William Thompson has said the sucky economy is why Skate Canada's title sponsors ... don't exist.It's unclear why Skate Canada's previous sponsors waited until 3 years after the economic crisis to bolt for the exits.* The 2010 Canadian Olympics were a rousing success and Skate Canada in particular emerged with three star-quality Olympic medalists.The USFSA's sponsors have hung tough in these budget-squeezing times, and the USFSA is never short of sponsors even though the neither the public nor US television give a shit about figure skating. Not to mention, during the peak of the 2008 economic crisis, Thompson and cohorts were confident that they were assembling star-making machinery almost guaranteed to usher in a 1990's-style figure skating resurgence by the time the Vancouver Olympics were over.
Is there a non-economic reason why after the Vancouver Olympics there's more white space on Skate Canada's rink boards than before?
Sure, Thompson might pull a rabbit out of the hat and crony somebody into sponsoring Skate Canada for 2012-2013.
But it's easy to wonder if Scott and Tessa and the falsehoods they market with Skate Canada's help aren't in important part why Skate Canada has gone so long without marquee sponsors. Scott and Tessa are liars who spent an entire year plus after the Olympics using their new-minted stardom to cram a hoax down the public's throats. No matter what fans think, this is not a huge secret and perhaps there are corporations and other brands who think it's best not to be part of this scheme lest their own credibility take a hit.
Skate Canada, it is surmised, is already regarded as a dubious bet for corporate affiliations because nobody wants to deal with the obnoxious, ignorant tools at the top. That by itself could cause former sponsors to cut and run and potential new sponsors to steer clear.**
If the Scott/Tessa hoax is responsible at all for Skate Canada's status as sponsorship kryptonite, who is paying the price? Scott and Tessa have a few separate deals and wouldn't be hurting for money even if they didn't. Jessica was nicely compensated in a number of different ways. But that's not the case for other skaters, including some of Scott and Tessa's friends.
Ironic, if the star figure skaters Skate Canada believed would open the spigots are actually the figure skaters who have caused the revenue to dry up, burdening less fortunate teammates.
I think back to Own the Podium, which provided important financial support but hit a few potholes getting its message across (i.e.. - if you're not on the podium, you're a tourist). The "it's okay to win!" sort of chest-thumping reeked a little of overcompensation in its tone. I recall Bryce Davison saying that Canadian figure skaters were nicer than the figure skaters from Russia and America; that Americans and Russians took the warm-up ice like they owned it while Canadians were more "Excuse me, after you" and how Canadians needed to be more aggressive. I think of some of Debbi Wilkes' more idiotic ideas about branding (the "tough" campaign which was predicated on elementary word association. Just switch it out! Done and done! Debbi's a genius!). I wonder if the clowns at Skate Canada thought it was wimpy and old school Canadian to be matter of fact and professional, and that it might be more slick, sophisticated, "international" somehow and "big time" to manipulate the public into buying huge lies, using the wimpy old home grown Canadian persona as calculated bait.
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*If you visit BMO'S webpage and click on "donations" and also click on "sponsorships" you'll see that BMO continues to sponsor a roster of sporting events as long as your arm and its donations list is gigantic - a crowded, small-type page for each letter of the alphabet. So Thompson's excuse that all sports are struggling for sponsors doesn't hold water. BMO is still a major contributor.
**Even though it's questionable if Debbi Wilkes spends --- ANY -- time even pretending to do her supposed job, unless she's got a clone, shouldn't it have been Skate Canada's Director of Business Development yakking about light shows and revenue spin-offs to the good people of London last month?
shouldn't it have been Debbi yakking about light shows and revenue spin-offs to the good people of London last month?
