The Miller Paradox

[Odin]

From his new interview.

"Sport is born clean and it would stay that way if it was the athletes who ran it for the pleasure of taking part, but then the fans and the media intervene and finish up by corrupting it with the pressure that they exercise," he said.

"Anyone who isn't strong is left in a corner, no-one asks for their autograph, they are abandoned in the cold shadows. Those who win, however, become icons.

"From this inhuman pressure doping is born because the athlete feels the imperative of having to be number one. I believe instead that sport should be a private pressure, a challenge for yourself."


This is true, but without the fans he wouldn't have sponsors, or money enough to travel to places like Turin or Sestrie. He wouldn't have enough money to afford a fleet of waxers or to employ testers for he skis. There would be no Ski Racing as a living without fans. Swix and Atomic aren't going to put on an event just to make 3 guys happy to see who skis faster.

It is a give and take.

Anyone remember the "Fiona Apple" incident of many a year ago. She produced a rather popular and critically aclaimed album but when it actually did well she started freaking out. It was all capitalized by a bizarre performance during the speach of an awards show.

It feels as though Miller is being stretched thin, and the abrasive personality is coming out as a defense to what he deems influences in his life.

Despite his avowed desire to live a quiet life, Miller has become a regular in the bars and discotheques of Sestriere and was spotted drinking with friends until midnight the night before last weekend's Olympic downhill race, in which he finished fifth.

"I had a great time at Nagano in 1998, when no-one knew me and I could do what I wanted. I went out with my friends and went to watch all the sports," said Miller, who failed to finish both technical events at the Olympics in Japan.

But he is the person who put himself in this position. When you win, you get expectations, and you get personal responsibility. That is a fact of life. If you are the defending World Cup Champion people expect you to go to the olympics and win a medal. That is how things work. It has been that way since before miller was skiing.

"Fame is almost a poison. I couldn't care less, in fact I lived better when I was a nobody," he said.

I understand that. Fame and the pressures that come with it certainly can be a curse to someone who doesn't want them. However it seems as though.... he does? Why do interviews all the time, why make bombastic comments, why even ski in the world cup?

If he in fact lived better when he was a nobody, why is he still racing then?

"It is other people who want me to win medals," Miller said in an interview with Italy's Gazzetta dello Sport newspaper on Thursday.

"The silver medals I won in Salt Lake City didn't give me anything. Last year I set myself the goal of winning the World Cup and lining up a long series of wins. It was my private challenge.

The silver medals gave him nothing? At worst they gave him around $20,000 Foot in mouth? If he doesn't want medals.... why is he at the olympics. Yes I know purity of the sport, people who don't even have a chance competing blah blah blah.... but most of the people at the olympics are highly trained athletes attempting to win a medal. Even if it is regarding by the pundits as a pipedream.

If he reallly didn't care about the medals why didn't he give his spot to a rookie and go drinking/partying in europe for 2 weeks?

He is a paradox, as are many difficult characters in sports. But has this ever ended up well for them?

Daly? Tyson? Rose? Artest?

The thing is, I remember someone saying in another thread that you wouldn't expect Tiger Woods to show up at the golf course and win every event.

Nope.

But I WOULD expect John Daly to show up slightly buzzed, crank off a few really awesome drives, put together 2 days of good play than have the wheels come off as he goes for the end.

Will he win a few tournaments here and there? Yep. Is it a train wreck sometimes? Yep.

Maybe the expectations should be lowered for Miller, even amongst his own team. Perhaps he shouldn't be looked at as the salvation of the US Ski Team.

Of course "Self Improvement is masturbation.... now, Self Destruction..."

[Tippster]

I find Lowered Expectations to be the key to most things in life - especially my wife's sexual fulfillment.

[schindlerpiste]

One problem is that Bode IS the salvation of the US Ski Team. Until Body started winning, ski racing, in the US, was in a long and deep rut. There was this sense that American's didn't care about racing, and that the europeans excelled because it was a way to riches and stardom. In Europe, Bode is a god. RIghtly so. WHen he was concentrating on slolom, he was the best slolom racer in the world. WHen he switched gears, and concentrated on the spped diciplines, he became the best downhiller and GS skier on the planet. The guy rocks. I could give a shit about what is being said about him now, by media people who know jack about the sport. IMO, BODE IS THE MAN!!!

[Odin]

When he indicates that he isn't as happy now as he was years ago. When he bitches all the time about the attention he is getting. When he does all these things, then it BEGS the quetion..... Why the fuck is he doing them?

If he really dislikes the attention, the pressure, and the publicity then stop racing.

