Jeremy Abbott ‘kind of on the fence’ about retiring

[merinheart]

I noticed the icenetwork article wasn't posted which has a few more quotes from Jeremy.

Abbott on future: 'I have a lot still to offer the sport'

I find it hilarious how Abbott is citing being introduced as a bronze medalist as inspiration for continuing as if he rallied the US team to bronze. Someone should remind him that he in no way contributed anything to the medal that any one of the top 10 men's finishers at US Nats couldn't have achieved. Everyone else on that team pulled their weight, even Marissa and Simon who didn't place crazy high but did their job admirably. Abbott should send them all flowers every Olympics for the rest of his life. And I'm in no way undermining the team medal- they are just as much medalists as any other. It's just Abbott acting like his participation is part of some great legacy that I find absurd.

From that article I just linked to -

"I look at my season, and it was probably one of the most consistent seasons I've had," he said. "Obviously, my placements weren't the best, but at NHK [Trophy], I had two mistakes. At nationals, I had one mistake. Olympics, in the individual event, I had one mistake. Worlds, I had one mistake.
"So I look at that and [think], 'OK, I had one mistake out of each of three competitions; that's better than I've done, ever.' That was really kind of important to look at, and I think there's potentially more in store."

How dare people accuse Jeremy of not pulling his weight in the team event! According to him, the team event meant nothing, it was just another "warm-up" for him. What matters is that he pulled his weight in all the "important" competitions! So all you haters can shut it!

Never mind that just a few paragraphs later he contradicts himself while whining about not getting any sponsorships -

"It's kind of crazy to think I'm a four-time national champion and Olympic bronze medalist, and I have no sponsorship to speak of"

Riiiiiiight. An Olympic bronze medal for a team event which he didn't even take seriously as a real competition. I think that from now on any mentions of Jeremy as an Olympic bronze medalist should come with a big fat asterisk next to it. Or how about if the Olympic committee just rescinds his medal already? I'm sure it won't be of any great loss to him. Because, just "warm-up", remember?

 

[BlackPack]

Well, if he qualifies (particularly if he wins Nationals) he will be sent. With the inconsistency of some of the other US men, it's a possibility. While I think it's time for him to retire, he DID just beat Max Aaron at Worlds.

The other US men may be inconsistent but they aren't yet anywhere as bad as Abbott. The guy has been to his first Worlds in 2007 (?)... when has he not choked? He may have achieved his best in his recent Worlds LP but not SP.

Didn't Jason Brown beat Abbott with a quad in the LP at Nationals? The judges are already ready to hand over the National title to someone else.

I think the US rivalry will be between Jason Brown and Joshua Harris in the next quad. I'm still not sure why Max Aaron is so popular... but again I am clueless about a lot of things.

 

[BlackPack]

Although Abbott had a 'good' result at Worlds last month, it was still about 30 points off the podium. He should keep that in mind.

Yes, there is a fine line between positive thinking and delusion. He may have thought "Oh I'm 5th, I still got it." His programs, while stylish, just don't have enough complexity and difficulty to make up 25-30 points. Choreographically, moments of his programs are repeated that are relatively simple and have a lot of empty segments for posing and pouting, "Staring into the distance forlornly" will only qualify for points if you're Lipnitskaia doing Schindler's List.

In a way his programs remind me of latter Weir programs - empty empty empty choreography and not enough technical content. Granted, Abbott is far more interesting than Weir in the latter part of his career.

 

[Skater Boy]

Jeremy should retire because he reminds one fan of a dandelion and another doesn't like his overall body type?

From your mouth or hands.... you said it.

 

[Skater Boy]

Yes, there is a fine line between positive thinking and delusion. He may have thought "Oh I'm 5th, I still got it." His programs, while stylish, just don't have enough complexity and difficulty to make up 25-30 points. Choreographically, moments of his programs are repeated that are relatively simple and have a lot of empty segments for posing and pouting, "Staring into the distance forlornly" will only qualify for points if you're Lipnitskaia doing Schindler's List.

In a way his programs remind me of latter Weir programs - empty empty empty choreography and not enough technical content. Granted, Abbott is far more interesting than Weir in the latter part of his career.