ReplyDeleteNah. Debbie was busy prepping Scott and Tessa to be ambassadors for London businesses. Lol
How is it possible that so many people are in on the hoax (Skate Canada, other figure skaters/coaches, T/S family, media) and they all continue to go along with it? Nobody ever wanted to expose it? Or make it stop? I've been reading this blog for a while, and still have my doubts. Celebrities lie about relationships all the time but what this blog is describing is OTT. I know it's not the purpose of this blog to convince anybody (people are free to believe what they want) but... Would it possible to provide some proof of where this info comes from? How would T/S explain having a child who (as per this blog) will be about 3 years old by the time of Sochi Olympics? This info would become public eventually and would put them in the middle of a scandal. It would tarnish their legacy. If, what this blog says, is true, are they willing to sacrifice their legacy for privacy?
ReplyDeleteThey'll explain having a child by explaining they were married when said child was born and kept quiet about it to protect their privacy. Scott and Tessa are good people and so nothing they've done can be bad.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't count on a scandal. For one thing, it would be too much trouble for the media. How would the media (non-tabloid) benefit from raking them over the coals instead of going all "The View" on them and letting them tell their story which will be old hat - celebrities whose work involves interacting romantically on ice in front of the public and they were competing at a high level so stress blah blah blah. Nobody's going to excavate all the crap they've shoveled and examine it are you kidding? The many outlets who let Scott and Tessa blab on about the rift - including DiManno - couldn't even be bothered to do due diligence about the times these two appeared on freaking television together during the period they claim to have been out of contact. What do you think the media will do - club them over the head with the blog? They'll ignore it. Look at Sale & Pelletier. They went a year and a half separated. During their separation, they presented themselves as a married couple and even gave the occasional married-life quote. When it came out nobody backed it up and said hey - when David said this or Jamie said that, they were actually separated! Nobody has the time to dig through the archives - there isn't going to be a discovery process a la a legal proceeding.
In addition, it's very clear that much of the media is already clued in. They're not going to rat themselves out and say they enabled this. They'll simply enable Scott and Tessa's "coming out."
DeleteAdding this: I think the initial public and definitely media reaction - if they actually show their faces and don't just issue a one sentence post-Sochi announcement - will be sympathetic and I think the fans will just be happy they owned up to it, and of course, will be curious to see the kid.
DeleteWhere it may come into play, IMO, is down the line. They will both have to be extremely p.c. and careful of expressing criticism of any kind about anything or anyone under any circumstances or their entire eligible career lie will be thrown in their face. That's something that people will aww about and be inclined to give them a pass on at first, but it can follow them as time passes. "What Scott? Gonna tell us about another kid you've got stashed somewhere?" "You're accusing someone ELSE of that Moir? You've got some nerve." Pretty much anything he might ever do that anyone has a problem with will become relevant to the lies he and Tessa told and thrown back in his face, so his platform for criticizing something in public is going to be nonexistent.
They would be forever known as those Olympic champions that lied to the public for years and sold a book full of lies. This will overshadow their achievements. Shouldn't it bother them? Is privacy really worth it? I believe it was Tessa who recently said in interview that they want to be remembered as good people. How do they plan on doing that if they are actively lying to the public, profiting from lies and putting other figure skaters at financial disadvantage?
DeleteI think a lot may depend on the manner in which this becomes public. If it goes along the lines you've outlined, where it's basically just a statement of what is true, followed by "The View" type rationalizing ("we had to do it"), fawning and enabling, then there's always that doubt in the public's mind about their integrity.
DeleteBut what if they actually apologized and admitted that it was wrong and a mistake and they know they hurt people. Would that change anything in the public's general perception, as far as Scott and Tessa being able to publicly criticize anything, or just in general the way it could impact their future careers?
I'm the one who just wrote at 1:56
DeleteJust wanted to add, not that I ever expect any apologies or confessions. I was just wondering about a "what if..."
IMO, a lot of their fans will be turned off if it comes out they were lying. It'll feel like a slap in the face after years of defending them from the "rumors".