If he wasn't saying anything at all and getting these types of stories I would understand, but he is creating everything coming back at him. There is being truthfull without talking to the media.

Just Say No.

I would rather have some young kid losing and trying to win, than somebody who is ambivilant to it all.

[shmerham]

Sure, he was living better in 1998, I don't doubt it, but that was only because he had the potential to be who he is today (as a skier). He wouldn't have been making a paycheck if it wasn't for that.

[schindlerpiste]

If you will recall, this all started last year. Remember, he was going to quit the US Ski Team, and/or begin his own event/circuit. My feeling is that if this was not an olympic year, he would not be racing on the tour. Unlike many who seem to want to create a "Bode" story, I think that finishing 5th in the Olympic Downhill is not a bad thing.

[Odin]

Unlike many who seem to want to create a "Bode" story, I think that finishing 5th in the Olympic Downhill is not a bad thing.

I don't either.

However coming in heavily touted, after the publicity stunt from hades, with the joinbode nike campaign and interview after interview. Is it possible that people had unreal expectations? Yep. When you get the majority of a country interested in your exploits every 4 years they are going to latch onto the idea that their guy is the one to win it. Especially when his mug is on every tv and his interview in every chat room/paper.

When that guy basically says that he doesn't care about winning a medal, wouldn't it lend itself to a backlash? Right or wrong those things are going to happen.

If he wants to be on the tour than so be it, if he wants to stop talking to the press than kudos. But as long as he keeps on opening his mouth, right or wrong, the press are going to eat him alive for good or bad.

[schindlerpiste]

That's because they're assholes, and strive to ruin people who have attained status. They love to hear themselves speak, and they actually believe that they are convincing others.
They try to run elections, and get people elected.
In my mind, most media people are just flunkies who can't do it themselves, so they just try to ruin it for others.
Remember, they love reporting the bad...it creates a better story.

[hev]

I think he does what a lot of folks would do being 28 famous, under pressure and scrutinized. Mostly he's being himself wich apparently entails a little whining. He's being his best to be himself and repersent that but like most people his age life isn't perfect. The thing I like about Bode most is he seems to be pretty in-line with your typical skier, i.e. just likes to ski and doesn't care that much about race results. The scary thing for Bode is that he is relatively commited to making skiing his career. How many 28 year olds do you know full commited to there career? Most still like to goof off and have fun.

[half-fast]

Unlike many who seem to want to create a "Bode" story, I think that finishing 5th in the Olympic Downhill is not a bad thing.

and he was leading the combined by a wide margin when he was dq'd-so its not like he's skiing like crap.....

[XtrPickels]

When he indicates that he isn't as happy now as he was years ago. When he bitches all the time about the attention he is getting. When he does all these things, then it BEGS the quetion..... Why the fuck is he doing them?

If he really dislikes the attention, the pressure, and the publicity then stop racing.

I would rather have some young kid losing and trying to win, than somebody who is ambivilant to it all.

Why does his ambivilance bother you? He is racing, not you. He is in no way connected to you. You are projecting what you WANT from him and when he doesn't produce that desired result, it makes you upset.

I don't like sitting on chair lifts, i find them boring. I also don't like crowds, they get in the way. But I love skiing, so Im still out there. Backcountry skiing, perhaps like Bode's tour, would fix those problems but its not feasible right now (no partner for me, maybe the same for him)

Bode likes to party and hang out with friends, he doesn't go out before the downhill to get media attention he does it because thats who he is. When he was a nobody he could do it, now its not the same.

So why is it that everyonelooks down at him for not winning or for DNFing? He's doing well in worldcup standings so something is going right. Just because he's pushing himself to the limit and sometimes beyond doesn't mean that he's not enjoying himself, which is after all why we all ought to be skiing. The media and the public are the ones handing down negative words when he can't quite hold onto his line. How would you feel if you didn't stomp every landing on every backcountry line. We still have fun and the next day he try to hit it again because doing things slightly outside of our comfort zone is what we enjoy. Do you want ABC, CBS or the BBC standing there waiting to tell the world whether you beatered out of that couloir? That would suck.

Frankly, Bode loves skiing. Even with all this going on, it comes back to a love of skiing. That why he's still out there and if you can't see that, you're blind.

[Free Range Lobster]

so he likes to race and drink

dosen't mean he wants to be on a wheaties box.

[cj001f]

Frankly, Bode loves skiing. Even with all this going on, it comes back to a love of skiing. That why he's still out there and if you can't see that, you're blind.

If people were paid solely for their love of skiing this board would be filled with billionaires. Bode gets paid to win races, not because he loves skiing. If he truly hates the attention he should sack up and follow the path of Gerlach. Sounds more like he likes having people listen to him talk.

