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

[LisaR]

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.

I guess I look at it in a different light. I know we don't know the whole story and Shani Davis must realize that most people don't know the real story. However, he had an opportunity to make a good impression.......not for the media but for himself and as a representative of America. The media may or may not have mistreated him and if they did, he should take it up with them at a later time. He just won gold and instead of acting proud of his accomplishment, he acted like a spoiled brat that didn't appreciate the moment.

Lisa

 

[Deb in IA]

Did anyone see his interview last night? Shani came across much better, even saying that he likes kids, and wanted to be a role model to encourage kids to pursue things that may not be what was "typical" for them.

 

[pixiemomma]

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!

That reporter is so bad. I love when she interviews the athletes who speak nominal English, then proceeds to pepper the conversation with American slang.

 

[jcsbama]

You all will probably think I'm stupid for thinking this.....But, I think Davis got mad when Joey Cheek won silver. He was smiling after his race. Then, Cheek won silver and Davis immediately had a mad look on his face. I don't think Davis liked sharing the medal podium with a teammate. I think he wanted the limelight to himself.

I don't agree with how Hendrick or Davis has been acting. I can't stand Hendrick because he comes across as a playboy and conceded ars and Davis comes across as only caring about himself. It's an individual sport, but both of them need to stop and realize they are also representing the United States of America.

 

[dizneenut]

I thought he was very arrogant in the interview after winning the medal.

 

[CheshireVal]

I think he's got a huge chip on his shoulder that he refuses to let go of. He came across as a pouty little child in that first interview. I can't believe he refused to even smile!

I think the media did overhype the whole team pursuit thing, but it's hard not to believe that Davis is a jerk when he doesn't present any other side of himself when given the chance.

 

[wilderness01]

LisaR wrote:

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.

I guess I look at it in a different light. I know we don't know the whole story and Shani Davis must realize that most people don't know the real story. However, he had an opportunity to make a good impression.......not for the media but for himself and as a representative of America. The media may or may not have mistreated him and if they did, he should take it up with them at a later time. He just won gold and instead of acting proud of his accomplishment, he acted like a spoiled brat that didn't appreciate the moment.


Great post.

 

[Deb in IA]

LisaR wrote:

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.

I guess I look at it in a different light. I know we don't know the whole story and Shani Davis must realize that most people don't know the real story. However, he had an opportunity to make a good impression.......not for the media but for himself and as a representative of America. The media may or may not have mistreated him and if they did, he should take it up with them at a later time. He just won gold and instead of acting proud of his accomplishment, he acted like a spoiled brat that didn't appreciate the moment.

Maybe he just didn't like Melissa Stark. (I find her irritating myself.)

Here's another perspective:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11432269/page/2/

He wasn’t approached until a week ago about even being in the team pursuit, and he didn’t want to hurt his chances for gold in his best race by throwing off his carefully planned schedule. He didn’t apologize for it because he felt he didn’t need to. Still doesn’t.

But when he should have been enjoying his Olympic moment, Davis had to explain how he was not somehow un-American.

Davis was never going to win a medal for being best teammate, even before he came to Turin. He and his mother have long had disputes with U.S. Speedskating, down to refusing to allow his biography to be displayed on the group’s Web site. Once in Turin, he stayed to himself, avoiding both the media and the rest of his team.

And finally:

“What the U.S. thinks about Shani Davis doesn’t matter,” said bronze medalist Erben Wennemars of the Netherlands. “He got the Olympic gold medal, so he’s right. He made the right decision.”

Hard to argue with that.

 

[Deb in IA]

And here's another story about his activities as a role model for inner city kids (click on the video link to see him interacting with the kids):

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11388930/

Davis says Torino is the first of many Olympics for him. But his eventual goal is to teach.

"I would love to do something for the children out there," Davis says as he does exercises with local kids and teaches them how to skate. "It's hard to grow up in a big city and stay on the straight and narrow."