At least Julia's forlorn look is more organic than Brian Boitano now that is bad. Lol

 

[karne]

I think the US rivalry will be between Jason Brown and Joshua Harris in the next quad.

Well, that would be nothing new. Jason Brown and Joshua FARRIS have been rivals since they were 10 years old - and each other's number one fan since about then too.

They have shared the podium at every level of US Nationals except Juvenile, and also at the Junior Grand Prix Final, and now twice at Junior Worlds. Where one goes, the other follows. When they had their 1-2 finish at the Junior level, the final margin was 0.19. Less than two tenths of a point! Jason even credits Joshua's superior flexibility as a youngster as the driving inspiration behind his own flexibility!

Intermediate: 1 (Joshua), 2 (Jason)
Novice: 1 (Joshua), 3 (Jason)
Junior: 1 (Jason), 2 (Joshua)
Senior: 2 (Jason), 4 (Joshua)
Junior Grand Prix Final (2011) - 1 (Jason), 3 (Joshua)
Junior Worlds, 2012: 2 (Joshua), 3 (Jason)
Junior Worlds, 2013: 1 (Joshua), 2 (Jason)

These two make Lysacek/Weir look like child's play already. It's a wonderful backstory and brilliant tale of how to separate what happens on the ice with what happens off it.

I'm still not sure why Max Aaron is so popular... but again I am clueless about a lot of things.

Let's see, he's fast, exciting, energetic, huge jumps, great personality, good-looking, good guy, always gives 100% of his heart on the ice and never gives up, works his butt off even when it will never be good enough for some, takes risks (Carmen by Lori Nichol? Okay, that was one risk too far), is gracious in defeat, and is generally an all-round pretty awesome skater.

Oh, for the interested: the combination of Joshua, Jason and Max has podiumed twice at Nationals - Max was the bronze medallist the year Joshua and Jason finished 1-2 in Juniors. (Max was the Junior Champion the next year.)

 

[BlackPack]

Well, that would be nothing new. Jason Brown and Joshua FARRIS have been rivals since they were 10 years old - and each other's number one fan since about then too.

They have shared the podium at every level of US Nationals except Juvenile, and also at the Junior Grand Prix Final, and now twice at Junior Worlds. Where one goes, the other follows. When they had their 1-2 finish at the Junior level, the final margin was 0.19. Less than two tenths of a point! Jason even credits Joshua's superior flexibility as a youngster as the driving inspiration behind his own flexibility!

Intermediate: 1 (Joshua), 2 (Jason)
Novice: 1 (Joshua), 3 (Jason)
Junior: 1 (Jason), 2 (Joshua)
Senior: 2 (Jason), 4 (Joshua)
Junior Grand Prix Final (2011) - 1 (Jason), 3 (Joshua)
Junior Worlds, 2012: 2 (Joshua), 3 (Jason)
Junior Worlds, 2013: 1 (Joshua), 2 (Jason)

These two make Lysacek/Weir look like child's play already. It's a wonderful backstory and brilliant tale of how to separate what happens on the ice with what happens off it.



Let's see, he's fast, exciting, energetic, huge jumps, great personality, good-looking, good guy, always gives 100% of his heart on the ice and never gives up, works his butt off even when it will never be good enough for some, takes risks (Carmen by Lori Nichol? Okay, that was one risk too far), is gracious in defeat, and is generally an all-round pretty awesome skater.

Oh, for the interested: the combination of Joshua, Jason and Max has podiumed twice at Nationals - Max was the bronze medallist the year Joshua and Jason finished 1-2 in Juniors. (Max was the Junior Champion the next year.)

Yes, last year many people looked to Max as a potential contender for Sochi and Saitama even more than Jason Brown who was then relatively unknown before the viral explosion, having given the same reasons as you. There are many skaters who are also good-looking, have a pleasant personality, have good jumps, have a good work ethic, yet they don't have that kind of fanfare.... I will just have to accept that it's one of the things I don't get.

Back to Abbott. Maybe he thought he if he only skated a clean SP and LP, he would have medaled.

Maybe he's only staying because so many people want him to go.

