s not condescending to call out those behaviors.

I am not @Tavi, but no, I have not seen it. Nor do I care to. Nor do I care to drag other fan wars from social media onto Goldenskate.

I’m an Eagles fan, I boo my own team, I don’t sugar coat Jackson squat But from my own point of view, it would be better to use those words directed to the actual persons in whatever social media one is upset with. It proves nothing here and solves nothing here, except to perhaps make perfectly fine and wonderful fans here defensive. And why do that

 

[Ic3Rabbit]

There was a Twitter picture of two people holding up signs that said "Unfair judgement" during the medal ceremony. It was 2 men, and I believe it was those same two men who wrote "Unfair ISU" on the wall later

It was not men in that photo of holding up signs, there was clearly a woman there as well holding a sign. The photos in one of the posts on page one of this thread.

Either way, this whole drama makes me sick to my stomach.

 

[yude]

Your avatar is great. :thumbsup: -I've got a strong bias for Yuzu in red and black.
Just being a enthusiastic or even loudly enthusiastic fan of a skater should not put anyone under obligation to answer for the actions of others determined to make trouble.
I've seen these problem fans admonished, called-out and shamed on social media by other fans, but it doesn't seem to make a difference, other than to spread their negativity and the hurt they want to inflict further. It doesn't change the minds of people who think that they have a 'right' to behave in unacceptable ways. But if you are there in person and see someone acting out you can say something, contact people in charge, and don't give them a platform.

Haha, thank you! But most of people here don't want to see my avatar I guess. Every time the same kind of thread is made, I read and regret it. Hanyu fans are all different individuals but in this forum, we've been treated as one, hated one. But I am evil and crazy, so I'll keep living in his fanfest

 

[yude]

I am not @Tavi, but no, I have not seen it. Nor do I care to. Nor do I care to drag other fan wars from social media onto Goldenskate.

I’m an Eagles fan, I boo my own team, I don’t sugar coat Jackson squat But from my own point of view, it would be better to use those words directed to the actual persons in whatever social media one is upset with. It proves nothing here and solves nothing here, except to perhaps make perfectly fine and wonderful fans here defensive. And why do that

Thank you.

 

[DizzyFrenchie]

Hello,
First of all, I would like to thank all people who created, who manage and who make live this wonderful forum (and site), which I "discovered" last season.
I chose FizzyFrenchie as a pseudonym, Frenchie for an obvious reason (and please forgive my poor English), Fizzy because I wonder so much at what figure skating is becoming with the new generation of champions : putting aside Dance and Pairs which I like to watch from time to time but understand even less than Men and Ladies, in Men we have the GOAT, who in my opinion, particularly "for components", deserves the so very rare comment of a critics about (the aptly named) tenor Fritz Wunderlich : one can see imperfections with him, but then, from comparison with an ideal of perfection, not with other people. And I didn't think such a perfection could grace ice skating, which I considered "minor art" until now (sorry to all skaters), especially compared with ballet; and in women we have "the new Katarina Witt", Alina Zagitova, the "3 A", all so different (The Little Fairy, The Little Angel, The Little Rocket, guess who ;-) ), and this year Rika Kihira, who make look pale some "more ordinarily extraordinary skaters", and the Juniors are coming, Kamila Valieva (maybe the future greatest) and "the little Demoiselle" with a "chic parisien", Alysa Liu (who may well deserve her scores before reaching Seniors, particularly if she can train with Carolina Kostner), to name a few. What a bunch! In my opinion, we are entering a never seen era in figure skating. I hope without injuries (out of excess of competition). And I am so glad to be able to witness it, in spite of my "dumminess" (but I am improving, thanks to GoldenSkate).

 

[sailormoon]

The Twitter user "natalia" claimed that it was done by some angry Hanyu fans. But the area where the VIP lounge is located is closed to the public and only those with an ISU pass can get in. If the photo she posted on Twitter is genuine, it must have been done by an authorized person.

https://twitter.com/LazyLys/status/1204020564907712512

 

[alexaa]

I am not @Tavi, but no, I have not seen it. Nor do I care to. Nor do I care to drag other fan wars from social media onto Goldenskate.

I’m an Eagles fan, I boo my own team, I don’t sugar coat Jackson squat But from my own point of view, it would be better to use those words directed to the actual persons in whatever social media one is upset with. It proves nothing here and solves nothing here, except to perhaps make perfectly fine and wonderful fans here defensive. And why do that

But you don’t make death threats to athletes or referees or judges right? You don’t vandalize the arena when your team lost right? You don’t hold protest banners during award ceremony, right?

This thread started with a tweet about vandalism. It is the vandalism, the protest during the award ceremony, the threats against judges, technical specialists, death threats against skaters, harassment of athletes who hold different opinions from those extreme fans were discussed initially. These are not fan wars to me, and I believe to most of the posters in this thread. I don’t think it is the intention of most of posters here to criticize all yuzuru fans.

It is very unfortunate that most of the yuzuru fans were unavoidably associated with those extreme fans. That is why we need to be careful with words so as not to generalize these behaviors to all yuzuru fans.

They are victims in the sense of unfair associations with those rabid fans who they have no influence over. But with more incidents like the vandalism or protests, death threats happening, there will be more and more people making the associations. People won’t stop talking about it, probably just stop talking about on GS.

 

[DizzyFrenchie]

Now, if I chose this thread for introduction, this is because I felt compelled to register by what is happening with this GPF. Usually I read attentively what others write, and when I have an opinion, it is expressed by a participant, or several, so I don't feel the need to add anything. And I understand the disappointment of admirers of such or such skater, that an imaginary call have been made, or an adversary's mistake not been called, my impression being that as a whole, they are "well distributed" (with very few exceptions) and every skater understand the possibility of error and accept them when they come.
Not here, plus I am really worried.

I would like to separate two things.
One thing, is the act of vandalism by two spectators, on a wall full of Olympians signatures (they didn't use the word "unfair", mind you; they knew "better"). With the attenuation (for the act itself) that they may have not understood what it was?, from what I read, they seem to have focused on ice skating somehow accidentally, their main concern being of a more weird nationalistic nature — I really don't think the scores may "explain" their act, they seem to be just that sort of people. They should be punished, and no more remembered. BUT. I am afraid Yuzuru Hanyu may feel guilty of their action, thinking that, had he skated better, they would not have done this (I don't think so of course). And this may add to his other concerns.

The other thing, is two ladies showing "Unfair judgment" (clearly written hastily, probably on the back of a "normal" banner) at the victory ceremony. There had been unfair judgment (I am no skating expert, but I have studied maths a little), and that is not all. There is all reason to think, from their acts and declarations, well mannered as they were (because they are not only great skaters, they are also real sportsmen; plus they don't have the right, morally, to make themselves judge and party), that both are unquiet, and this is an understatement. I am sure neither Yuzuru Hanyu nor Nathan Chen can sleep. Something had to be done, alarm had to be rung, and this is what the two ladies did. I consider it by no way, contrary to what I read here, an act of "hooliganism", or disrespectful. What is disrespectful, is the unfair judgment, both to ice skating and the skaters, not the whistleblowers. I heartily approve them, and on my side, I mean to write my federation (FFSG) about this problem. I do not see any other way of acting.

I have tried not to digress, not to detail why and how I consider the judgment unfair and its consequences, or what show the two skaters' uneasiness, and I should like to know in which thread I may speak of them, I am so worried. I do not think Yuzuru Hanyu FanFest to be the place for it, so where, please?