Just like it's hard to make Olympic history when you're a little bit different, and your comfort zone lies somewhere else.

 

[tmq2766]

I think his attitude gives the US and Chicago a BAD name...... It's not completely about him it's about what your representing!!!!! THE USA!!!!

 

[ead79]

I think he's got a huge chip on his shoulder that he refuses to let go of. He came across as a pouty little child in that first interview. I can't believe he refused to even smile!

I think the media did overhype the whole team pursuit thing, but it's hard not to believe that Davis is a jerk when he doesn't present any other side of himself when given the chance.

Very well said.

In all honesty, I can understand why he didn’t want to skate in the team pursuit. I personally would’ve liked it if he had done it, but he didn’t. I can see his point of view about that.

What I can’t handle is the horrible way he handled himself after winning the gold in the interview. That was an absolute disgrace. I honestly don’t care how the media portrayed him—he had a chance to show a different side of himself, but he just reinforced the “jerk” image instead. I was absolutely ashamed that a representative of the USA behaved like that. He certainly came across as having an “all about me” attitude, just as the media has implied.

While I think it was tacky of Hendrick to mention that he was only glad for Cheek, not for Davis, I can see why he doesn’t like Shani after that pitiful display of childish behavior in the post-race interview.

 

[CajunDixie]

I guess I see 2 different point of views here. Yes, Davis was representing the USA and he did win the gold and was very excited in his Chinese interview but not his American interview.

On one hand he is representing the USA and everyone has their own opinion on how the USA athletes should behave. Such as positive role models, drug-free, training hard, having respect for the USA flag, being excited and hyped for all interviews.... And everyone has opinions on how they shouldn't act. No drinking, no admission to partying, no lapses in training for any reason, no disrespecting the flag by letting it touch the ground or wearing it, no giving a bland interview regardless of how many you have given or how you personally feel........ We all want our athletes to not only be Gold medal winners but we want them to be instant celebrities if and when they do win.

IMHO we shouldn't judge Davis but for those that can't help themselves then maybe you need to ask some questions. How was Davis treated before the Olympics? Why did he choose not to train in the USA? When and how was he approached about the team racing? Why should he put the team race before his own event? What gives the media the right to start a "fire" where there is possibly only a small "flame"? Let's look at this from Davis' point of view and give him the benefit of the doubt. Why should he give the USA reporter a super happy bubbly interview when they've slammed him for "taking away Hedrick's chance at 5 Golds, nevermind the fact that Hedrick won't be winning 4 Golds without the team race factored in anyway.

The media feeds on making stories out of nothing. Look at Bode Miller, the media kept cramming him down our throats and going on and on about him being our best chance for gold in skiing. Bode turned out to be a bad role model and was not our best chance at gold. And the media ignored the other skiing members because they decided they weren't gold medal achievers and they weren't as news worthy as Bode even though they were good enough to be on the USA team. Ted Ligety won a gold and we heard no hype for him before he won. Same for Joey Cheek in speed skating, no media hype until he won. We've had Chad Hedrick's Las Vegas story told to us over and over yet until Davis won the only thing we'd been told about him was he chose his event over the team speed skating event. Then there is the "flyin' tomato", Shaun White we heard quite a bit about him before his event. But did the female halfpipe boarders get as much attention before their event? Everyone needs to realize we only see on television what the media wants us to see and what they think will make for better ratings.

 

[dennis99ss]

I think the guys got a black complex. I get the feeling, just from looking at him, watching him, etc. that he feels he is being discriminated against because he is black, in that they are not treating him with the respect he deserves. Like the team should treat him differently, etc. Sounds to me like it is his own doing.

The team should bow down to him, the media should, etc. And, when they didn't, he pouted, and showed the world that he is such a great role model for the black inner city youth that a poster said he helps.

He is an *ss to the white lady, but then interviews with the black man, and actually answers the questions.