[Arty50]

This is true, but without the fans he wouldn't have sponsors, or money enough to travel to places like Turin or Sestrie. He wouldn't have enough money to afford a fleet of waxers or to employ testers for he skis. There would be no Ski Racing as a living without fans. Swix and Atomic aren't going to put on an event just to make 3 guys happy to see who skis faster.

It is a give and take.

Odin, what profession are you in? Do you have a boss? Do you give them your all? I mean, they do pay you. Shouldn't you be there 24/7, slaving away for them because you're so thankful for your paycheck and the food it puts on your table. Shouldn't you always be perfect at work; and if you fuck up, it's demotion or pink slip time.

Life is grey, Jack. We all work to put food on our table and skis on our feet. Some of us love our jobs, but we don't exactly dedicate our entire lives to work. How is Bode any different?

[Tippster]

For some reason I get the feeling that all this "Noooo, leave me alooone..." stuff is a calculated way for driving up his marketability. Bode won't shill for anyone BUT us! Let's pay him extra!

Anyone else remember a racer who was disenchanted with the system and left to make skiing fun again? Maybe we'll see Bode skiing the line next to Nobis' (and Moe's) in a future TGR segment.

[AbsolutStoli]

For some reason I get the feeling that all this "Noooo, leave me alooone..." stuff is a calculated way for driving up his marketability. Bode won't shill for anyone BUT us! Let's pay him extra!

come on, hes a nike spokesmonkey...of course its all a marketing ploy!

bode needs to do less talking and more doing. glen plake didnt talk...he got on an RV and went.

[Tippster]

Ummm... You've never met Glen Plake I take it. That dude makes Splat look like the strong silent type.

[AbsolutStoli]

Ummm... You've never met Glen Plake I take it. That dude makes Splat look like the strong silent type.

no, i havent. but from what i read about him he seems like hes not just a big talker.....maybe im wrong...

haha...i know glen plake is loud...thats not what i meant. i meant he follows through.

[Cyber Cop]

Bode might have an ounce of credibility as the "rebel" and "non-conformist" if he wasn't a NIKE whore. It's real easy Bode, if you don't wan't to play by their rules don't, but stfu already and get a reality check. Maybe he should pimp Marlboro, the true rugged individual corprate image.

[dipstik]

Didn't Shane Mckonkey say in some movie that he "has the best job in the world", and that he's going to "try to ride this wave as long as I can" ?

Theres nothing wrong with that. Shane loves skiing, and his sponsors help him pay for all his ski stuff. He just happens to be one of the best in the world, so he gets thrown into a few movies, and gets a paycheck sent to him.

Bode is the same way. He loves ski racing, and his various sponsors help him pay for all his crap. He just so happens to be one of the best in the world, but in a more popular sport than Shane.

Shane and Bode are exactly the same, except everything Shane says or does doesn't become publicized or scutinized. Bode's sport is more popular, and so he is all over magazines and tv screens, something he never asked for, and surely does not want.

I doubt Shane would be excited about limitless and tedious rules enforced for skiing pow, and I'm sure he would hate the publicity if it came to him in droves the way it does for Bode.

[Tippster]

Then again Shane isn't bitching and moaning about all the attention he gets. I'm not calling Bode a sellout, shit -- if someone would pay me to ski I'd do just about anything they want in a nanosecond, but taking dollars with one hand that are only given to him due to his FAME, not merely his skiing ability, and complaining about media interest at the same time is ludicrous. If it's all about the soul of skiing then go back to racing down Tuckerman's. Most professional athletes understand that marketing is the reason they're paid so well, not merely winning.

[taoslcl]

I'm starting to get a little sick of the soap opera myself but I still like the guy. After all I think most of us in here would be doing the same thing if we were in his position (getting wasted and sleeping with playboy models that is). Don't know if you guys have seen this yet but its pretty funny. Clicking the towelroad link in the article is really funny, I always wanted to know what the gay community thought about Bode and apparently they think he has a small penis.

http://www.deadspin.com/sports/bode-...red-155361.php

[Odin]

Life is grey, Jack. We all work to put food on our table and skis on our feet. Some of us love our jobs, but we don't exactly dedicate our entire lives to work. How is Bode any different?

There are always fans and pressure though if not obvious. Even when I do my work as a flunky for big oil up on the slope, my fan is myself and my girlfriend, the pressure is to make money and be able to pay bills.

If I came in every day bitching to the bosses about the pressures or fame, or if I was published in an interview saying that I was happier when I wasn't working full time for them they would can my ass.