 

[Duality]

Let's see, he's fast, exciting, energetic, huge jumps, great personality, good-looking, good guy, always gives 100% of his heart on the ice and never gives up, works his butt off even when it will never be good enough for some, takes risks (Carmen by Lori Nichol? Okay, that was one risk too far), is gracious in defeat, and is generally an all-round pretty awesome skater.

But he surely lacks in terms of artistry and skating skills. If he jumps badly then he isn't very interesting to look at. By the way I think he should wear other type of pants to mask his short legs.

As for Jeremy I doubt that prolonging his carrier is a right decision but I don't see nothing wrong with it either. The worst case scenario for him that he will perform very badly in the next season and then he will understand that he should retire. But it's not like something really terrible will happen or like he will rob someone of something.

Personally I like his skating and choreography so I'd like to see him for another year. So many veterans retired (Daisuke, Verner, Joubert) so I'd be happy that at least one of them stay for a little while.

 

[karne]

Yes, last year many people looked to Max as a potential contender for Sochi and Saitama even more than Jason Brown who was then relatively unknown before the viral explosion, having given the same reasons as you. There are many skaters who are also good-looking, have a pleasant personality, have good jumps, have a good work ethic, yet they don't have that kind of fanfare.... I will just have to accept that it's one of the things I don't get.

Um, the fact that Max was also the reigning National Champion, had two quads in the long and finished seventh at Worlds in his first major Senior international might have also contributed...

 

[Ryan O]

Riiiiiiight. An Olympic bronze medal for a team event which he didn't even take seriously as a real competition. I think that from now on any mentions of Jeremy as an Olympic bronze medalist should come with a big fat asterisk next to it. Or how about if the Olympic committee just rescinds his medal already? I'm sure it won't be of any great loss to him. Because, just "warm-up", remember?

Well, this is the potential problem with the Team Event at the Olympics is that when people talk about having 'won' an Olympic medal, it can be misleading because the reader or viewer who hears that might not know whether it was for individual performance or not.

I also got tired of Patrick Chan repeatedly going on after the Men's event in Sochi about how he has won 2 Olympic silvers in his career. It makes him sound like he won 2 Olympic silver medals on his own like Elvis Stojko and Brian Orser, and it's not the same thing.

That's one reason why I hope the Team Event is abolished before the next Olympics so that it doesn't muddy the waters anymore.

 

[BlackPack]

Um, the fact that Max was also the reigning National Champion, had two quads in the long and finished seventh at Worlds in his first major Senior international might have also contributed...

So did Tim Goebbels and Li Chenjiang and they had lots of quads.... Look, I didn't look at his accolades, his personality, or his looks. His skating simply wasn't appealing. There was a long thread here last year where 50 people told me why they loved him so much ranging from deep, convincing (in their minds ) arguments to fangirl praises. Maybe he is so appealing to some because he is so average? A boy-next-door sort of appeal? By the way, save yourselves, I will never understand it.

I think it's time for Abbott to go. Become a choreographer who arranges good music for others.... that he will excel in. I can't stand the fact that he will usurp the place of someone who will generate better results.

 

[centerpt1]

I think it's time for Abbott to go. Become a choreographer who arranges good music for others.... that he will excel in. I can't stand the fact that he will usurp the place of someone who will generate better results.

He's the top US man in the World Rankings right now. He's the second US man by Season's Rankings. He beat all comers at Nationals. (not by much) He had some personal best scores this season.

He's competitive with the other top US men. So results wise, he's right in there.

He's medaled at least once every year he's been on the GP. He's helped the US get/keep 3 slots more than once. The US didn't "pull an Ashley" for him to get to Worlds in 2011, so he's not getting any special favors. He hasn't been to Worlds nearly as often as people think he has.

(on his twitter and website it clearly says Team Bronze, and that's the way they are listed on the SOI site , also. )

I like Max. He goes out and gives his all. I do wish he'd find another coach. Tom Z's team can get the jumps on a skater, but can't get them to be top 5 at Worlds (well except for Rachel)

 

[Alba]

As for the last two posters I have quoted. Have you been in his shoes? Have you seen the crap that he gets thrown at him more than any other skater? Obviously not, because here are you and many others in this thread throwing just as much crap at him.

Are you out of your mind or just acting crazy? When did I throw crap him?!
I was laughing because his reactiong and with the comment I read below that article. Do I have to ask your permission about it?!