DeleteDo you really think so 2:05? I think some will but it will be a small percentage. Just think of the short news cycle of even the biggest celebrity scandals and how quickly the celebrity recovered and the public moved on. A lot of fans won't do the math of how unnecessary so much of this was - they'll just do the math of "need privacy = denial". MO anyhow. I'd be very surprised if the fan reaction didn't toe the line with how the entertainment and sports media packages it. Be prepared for the public to be patted on the head even as they're made into the scapegoat.
DeleteAnon 2:05
DeleteI also think a lot of fans will still feel a need to defend whatever VM did, mostly because they won't be able to publicly acknowledge they were treated like fools. So for the sake of their own pride, I think there will still be a very defensive group of fans who think those who care about the lies are blowing everything out of proportion and are being meeeaaannn to VM (and etc. etc.)
To anon @2:29
DeleteThe ubers on FSU and FF who constantly defend V/M against this blog, will feel very betrayed. They invest a lot of emotion into V/M, not just as skaters but as people. They maybe won't admit it in public but they won't be able to look at V/M the same way.
Please. All the ubers on FSU and FF read this blog everyday. If all this stuff is true, no one is going to be surprised by it, least of all the ubers.
DeletePeople want things to make sense, and if V/M come out saying they were in love all this time and were in fact married, most people would give them a pass, because that makes more sense than they were not in a relationship or were dating other people.
4:48 PM - correct, IMO. You're not just on point about people wanting things to make sense (and about saving face and pride), but there's also the matter of how fandom works. It almost always grinds down to fan wars. When this comes out, are the ubers going to beat themselves up? They'll pat themselves on the back for supporting Scott and Tessa, tsk tsk about how stressful it must have been for the conspiracy theorists to put pressure on them (the "mean" angle) compete with each other for who can be the most understanding, and pretty much spin the lies and buying into the lies as the superior approach. Guaranteed.
DeleteThe way this will bite Scott and Tessa in the ass, fanwise (I'll steer clear of the Skate Canada and endorsement piece of things at the moment) is as I said in another comment - down the line. Post-Sochi, if they're still in the public eye in any capacity, any time Scott feels jerked around, he'll have to suck it up. Any time he treads on toes - suck it up because there will be blowback. Any time he wants to vent - he's forfeited it. Fairly or un, the scam he ran on the public will be thrown in his face. The basic - "we denied" ("lie" will not be used), and the ensuing break out the violin rationale will be accepted and supported, particularly if self-deprecating humor comes into play. But any time they trip up, particularly as the dewiness wears off for the fans, that's when it will be remembered. It won't have a big push back when/if they have the balls to fess up. It will, though, have a long shelf life and prevent them from taking any bold stands without getting a lot of flack.
I don't, by the way, see an apology in the offing. How will that be credible? We're so sorry, we made a six-seven year mistake, and somehow we didn't recognize it til now, after our second Olympic gold medal, looking at retirement! We hope you'll understand!
I'm anon from 2:42
ReplyDeleteBrian Joubert once said in an interview that when he was about 18 years old, a French fan saw him on TV and wanted to leave her husband to be with him. So he basically told her not to do it, that it would be a mistake. He said that this fan made him feel scared. I guess the point I'm trying to make is that famous attractive figure skaters are generally at risk of being harassed by some random crazy fans and by having their privacy intruded upon. V/M are not unique in this. So if many figure skaters are in the same predicament, and V/M are the only ones actively lying, why would their fans be ok with that?
V/M are most likely not the only ones lying, just the only ones with perhaps such a big lie to cover. Check out this convincing relationship: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DN4Lf1RLFcs And yes, Evan had posted pictures of them kissing on fb as well.
DeleteIt's true there are probably a lot of famous skaters (athletes, celebrities, whatever) lying.
DeleteV/M imo went overboard in their exuberance to make it seem real and it turned grotesque.
