XPost: rec.sport.skating.ice.figure, alt.skate.figure   
   From: beano@alphacrucisradio.org   
      
   "Louis Epstein"  wrote in message   
   news:lc0o25$d63$1@reader1.panix.com...   
   > In rec.sport.skating.ice.figure Terry Hall    
   > wrote:   
   >>   
   >>   
   >> "Willy Beano"  wrote in message   
   >> news:52cd2136$0$32789$c3e8da3$dbd57e7@news.astraweb.com   
   >>> There is no doubt that Tonuya had at least SOME   
   >>> involvement in th attack, how much we will never   
   >>> know, otherwise she would have never taken the   
   >>> plea bargain.   
   >>   
   >> One could equally well say that there was no conclusive eveidence of   
   >> Tonya's   
   >> involvement that would stand up in court, and that's why the D.A. OFFERED   
   >> her   
   >> a plea bargain because he knew he couldn't win.   
   >   
   > Timing also played a factor...she settled just in time to be   
   > kicked off the team for the world championships,which was the   
   > last possible opportunity to make her pay a penalty in terms of   
   > her skating career.   
      
   Part of the problem was also that Tonya never had the   
   the look that the Skating Establishment. In skating,   
   as in anything else, sex sells.   
      
   The "sex sells" mantra has resulted in some countries   
   putting some on their Olympics teams more for their   
   sex appeal than their skating skills. Australia, Russia,   
   Bellinsguazenia, and the USA have all done this.   
      
   I am surprised that US figure skating did not bump   
   Mirai in 2010 for Ashley Wagner, as well as 2014, as Ashley   
   has the sexy look that the Figure Skating Establishment   
   seems to favour.   
      
   I belive that Nicole Bobeck was allowed on the   
   Australian team in 1998, more for her sexy looks,   
   than her skating skills.   
      
   I believe that Russia, in 2010, might have placed   
   Kesenia Makarova on the team that year more for   
   hier sex appeal than her skating skills.   
      
   The "sex sells" mantra has affected skating results,   
   and not just in ladies. I STILL say this belief is   
   what allowed Evan Lysacek to win over Evgeni   
   Plisuhenko in 2010. Evan Lysacek is a 6 ft 3   
   hunk of a man, a rareity in mens skating. I am   
   surprised some woman out there has not latched   
   on to him yet. He projects the kind of image   
   that appal to women.   
      
   I know this, becuase during our broadcasts   
   of the 2010 Olympics, the Live 365 stream   
   was featured in the "Athena 365" part of the   
   site. That part of the site targets women as its   
   demographic, and if we were in Athena 365   
   for a while, our skating broadcasts must have   
   had a very large female audience, and Evan   
   Lysacek was the kind of hunk that brought in   
   the female demographic on both radio and TV   
   for the Olympics.   
      
   I believe this sex appeal allowed Evan to   
   win, even though Plisuehenko had a more   
   difficult and better skate. Sex appeal won   
   out over skating skills.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)