Weir's Weird Wardrobe

Photo: Free Republic

Is there such a thing as a bad boy of figure skating?

U.S. figure skater Johnny Weir is no Bode Miller, but he does seem to be straining to be controversial.

Turin, Italy -- Johnny Weir, winner of three consecutive U.S. figure skating titles, was sporting a throwback warmup jacket from the old Soviet Union after his Olympic practice session Thursday [February 9].

"CCCP," the Russian acronym for the Soviet Union, was lettered across the chest of the red, zippered jacket. On the left sleeve of the jersey he wore in practice, "Johnny" was spelled out in Russian letters.

"It's not that I'm anti-American or anything like that ... I just admire Russian culture and Russian skaters for their strength and their perseverance through everything they go through," said Weir, who trains at the Pond in Newark.

He acknowledged that he's taken some flak about the jacket, which was a birthday gift from Russian skater Tatiana Totmianina.

"People are [saying] like, 'What are you doing? Why don't you switch countries?' But it's just for fun," said Weir. "It's a group of people I admire. It would be the same as someone wearing a Madonna T-shirt."

Certainly, Weir has the right to wear whatever sort of warmup jacket he wants, but he can't claim that his fashion choice is no different than someone wearing a Madonna T-shirt. It's not even close.

I can understand Weir's appreciation for the Russian culture. That, however, is not expressed by a jacket out of the oppressive communist regime of the Soviet Union.

Particularly when he's on the world stage representing the USA, I think it's strange that Weir would flaunt his love for the former superpower that promised to bury America.

It's great that Weir respects the accomplishments of the skaters that competed for the Soviet Union.

Still, I wish he'd be more conscious of his role as a representative of America. His throwback CCCP jacket doesn't belong on an American athlete at the 2006 Winter Games. There must be a better way for him to show his admiration for the abilities of individual athletes without serving to endorse the iron hand of the USSR.

I would bet that many people from the former Soviet Union and Eastern Bloc countries, the ones that now are free, don't have fond memories of life under the CCCP. My guess is they wouldn't be caught dead wearing a jacket that symbolizes an era of dictatorship and brutality and persecution.

"Just for fun"?

I thank God I never lived under such a fun regime.