MY ROOMMATE IS OLYMPIC SILVER MEDALIST!
Yes, I'm shouting, and I'll take the negs. My roommate Charlie White just won Olympic silver in ice dance. He skated unbelievably well with his partner Meryl Davis.
My other roommate, Evan Bates placed 11th with his partner Emily Samuelson.
These skaters train 6-7 hours per day (and still manage to find a way to surf Mgoblog for a few hours per day). I'm so proud of them and hope to be there with them in 2014 in the pairs skating event in Russia.
So now that I'm done freaking out, I've been the only one in my house since the Olympics started. Time to let loose. Party on Michigan Ave!
EDIT: A big thanks to all of the Mgoblog community for the support of the ice dancers. I know being that it's a tough thing to cheer for members of a sport like figure skating when you're coming to a blog like this for football/hockey/basketball/etc. We enjoy all other sports too. Charlie and I used to play travel/AAA hockey back in the day and Evan's played BBall and is talented at a lot of other sports. We have a great appreciation for what this blog brings to all of us.
February 23rd, 2010 at 1:19 AM ^
Ann Arbor doesn't take as kindly to that as West Virginia or East Lansing.
February 23rd, 2010 at 1:28 AM ^
You clearly weren't on campus when the Pistons won the Championship in 2004. The same night Jake Long's house happened to burn down. I'm not saying there was a connection, but they were shooting fireworks off their porch that night.
February 23rd, 2010 at 2:22 AM ^
to stack up to cedarfest...so youre still wrong
February 23rd, 2010 at 8:29 AM ^
I guess you guys were not around on campus in 1989 for the basketball championship - especially the win over Illinois. Mobs of people down South U. It needed police and tear gas to break it up.
February 23rd, 2010 at 1:16 AM ^
Tell them Mgoblog loves them.
February 23rd, 2010 at 1:21 AM ^
Podcast filled with questions from mgbloggers please. I'll go first:
"Can you get me a date with any one of the top 12 women in this thing? Please?"
February 23rd, 2010 at 1:25 AM ^
we may not party a lot because of training and such, but when we do it gets a little insane. there are enough top-notch skaters in the ann arbor/detroit area to fill our house and have a good time, a lot of them you've seen on tv this week. come swing by one of them and have a good time, no joke
February 23rd, 2010 at 1:37 AM ^
I would drive the 5 hours for that.
/MGoCreepy
February 23rd, 2010 at 1:46 AM ^
check their Facebooks for Event updates! oh em gee
February 23rd, 2010 at 2:01 AM ^
Is there an age limit? ;-)
February 23rd, 2010 at 1:45 AM ^
Please wait until March 19/20 to host said party.
February 23rd, 2010 at 12:29 PM ^
...to the MGoTailgate at the Spring Game? ;-)
February 23rd, 2010 at 1:51 AM ^
Next time I'm in town from Richmond, Virginia, I'd love to see them skate. Congratulations for all their success. I'm already looking forward to 2014. Now go have a Labatt's 50 Ale on me.
February 23rd, 2010 at 12:56 PM ^
It's about 20-30 minutes from Ann Arbor (just take I-94E to Michigan Ave exit)
February 23rd, 2010 at 2:05 AM ^
Be sure and let them all know (Samuelson and Bates too), the the whole U-M community is very proud of them, for their great success (everyone putting up personal bests left and right), for name dropping Michigan any chance they got, and being the epitome of Michigan Men and Women. Go Blue, and Go Red, White and Blue! There should be a parade or rally when they get back...
As for the Canadians...meh.
February 23rd, 2010 at 2:18 AM ^
Thanks for mentioning these fine skaters, too. Apparently the Daily has trouble acknowledging there are two pair, not one.
February 23rd, 2010 at 2:59 AM ^
and to Evan and Emily....all 4 of you represented Michigan and the US incredibly well. You guys gained a new fan over the past few days. Enjoy it tonight and good luck going forward!
February 23rd, 2010 at 6:27 AM ^
Congratulations to them - absolutely first rate performances. Really, really neat that Michigan has two of the three American teams in ice dancing and that they won the silver medal.
Charlie and Tanith and you and Tessa Virtue last summer. Not bad at all. Guess you would call that the Michigan difference.
February 23rd, 2010 at 7:36 AM ^
Says it all.
February 23rd, 2010 at 7:52 AM ^
I've been following them pretty closely - not only are they Wolverines, but Charlie also went to my high school (a few years after me). Congratulations to Charlie and Meryl!
February 23rd, 2010 at 7:59 AM ^
I'm curious however tjyoung, what about you? You mention you're a figure skater also. Have you been in prior olympics or anything?