However, to answer your's and Jeremy's question, no we have never been in his shoes when it comes to skating and guess what? We don't have to in order to judge a skater. Even the judges are not in his shoes, yet their job is to judge his performance.
We are part of the pubblic and they perform to, and for us. So yes we can judge without having to be in their shoes.
I'm sure though that life has thrown as some crap as well, like everybody else, so Jeremy is not alone or special.

For God's sake! Some of the world's best opera singers like Luciano Pavarotti and Maria Callas, to name a few, have been booed by the crowd at La Scala.
Callas was the queen of La Scala but after her performance of La Traviata in 1956, during her final bows, radishes were thrown to her by the loggionisti. She grandly swept them up as if they were lovely flowers.
Same with a tenor at La Scala who got a bad reception early on in Rigoletto and yelled back at the audience: "Did you whistle at me? Just wait - you haven't heard the baritone yet."
Or the tenor who was jeered mercilessly in Norma and bravely turned to his hecklers: "OK, I know I'm not too good today, but I'm booked for five more performances. If you just shut up, I'll finish this one and leave town tomorrow. If you keep whistling and yelling, I'll sing all six. You decide."
That's how you handle crap, not whinning and acting like a self-entitled arrogant.
Ask the football (soccer) players here how much crap are thrown at them, each time they have a bad match, and most of the times they can't even say anything because the fans and the press will massacre them.

The only reason I feel that he should retire versus remaining competitive is if his body is telling him otherwise. Skating in pain is not something anyone needs to be doing. That said-I agree with a previous poster who said it's Jeremy's decision to do what he wants to. Like it or not, it's not up to all of you.

And who said he should ask our permission? This is a forum about figure skating and skaters, there is a thread opened on this subject and we are entitled to comment and give our opinion. If you don't like it it's not our problem but yours, so deal with it.

I'm sickened when I come into these threads and wonder many times why I continue to when 90% of it is posters with negative Nancy syndrome. :disapp: :scowl:

Stop wondering then. If you don't like what you read ignore it, but do not act like you have any rights to dictate us what to think, write or laugh about.

 

[karne]

I like Max. He goes out and gives his all. I do wish he'd find another coach.

#freeMax

Max has already had one major injury in his career. Every year he spends with Zakrasjek increases my worry for another.

 

[pangtongfan]

Jeremy being an Olympic medalist is what makes me really dislike the team event. Kurt Browning isn't an Olympic medalist, but Jeremy is. With that crap SP he skated. :disapp:

I have mixed feelings about the team event. IMO someone like Julia Lipnitskaya really outshone all the other women in the event, and was the lynchpin to her teams win (she outpointed Osmond by 7 or 8 points due to the placings which was the difference of gold to silver) so fully deserves to be called the OGM, even if she didnt deliver in the individual. Plushenko also deserves another OGM for her heroic efforts at his age, coming 2nd in the mens team short over Patrick Chan and 1st in the mens team long ahead of Machida who almost won worlds and others.

Then there are others lie Jeremy.....Had he done something good to help the cause I would be fine, even if he always had no real hope of a medal in the individual (well actually the mens event sucked so much if he could have skated like worlds, but anyway).

 

[BlackPack]

He's the top US man in the World Rankings right now. He's the second US man by Season's Rankings. He beat all comers at Nationals. (not by much) He had some personal best scores this season.

He's competitive with the other top US men. So results wise, he's right in there.

He's medaled at least once every year he's been on the GP. He's helped the US get/keep 3 slots more than once. The US didn't "pull an Ashley" for him to get to Worlds in 2011, so he's not getting any special favors. He hasn't been to Worlds nearly as often as people think he has.

(on his twitter and website it clearly says Team Bronze, and that's the way they are listed on the SOI site , also. )

I like Max. He goes out and gives his all. I do wish he'd find another coach. Tom Z's team can get the jumps on a skater, but can't get them to be top 5 at Worlds (well except for Rachel)

The only reason why Jeremy has "dominated" for so long is US male skating has been relatively weak for many years. Evan was the exception but he isn't hailed as a skating genius; he cashed in at the right time. Despite pure skating talents and artists such as Matt Savoie and Paul Wylie who are loved for their exceptional skating, there was never another Boitano again.