In Millers case he isn't just paid to show up and ski. If that was the case then even "I" could be on the us ski team, but it's not, because they want someone to go up there and win races.

If I had one question to ask him it would be this (and no doubt his answer would be perplexing)

You already beat everyone big on the tour last year so you don't have to prove anything, and you expressed (his words not mine) that your medal in Nagano didn't get you anything. Why are you at the Olympics?

Why does his ambivilance bother you? He is racing, not you. He is in no way connected to you. You are projecting what you WANT from him and when he doesn't produce that desired result, it makes you upset.

This seems to be the most oftenly repeated phrase to people who say these things about him, but here is the rub.

Nowhere in my previous words does it say that he is right or wrong; but to think that I shouldn't care about the state of the US Ski Team is silly. Do they know me? nope. Do they ever care if they know me? nope. Does that make one iota of difference......... Why is it that I shouldn't care what he is doing?

Out there somewhere is another kid that is part of the US ski team that isn't as talented as Miller, and didn't make the team. His DREAM is to win an olympic medal. He is training for it harder than anything, he is inspecting every course he is on. Pushing himself harder every day and trying to fine tune his craft. He probably would give anything to be in Millers position, and would probably keel over backwards to dream of 5th.

How is it OK, that he comes out saying things like he doesn't care if he gets a medal, when he has an army of waxers, ski prep technicians, sponsors, and others who sweat and work so he can go win.

I agree that he loves skiing, so do alot of people.

Also, so do alot of people that also, like miller, get paid to ski.

HOWEVER. Getting paid to ski and getting paid to race are two entirely different things.

When you race there aren't very many outcomes. You win, lose or improve.

When you ski there are many outcomes.

The thing I like about Bode most is he seems to be pretty in-line with your typical skier, i.e. just likes to ski and doesn't care that much about race results.

This is OK? For me it is, I don't get paid to race. How is it ok for a professional racer to not care about winning? He gets paid to care about winning. From a sponsorship angle and team angle it is this. If he continues to race and win, he gets sponsors.

If he lost every race and dnf for a year or two, Sponsors are going to walk. They don't pay you to be truthfull and talk to the media.

My point is this..... If he is really as unhappy with things as he says he is... why doesn't he quit? If he does, then OK. If he doesn't, then he is either a disgruntled person coasting on the resources of others or a whiner who actually likes what he is doing and needed to stir up attention.

And the problem with the disgruntled person theory is this, in an accounting job if I am disgruntled I probably don't do as good a job as I could AND it hurts the company I am working for. Couldn't Miller be better consistently than everyone else ala Tiger Woods? I think he has the talent.

[dipstik]

Couldn't Miller be better consistently than everyone else ala Tiger Woods? I think he has the talent.

Consistent? Up until a few weeks ago, he skied 136 consecutive world cup races, won 16 of them, and wound up on the podium 35 times.

Dude, you are part of the problem. You don't pay too much attention to Bode until he is in the Olympics, then you go and try to analyze the guy by what he has said and done over the last week, like the Olympics are the firggen highlight of his racing career. The media pumps up the olympics like they are supposed to be the climax of an athletes life, that the olympics are their biggest chance, and if they blow it here their life is over, but it isn't like that for ski racing.

He gets paid to care about winning. From a sponsorship angle and team angle it is this. If he continues to race and win, he gets sponsors.

You really show your ignorance about the whole issue here. First of all, he sure as hell does not get paid to care about winning. He doesn't even get paid to win. He gets paid when he wins. Theres a difference.

He could also care less about what his sponsors think, because they can't change a thing about him. Thats the beauty of Bode, he can say and do whatever he pleases, and his sponsors will stand by him because he is always in the spotlight for winning races with their logo on his helmet.

Let his skiing do the talking, and then maybe you will understand.

[XtrPickels]

If I had one question to ask him it would be this (and no doubt his answer would be perplexing)

You already beat everyone big on the tour last year so you don't have to prove anything, and you expressed (his words not mine) that your medal in Nagano didn't get you anything. Why are you at the Olympics?

The answer would be perplexing because you just don't get it.

Its not about the medals. Its about skiing fast. Its about pushing yourself as hard as you can. He said it himself. He'd rather ski his best run ever and get silver, then win an easy gold. The satisfaction comes not from winning, but what it takes to win.

When I ran track it was the same way. I won, often. Conference, state, region and nationally ranked. Yeah, I liked winning, it was an indicator of how i ran that day. The best days though, Were the days I was solid over each other those 10 hurdles and ran a great race (400m hurdles). Sometimes I won because i was the best that day, sometimes others we better than I.

He's not trying to win, like you want him to. He's trying to ski fast, like he wants to.