Anyone watch Shani Davis win last night (Olympic Speedskating)?

[Miller1412]

Did anyone watch Shani Davis win the gold last night? It was so strange when NBC interviewed him. He didn't come off looking too good.

What did you think?

 

[lovemygoofy]

He didn't go to the olympics to make friends and be America's sweetheart. He went to win and he did. He also has an attitude but from the back story I understand he and his mother have had major problems with the organization in speed skating. He is the first African American to win an individual gold though so good for him. Just don't expect him to be you know throw a party

 

[dopeys biggest fan]

 

[LBAK]

I thought he came off as very arrogant. It's a shame he couldn't act more curteous to the public, after all he did make history and people won't remember him for the right reason. JMO

 

[mom2rb]

He did say he was at a loss for words. I would hate to be judged for what I did or said right after I had accomplished my life's goal.

 

[skiwee1]

He was a jerk. We were actually hoping he'd trip during the race. Sorry but he shouldn't have pulled out of the team race at the last minute. He has a me, me mentality and it is sickening. And his mouthy mother is just as bad. I see where he gets his arrogance from.

 

[mom2boys]

I hope that the media has severly slanted the story because otherwise he sounds like a selfish brat.

 

[padams]

An article in the Atlanta newspaper said today that he was only notified that he was suppose to compete in the team pursuit a week before the event.

I expect that an Olympic athlete has had a training schedule for weeks, if not months, leading up to his Olympic event. To suddenly be told that he is going to be in another race would likely throw off his training schedule. Speed skating, like many other Olympic sports, is really an individual sport, not a team sport. Speed skaters spend their entire careers focusing on their individual events, not team relay races.


He may be a jerk and have a huge ego (like many Olympic or professional athletes) but I think the media is trying to find a story for these games, and currently the speed skaters are about the "best" story the media has to play. Bode's done nothing. Bloom missed getting a medal. Kwan went home. Most of the athletes focused upon by the media in the pre-Olympic hype haven't provided the anticipated media buzz so all of those reporters are trying to find a story...

 

[Ava83]

I would not make a snap judgement due to his interview after he won a gold medal, I cannot remember the details but in the Chicago Trib magazine there was huge story about it I am going to try to find it.

Also as an FYI he has never trained with the team (I wish I had the story)

 

[CEDmom]

Wow, people can be pretty judgemental. What individual sport Olympic athlete doesn't put their own pursuit of gold ahead of their teammates ? I doubt many would be there at all if they didn't have a cut throat attitude. They train through pain, personal tragedy etc in the hope that one day they'll acheive the crowning glory.

Shani had the odds stacked against him from the start and yet he never let anything stand in the way of his dream.

His teammate is upset about Shani not being at the team event because it cost him a gold. I doubt he cares very much that Shani was trying to save his chance for one as well.

 

[ladycollector]

He was a total jerk and a complete *ss to the lady who interviewed him. I hope he's not competing in any other events because he is a disgrace. jmo

 

[LisaR]

I understand that we may not know the full story. However, any animosity he had going on between himself and the other US team members and coaches should have been put aside for a few minutes during that interview. He came across as an arrogant jerk.

Lisa

 

[pixiemomma]

I think if anyone has come off as a jerk it the media. They spent all week slamming him, trying to create a story between he and a fellow speedskater , then tried to weasal up to him once he won his medal. I don't blame him for his response one bit. At least it was sincere unlike the sycophant reporter.

What was ungracious was the other speedskater's response to his medal win and even more uncalled for was the media asking the question in the first place.

 

[JimB.]

Mr Davis has never skated in the team pursuit.

IMHO, the only reason he was asked to do it was to help "the other guy" (whose name eludes me at the moment) go for 5 Gold medals.

Once again, IMHO, it is pretty selfish & arrogant for someone to go up & basically say "I can't win another Gold unless you help me" with no consideration given to Mr Davis' chances at his own specialty, the 1000 meters.

I don't fault him for not skating in the team pursuit.

That being said, I don't think he handled himself particularly well in his post-race interview with NBC.

 

[koopa]

Mr Davis has never skated in the team pursuit.

IMHO, the only reason he was asked to do it was to help "the other guy" (whose name eludes me at the moment) go for 5 Gold medals.

Once again, IMHO, it is pretty selfish & arrogant for someone to go up & basically say "I can't win another Gold unless you help me" with no consideration given to Mr Davis' chances at his own specialty, the 1000 meters.

I don't fault him for not skating in the team pursuit.

That being said, I don't think he handled himself particularly well in his post-race interview with NBC.

I agree. Hendrick is the one going after 5 medals, the media hyped Hendrick in pre olympic coverage. Maybe Davis is a little perturbed at that especially after Davis was predicted to be the favorite. Yes, Davis gave a lousy interview to the NBC reporter after the race. Hendrick was interviewed and displayed the same attitude toward Davis by ignoring him and congratulating Cheeks whom came in second. Both will meet again in the 1500. Don't fully understand the hate between the two.

 

[Alicnwondrln]

i think he is getting a bad rap
the man just accomplished his lifes work
he wanted to focus on that and should not be punished for not skating another race
we arent really there so we dont know what is really happening

 

[JVL1018]

He was a jerk in the interview..and he was all set to skate in the team pursuit until he lost the 5000 meters, I believe.
They said he withdrew..so that must have meant he agreed at some point to skate for the team, and then changed his mind at the last minute.
I don't like him at all..he should have said no from the very beginning, I'd have no problem with that.

 

[munchkinsmom]

I totally agree w/ JimB.'s prior post.

The public doesn't know the whole story, and I refuse to judge someone based on how the media has decided to portray him. I don't know if I'd be as gracious to the media if I found out that I'd been made to be the bad guy when all I wanted to do is pursue a life's dream. I also know that I've backed out of a couple of things I agreed to do after deciding that it wasn't in my best interest. I can't fault him for doing the same.

 

[Chicago Girl]

I can just see the handwriting on the wall, Shani Davis the new 'bad' guy of sports?

I don’t have the least problem in what he did; quite frankly, I would have done the same thing. What’s so bad about him stating that he wanted to opt out of the team event so that he could focus on his strongest events? Come on, the guy was notified a week before the team event that they wanted him to skate.

I’m including an article that was written before Davis won the Gold.

 

[Sonya]

I think if anyone has come off as a jerk it the media. They spent all week slamming him, trying to create a story between he and a fellow speedskater , then tried to weasal up to him once he won his medal. I don't blame him for his response one bit. At least it was sincere unlike the sycophant reporter.

I thought the interview was incredibly funny. The reprter came across looking like a child. "Are you mad" ??? I can see how he would have no love for the media, after what had been said about him!