(Come on, honeymoon-type beach photos? Attending family weddings and births, just for the sake of a photo-op? For FOUR years? Barf)
Tanith and Evan went all in. They didn't play a double game. They were a couple in the legit media, neither one shied away from mentioning the other as their SO to the mainstream press, in fact, the public face of their relationship was pitched towards the legit media. Scott and Tessa are disgusting with fans on social media but present a "respect our privacy" face to the legit media, where Scott's girlfriend, who is/was a famous fucking figure skater frequently interviewed by the same freaking media personalities writing about Scott and Tessa - is never mentioned. All the wanking off that has been written about Scott and Tessa - the uncouple couple with the non-intimate intimate connection - could have been skipped simply by coming at the story with - well, Scott's dating Jessica freaking Dube, whose face slash video has gotten over a million hits on youtube. Kind of an obvious angle to constantly overlook in favor of bleeting on about how fans are confused about Scott and Tessa's coupledom isn't it? Yet it was always overlooked. They didn't want that hoax in any legit searchable archives. It was only for fans and other stooges - they didn't want it haunting THEM. Of course fans weren't confused about Scott and Tessa being a couple, they were being blasted in the face with Jessica on the weekly.
DeleteShamming per se is not a crime. Tanith and Evan did it the way it's supposed to be done. They didn't run different games on different platforms, like idiots. Scott and Tessa did, acting like the audience for one platform couldn't see the other.
"But any time they trip up, particularly as the dewiness wears off for the fans, that's when it will be remembered. "
ReplyDeleteIf V/M play their cards right, act all sweet to each other in public, bring out the kid(s) once in a while, etc., I don't think the dewiness will ever wear off. People love to see happy, beautiful people in love. If they win another gold, they'll be like Gordeeva/Grinkov, and you know fans would love to see that.
Where it will really bite them is if they ever get divorced, separate, or act the slightest bit annoyed at each other. Then the hate will really rain down.
I really don't mean between each other. I mean when they stop being human Barbie dolls or living Twilight figures to the fans. Right now there's a mystery. At some point, presumably, the supposed "mystery" will be revealed. People will realize it's not so mysterious - they ARE in love and have been for years. At the same time, they are the best in the world, and fans of other teams resent them at times. They seize on things Scott, especially, says. Scott has a temper.
DeleteIf he indulges his temper post (presumed) reveal, there is a segment of skating fans that will be merciless. I don't think it helps that Scott/Tessa are so blinkered, have such inherent double standards. Remember when Scott warned fans that there was a fake Tessa Virtue facebook out there, and if you were friending her, it was fake and so uncool. This from the Zoolander-esque mannequin posing a la lovers with Jessica Dube for the benefit of facebook friends/strangers in the Dominican, L.A., Muskoka and countless weddings. Sailed right over his head. Outside things he cares about, he's not disciplined.
A tangent - I've read speculation about how Scott and Tessa have chemistry because chemistry is all about the Joey Tribbiani theory - if it's unconsummated, it's chemistry because of unresolved sexual tension, but people who are doing it don't have chemistry.
Please. The examples of "people who are doing it" having scorching chemistry while performing opposite each other years on end is almost too numerous to list. Furthermore, if someone can tell us where the "tension" is between Scott and Tessa, I'd love to know it. It is completely possible to have chemistry without that unresolved sexual tension. G&G were an example of that, VM are another. Life is not dramatic tropes.
so what do you make of his ring? and the fact he hasn't been wearing it since the article came out...
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone have a timeline of the appearance of Scott and Tessa's rings and where and when they have worn them/ not worn them? I'm curious about this. The first place I noticed them is on the Etalk holiday baking segment. If ever you wanted someone to notice a ring it is on that show where they do closeups of their hands. But then I guess some people think that Scott's was from his "former girlfriend."
DeleteScott started wearing his ring in 2008, after Worlds. It was first seen when he was at Festa on Ice that year. He wore it consistently until after Worlds this year.
DeleteScott never wore his ring when he was skating. Tessa wore a silver ring while skating from at least 2004 through Worlds 2009.
Deletei love them, i dont care! lie to everyone, live your life!