 

[palmtreegirl]

OK, I just watched that night on Tivo and I think the media is playing it up big time. After watching the pre-race thing I don't blame him for not wanting to interview afterward, up until now they've played him as a villian. He's been givin a hard time all a long by the skating association and now all the sudden they want to embrace him and when he doesn't act how they want he's a bad guy once again?

As for not seeming happy I thought he did before the interview, maybe he just didn't like that reporter, maybe she's been in his face about the team thing and he's tired of dealing with her? She did start the interview sorta snarky with the "It's nice to finally see a smile on your face comment." I don't know, we've only heard the media and Hendrick's side of things and until we hear from Shani, I'm going to climb back on the fence and reserve judgement.

Side not I really like Joey Cheek.

 

[Robinrs]

I think the guys got a black complex. I get the feeling, just from looking at him, watching him, etc. that he feels he is being discriminated against because he is black, in that they are not treating him with the respect he deserves. Like the team should treat him differently, etc. Sounds to me like it is his own doing.

The team should bow down to him, the media should, etc. And, when they didn't, he pouted, and showed the world that he is such a great role model for the black inner city youth that a poster said he helps.

He is an *ss to the white lady, but then interviews with the black man, and actually answers the questions.

Whoa, talk about pulling the race card!

After Bode and the other A-holes I've seen on these Olympics, he fits right in. But what the heck, it's NEWS in an Olympics where the biggest news is how slippery the ice is....

 

[Deb in IA]

A lot of judgemental people around here . . . based on a 30 second interview . . .

 

[CajunDixie]

I think the guys got a black complex.

So does Bode Miller have a white complex? Does Hedrick have a playboy complex? What about the male skater with the swan costume.....does he have a gay complex.....even though he's not ever stated he's gay? Maybe some people on here just have a bigot complex.

We're talking about average Americans being thrust into the media spotlight and not usually to their advantage because face it "nice" stories don't make as much money as trash stories. Maybe the "white" woman was previously rude to him so he figured he had no reason to bother being nice to her.

 

[dennis99ss]

The guy's on nat'l tv. He has just won a gold medal, and acts like he is pi**ed at the world. Bode Miller never made comments about how he was treated, as another poster said Davis did. He never set out on his own because the "white man" didn't want him there. Or, in Miller's case, the "whaterever" man. Miller didn't come across as a spoiled child either. Immature child maybe, but not some spoiled child, I will take my toys and go home type.

The comments above are not bringing out the race card. If I am wrong, I am wrong. But, if there is any truth to the thought that Davis wanted to do things his way, etc. and used his race to justify his decisions, to the detrrimenet of the team, then he is the one that has thrown up the race card.

He is then the bigot.

 

[Chicago Girl]

The guy's on nat'l tv. He has just won a gold medal, and acts like he is pi**ed at the world. Bode Miller never made comments about how he was treated, as another poster said Davis did. He never set out on his own because the "white man" didn't want him there. Or, in Miller's case, the "whaterever" man. Miller didn't come across as a spoiled child either. Immature child maybe, but not some spoiled child, I will take my toys and go home type.

The comments above are not bringing out the race card. If I am wrong, I am wrong. But, if there is any truth to the thought that Davis wanted to do things his way, etc. and used his race to justify his decisions, to the detrrimenet of the team, then he is the one that has thrown up the race card.

He is then the bigot.

This 'black complex' is all subjective gabble, that has no basis in fact. How would you explain this 'black complex' that he supposely has when he gave a length interview to the Dutch interviewers? In your earlier post, you stated that just by looking at him you could tell that he had a 'black complex'. Wow, I wish I had those kind of powers, my life would be so much easier, I wouldn't need to ask people what they're thinking, I could just look at them.

 

[dennis99ss]

Opened a hornets nest I see. But, I will politely bow out, so as not to hijack the op, even though some might feel I did. Since I won't come back on the subject, maybe the thread will go on. Not running, just bowing out so I am not yet again, a thread wrecker.