At the moment, Jason and Joshua seem to be the favorites who may be able to directly challenge Yuz.

 

[BlackPack]

Well, this is the potential problem with the Team Event at the Olympics is that when people talk about having 'won' an Olympic medal, it can be misleading because the reader or viewer who hears that might not know whether it was for individual performance or not.

I also got tired of Patrick Chan repeatedly going on after the Men's event in Sochi about how he has won 2 Olympic silvers in his career. It makes him sound like he won 2 Olympic silver medals on his own like Elvis Stojko and Brian Orser, and it's not the same thing.

That's one reason why I hope the Team Event is abolished before the next Olympics so that it doesn't muddy the waters anymore.

I agree. I don't see the appeal of the Team Event. I was so confused when I tuned in on the Team Events, wondering why no one was talking about it but skaters were skating their programs on Olympic ice. If they wanted a preppy, patriotic Team Event they could have changed the format, perhaps in the pro-skating route of the 90s. Skating their individual programs on the Team and Individual events twice is very boring.

Calling Jeremy Abbott Olympic Bronze medalist or Nikita Katsalopov an Olympic Champion just doesn't add up if you're a skating fan who knows skating. It just sounds wrong. Figure skating is an individual effort since the time of Salchow. You're on your own on the ice and it's up to your wits and grit to do the job. Becoming an Olympic medalist due to someone else's effort and accomplishment just doesn't sound right at all.

 

[apgold]

What can we do to "tip" him over the fence to retirement? LOL

I have a lot of mixed emotions when it comes to Jeremy. I do like watching him skate and it's really up to him whether he wants to continue competing. But he's at the age when most skaters retire and I think he should let the younger skaters have their chance to shine. Part of me is kind of annoyed that he went to Worlds instead of Jason, but I wonder if Jason would've placed Top 5 if he had competed. He did pretty well this past season (National Champ, Team Bronze (although no thanks to him since D/W really carried the day with that, and Top 5 at Worlds).

When it comes to someone like Mao, who is also considering retirement, I think it's a slightly different case b/c she's only 23 and may have a couple of good years left in her to compete. Akiko, bless her, bowed out just after turning 29 and I say good for her even though I will miss her skating next season.

I guess my point is I think it's better to go out on top, rather than stick around past your expiration date.

 

[GGoldberg]

Calling Jeremy Abbott Olympic Bronze medalist or Nikita Katsalopov an Olympic Champion just doesn't add up if you're a skating fan who knows skating. It just sounds wrong. Figure skating is an individual effort since the time of Salchow. You're on your own on the ice and it's up to your wits and grit to do the job. Becoming an Olympic medalist due to someone else's effort and accomplishment just doesn't sound right at all.[/QUOTE]

I agree COMPLETELY. It's kind of odd how the label of OLYMPIC MEDALIST has become such an indiscriminate label to be taken advantage of. Especially since it is so random how each country chose which disciplines to split and 'share the wealth'

 

[Skater Boy]

I agree. I don't see the appeal of the Team Event. I was so confused when I tuned in on the Team Events, wondering why no one was talking about it but skaters were skating their programs on Olympic ice. If they wanted a preppy, patriotic Team Event they could have changed the format, perhaps in the pro-skating route of the 90s. Skating their individual programs on the Team and Individual events twice is very boring.

Calling Jeremy Abbott Olympic Bronze medalist or Nikita Katsalopov an Olympic Champion just doesn't add up if you're a skating fan who knows skating. It just sounds wrong. Figure skating is an individual effort since the time of Salchow. You're on your own on the ice and it's up to your wits and grit to do the job. Becoming an Olympic medalist due to someone else's effort and accomplishment just doesn't sound right at all.

Well Nikita is no slouch; he won an olympic bronze with his partner; Jeremy on the other hand. And as for the earleir poster saying Chan went on and on about two silvers I didn't hear that but I am sure he was pretty disappointed to lose gold and if it were not for the fact a lot people don't like him he too could have had fans like Yuna bots etc saying he deserved gold because his pcs arguably were too low and Hanyu's too high. But the point is at least Nikita, Chan and even Julia all made real contributions to their teams. Abbott not so much; he got held up a bit actually.