Iraq turns up pressure
Screwey Squirrel
"Otis Willie" <amer-nation...@pacbell.net> wrote in message
news:mnl6bu4gl3hpqdk8a...@4ax.com...
> Iraq turns up pressure
>
> (EXCERPT) Tue Apr 9, 8:58 AM ET
>
> Iraq's suspension Monday of oil exports for 30 days in protest of
> Israel's recent military attacks against Palestinians did more than
> nudge already rising gasoline prices higher. It also unearthed
> unpleasant memories of the 1973 oil embargo, when Arab countries, in a
> pique over U.S. support of Israel's Yom Kippur War, cut off the oil
> spigot. That move helped produce a decade of gasoline shortages, high
> inflation and general economic hardship.
And those who are figure skating fans should well remember what the 11
years of economic hardship did to figure skating in the U.S. and other
countries, and the effects that lasted well beyond that recession.
The economic hardship was bad enough that it kept a lot of talented
skaters
out, due to lack of finanacial resources. The effects of this lasted well
into the 1990s.
During the 1980s, the U.S. only won ONE Olympic figure skating medal in
the ENTIRE decade, that being the mens gold medal won by Bryan Boitano in
1988. The U.S. did not win ANY ladies Olympics skating medals during the
1980s, and won only two world medals, Elaine Zayack's gold in 1981, and
Tiffani Chin's bronze in 1985.
The effects were enough that the United States went 22 years without
a ladies Olympic gold medal. After Dorothy Hamill won in 1976, the U.S.
would not win another Olympic ladies figure skating championship for
22 YEARS, until Tara Lapinski, in 1998.
All figure skating fans should keep an eye on the middle east, as
any signifigant economic fallout could cause figure skating to be
affected again. And another decade-long deep recession is the LAST
thing that the sport needs now. The sport of figure skating is in
deep trouble now. Judging scandals, plus the sport becoming known
more and more all the time as the "Sport Of Brats", has put the
sport into serious trouble. I dont think that skating could withstand
another severe worldwide recession lasting a decade or more, like
1973-1984.
The most recent Olympic judging scandals has the sport of figure
skating on "thin ice", as it were. There will no doubt be a lot of
parents steering their children away from figure skating into other
sports over the next few years, as it is. If the sport starts losing
athletes, due to another severe recession, the sport will be ka-put.
Unless the IOC gives the ISU the boot, and signs on with another
organising body for the Olympics, the sport will lose a lot of
credibility.
Dunn
> The effects were enough that the United States went 22 years without
> a ladies Olympic gold medal. After Dorothy Hamill won in 1976, the U.S.
> would not win another Olympic ladies figure skating championship for
> 22 YEARS, until Tara Lapinski, in 1998.
>>>> Say what, Tara is not the ladies champion after Hamill. Ever
heard of Kristi Yamaguchi?
Screwey Squirrel
Cristi Yamaguchi won the gold medal for JAPAN, back in 1992.
She is from Yokohama, JAPAN. Got it? Good
"Dunn" <eu...@medscape.com> wrote in message
news:3d6628dd.02041...@posting.google.com...