ReplyDeletealso, did tessa only get a nose job? or was chin involved too?she needed no surgery, breathtaking before and after, but i had to ask.
i've wondered that myself...
DeleteAnon 8:51
ReplyDeleteYou love VM and you want them to "live your life" but you care whether Tessa had a nose job?
What's it to you? What does a possible nose job have to do with Tessa's character, work ethic, talent, relationship with teammates, etc.? Nothing. And no one cares but you who constantly brings this up as if it would influence anyone"s opinions. Get over yourself.
Er, I don't think the question was "if" Tessa's had some work done on her nose. It's pretty obvious that she has. I think it's pretty normal to be curious when a public figure shows up sporting some renovations. Whether they like it or not, they are public figures.
ReplyDelete"Er, I don't think the question was "if" Tessa's had some work done on her nose."
ReplyDeleteSO???
"It's pretty obvious that she has. I think it's pretty normal to be curious"
I don't know about anyone else but I am NOT curious about this and I could care less.
I would be really interested in what people here feel about what is appropriate and not appropriate when it comes to fan interactions. With all the SOI stories floating around, it's just been on my mind. I'm not wanting to criticize specific people or situations, I've just seen stuff that definitely seems OTT to me and yet I don't know exactly where the line is. For example, if you go to a competition and see skaters just hanging around, are they "on duty" or is it fans overstepping when they ask for autographs? Although I don't think TS are handling their privacy in a rational way, if they feel so driven to do these bizarre things, I wouldn't ever want to make any skater or celebrity feel weird.
ReplyDeleteand although I think there is too much evidence to ignore when it comes to TS being dishonest in a major way, they do seem so genuine and to go out of their way for some fans. I hope they aren't entirely concious of the malicious ways they've dealt with fans in their overall plans, and that it's a product of some weird compartmentalizing that's happened over the years. It's obvious that for some of these fans, their world revolves around TS and while I completely understand why it would be off-putting to TS, a part of me hopes that in person they're being sincere.
Anon 11:51
ReplyDeleteI personally don't have a problem with the fan interaction stories I've seen so far. IMO the meet&greets, and even approaching them during events like SOI, are part of designated and appropriate times for such things. I think it crosses the line when they're approached when they're seen out and about in public or at competitions if they"re still not finished with their own competitions.
I too have wondered about their compartmentalization. In a broad sense, IMO they've treated fans disrespectfully, manipulatvely, as if fans cannot be trusted with reality/truth. But then you get these stories where VM are sweet toward the gushing fan, they hug and high-five them. You know what? When Tessa and Scott react lke that toward the fans, I'm not going to be sensitive on their behalf about any OTT behavior from the fans. If VM don't seem to have any problems with these fans, then I won't either.
"If the Scott/Tessa hoax is responsible at all for Skate Canada's status as sponsorship kryptonite, who is paying the price? Scott and Tessa have a few separate deals and wouldn't be hurting for money even if they didn't. "
ReplyDeleteIf the Scott/Tessa hoax is sponsorship kryptonite, how would Scott and Tessa have separate deals of their own? That makes no sense.
It's very telling that Lindt signed up to sponsor V/M, and then allowed their name and money to be extended to CSOI, but did not sign up as a Skate Canada sponsor (as of yet).
The problem appears to be with SC, not V/M.
Lindt, and any other current/potential V/M sponsor can easily find your blog and your youtube videos when they do their pre-contract google search of Scott and Tessa. They know anyone else interested enough to do a V/M google search can easily find it too. Obviously they have decided that whatever is written here is not going to hurt their bottom line, and that V/M are worth sponsoring. Skate Canada, not so much.
Anon 2:50
DeleteIt would be interesting to know whether Scott having a "former girlfriend" and not a current fake one he's making out with on facebook has helped V/M be more appealing in general.
I still wonder whatever happened with Roots, and in general why V/M haven't been able to cash in more, seeing as they're the reigning Olympic champions.