The cause is worthy - its bursary fund, which assists the club and young club figure skaters.
But boy, they really work the Scott and Tessa thing for the town, don't they? Did they want Tessa and Scott to win the Olympics because of love for them, appreciation for their hard work and talent, and home town pride, or because they thought if Tessa and Scott won, Ilderton, and skating enterprises Moir, would hit the jackpot? Don't even mention all the support we gave over the years kids - you'll be paying us back the rest of your lives.
If I came from Mayberry I wouldn't want Mayberry to think it owned me. I don't think I'd want to serve as an exclusive Mayberry fundraising resource that Mayberry gloms onto whenever I'm town for something crucial to the next year of my career, when I'm in town as an elite athlete for the most critical competition of the pre-Olympic cycle (and we know the type of tunnel vision that requires), and I'm a spouse, and I'm a parent to a young child. But sure Mayberry, climb aboard on my back. I'm always ready to hand over the pound of flesh demanded in payment for your support. Where would I be without you?
Or maybe every time I rolled into Mayberry I'd know it would be a nightmare no matter what, so may as well pile all the agendas on top of me at once and get it done.
I wonder if Ann Arbor has these expectation$ of Charlie and Meryl.
What am I saying. Remember that article during Canadians, how Scott and Tessa flee the insularity of Canton for the refreshingly NON-skating obsessed region of Ilderton and London? Meryl and Charlie probably have it way worse. All of Canton up in their grill, clamoring for their time and attention. Detroit never gets out of their face.
I know there was often a sea of Michelle Kwan support when she competed, but it wasn't organized, and I don't think it was from her dad Danny's various enterprises. Plus she was a California girl and even if when she skated there the stands were filled, people from California go out the exits and have other stuff to do besides figure skating.
It just seems like a crass thing to focus on during these worlds, in particular. At least in this way. But hey, this is the last worlds, so better squeeze the pump.
Yes, children, everyone thinks you're going to lose to Davis White at these Worlds, setting Davis White up to defeat you at the Olympics. Yes if you can't soundly defeat them with Carmen you may be screwed.
But forget that. What have you done for Ilderton lately? This is Ilderton's big chance - while you're still eligible, and they've done so much for you. It's family.
The pitch is - buy the sweatshirts to have a sea of visible support for Scott and Tessa, but at $20.00 a sweatshirt (which won't produce a fortune in that venue, it's true) - the point is to sell those shirts and fill out the bursary coffers.
The Moirs get right in there promoting. I certainly hope they're aiming this initiative at family/friends they already know have secured their tickets and will be attending or rooting. I hope they're not doing fan outreach, prompting fans to dig into their pockets for the Ilderton skating club.
Because the gall.
Thoughts:
- are Virtue Moir supporters having an easier time with Worlds tickets than other fans? The Ilderton club's goal is for the venue to be a "sea of yellow".
- When is it going to be the Virtues' turn to capitalize on their famous kids/relatives? One of Tessa's brothers teaches school - doesn't that school have fund raising drives it can piggyback onto something Scott and Tessa are doing? Are no Virtues opening restaurants in London? I believe the Virtues supported Scott and Tessa coming up every bit as much as Moirville did.
Maybe the Virtues have their hands out in private.
- Are these people gonna buy the sweatshirts, cheer their lungs out, then head off home, or are they going to be working their contacts and burning up email trying to see if Scott and Tessa have any time to spend or if Scott and/or Tessa could spare some time cause it would thrill Kelly, Grandpa, Suzie, Uncle Phil or little Emma and make their life?
Maybe competitive athletes can think of nothing more exciting and there's nothing they appreciate more.
It's family, so no matter what other pressures are on them at this Worlds, THIS is something they have to support.
There's something about it though. It feels inconsiderate. But that's me. I don't come from a small town that's about nothing but figure skating. If I were an Olympic figure skater about to take the ice at home, maybe I'd want everybody I know to shell out $20.00 for my mom and aunt's club bursary fund and fill the arena cheering, because I certainly want to be even more in their debt. No better time to get that done than an athletic competition where the pressure is excruciating.
Whatever - if you're a Virtue and Moir fan - a real fan - you'll dig into your wallet and get one of these fabulous yellow sweatshirts. $20.00 is the least you can spend after all Virtue and Moir have done for their fans.
Whatever else is planned in addition to aggressive sweatshirt hawking, you know it's going to be a sham-palooza. I fully expect Cassandra in the yellow Believe shirt to turn up in instagrams and profile pictures and mobile uploads - if not parked mid-Moirs.
ETA: Another thing - the self-appointed fan police - those who claim ties to the Moirs or knowledge a couple of steps removed - need to check themselves, IMO. Bear in mind that if we are meant to take Scott and Tessa's platonic status for real, anyone who suspects they have a baby is nuts, and should be treated as nuts, just as it would be if a bunch of fans got together and speculated that Meryl and Charlie had a secret baby.
You do not take it upon yourself to thrust yourself into a fan conversation somewhere and proclaim them wrong by virtue of your superior insider status.
What would be the point? The blog has been talking about it for 2 years. Why is it so important to put in check about half a dozen fans chatting on a fan site somewhere? That accomplishes what? Virtue and Moir have already made it clear that what fans say and think has no bearing on what they're going to claim fans say and think, and the media is going to go with Virtue and Moir's version. Fan speculation or even outright assertions don't affect the Moirs at all. They're undeterred.
So the purpose of interfering is -- what?
Something to do?
That would be it. It accomplishes nothing but to satisfy the ego of the person butting in.
Scott and Tessa, and any fans who speculate or reason out about them - are none of these people's business. They tried it with the blog and with fan discussions that took place prior to the blog. But now they've decided well, we can't control the blog types, but we better set the "safe" group straight.
They need to back off.
It's not their business, and furthermore, it only fuels the speculation because no other figure skater has self-appointed family friends or acquaintances or connections running around policing what fans say, while the subjects themselves keep their mouths shut. When some people thought Charlie was Jewish, Jacquie White went somewhere (wikipedia?) to say he wasn't and actually almost overshared about where the idea originated. When people fretted that Kristen Moore-Towers' news was a split with Dylan, SHE went to facebook to say that wasn't the news. But every busybody in Ontario thinks it's their business to check fans when it comes to Scott and Tessa.
It isn't. Fans are allowed to think for themselves and see for themselves. If Scott or Tessa or any actual Moir or Virtue wanted to set the record straight, they've had ample opportunity. God knows they talk about a whole bunch of other stuff.
And furthermore, I think some busybody going the extra mile to make sure fans think something that was for Scott and Tessa's kid wasn't for their kid is absolutely grotesque. That kid is going to grow up.
P.S. Obviously, the motivation for a lot of the fan police is to protect the insider status. They enjoy being the ones who know something others don't. The "don't like to share" might also explain some of the home town enthusiasm for the sham as well.