February 23rd, 2010 at 11:02 AM ^
and unfortunately, no. this year was my first qualifier for the olympics. i'm a pairs skater and didn't qualify - not quite up to the standard of my roommates. but we'll see what happens in 4 years. got to start working right away!
February 23rd, 2010 at 1:52 PM ^
And keep us posted.
February 23rd, 2010 at 8:33 AM ^
This is great news for the Michigan community. I can only imagine the reaction inside the figure skating house.....
February 23rd, 2010 at 8:44 AM ^
see any of these skaters (on the ice) who train in A2 or Canton? My kids have gotten to watch and meet world class athletes like Michael Phelps, Klete Keller, Jennie Ritter, and Zoltan Mesko at school in Dexter (all of them are very nice) and then see them perform their sport. They make them realize that anything is possible with hard work.
February 23rd, 2010 at 9:46 AM ^
I work at the Ice Cube and first of all I am very proud of Evan & Emily not to mention Charlie & Meryl. To answer your question, Evan & Emily train at the Ann Arbor Ice Cube and anyone can come in and watch.
February 23rd, 2010 at 11:11 AM ^
My family would definitely come watch if we knew when they were there. I imagine they would take some time off after the Olympics. Maybe someone can post when they resume training? The Cube ought to throw them a party. I still think they should do score-O at Yost.
February 23rd, 2010 at 12:12 PM ^
Well Evan & Emily won't have any time off right away because they have the World Competition coming up in March so they are right back on the ice. They normally skate between 10a & 3p with a lunch break in there.
February 23rd, 2010 at 8:44 AM ^
Nice to see all the training pay off. Congrats to you and your roomies, they have helped further US dominance of the winter games. Damn its good to be American.
February 23rd, 2010 at 8:57 AM ^
This thread is win. I love you MGoBlog.
February 23rd, 2010 at 9:34 AM ^
Great performances last night, the UM connection(s) made it extra special. That trick where Meryl's standing on Charlie's leg with her skate blade got my attention and appreciation for what talented athletes these folks really are. Let's get Charlie/Meryl/Evan/Emily to the MGoBlog Spring Game Tailgate and congratulate them in person. . . .tjyoung, can you arrange?
GO BLUE!
February 23rd, 2010 at 12:55 PM ^
What is the date of the spring game/tailgate? 4/17? I'll see what they're up to. I'll definitely be there
February 23rd, 2010 at 9:47 AM ^
You so totally rock Charlie and Meryl! So gimme some fin... Noggin...
Thanks for posting TJ and congrats to your roomies!
*I've watched way too many kids movies over the past 3 years.
Thanks for posting TJ and congrats to your roomies!
*I've watched way too many kids movies over the past 3 years. February 23rd, 2010 at 9:53 AM ^
Congratulations to the Leaders and Best!
February 23rd, 2010 at 10:13 AM ^
Please pass along my congrats to Charlie and Meryl. Their performance last night was absolutely STUNNING. I was reduced to tears.
Although I have to admit that Tessa and Scott skated equally beautifully, I wasn't always thrilled with their interpretation of the Mahler 5th Symphony snippet they used. Both couples skated with extraordinary passion and clearly love what they do.
Oh, and kudos to how classy they all were! That was really nice to see.
CHEERS to the team of Davis and White!!!
February 23rd, 2010 at 10:16 AM ^
were fantastic, as was the other UofM team. I liked Davis and White better than the gold winners, but I don't know what the judges look for. All in all, though, they should be very proud of what they accomplished. It would really be cool to see both teams one and two in 2014.
February 23rd, 2010 at 10:27 AM ^
Some supremely talented athletes and great reps for the school I love. Congrats to them.
February 23rd, 2010 at 12:39 PM ^
My wife thought I was being the greatest guy ever for watching Ice Dancing and is still confused as to why I was saying "Go Blue" with no football game on.
February 23rd, 2010 at 1:09 PM ^
Awesome! Go Blue and USA!
February 23rd, 2010 at 8:46 PM ^
I have that beat. I slept with woman in Charlie White's bed.
February 23rd, 2010 at 10:47 PM ^
...where it's left up to judges will result in abuses and questionable winners.
February 24th, 2010 at 10:29 AM ^
I was on vacation but it was like an ironclad rule that we got back to the hotel room to see the ice dancing coverage every night. It was awesome. I was rooting for the U-M skaters like I'd given birth to them myself.
February 24th, 2010 at 1:11 PM ^
Congrats to your roommate, and kudos for their gracious, sportsman-like comments supporting the gold medalists.
I love how the Russians complained that our guy Evan Lysacek was given the gold, when Yevgeny Rusplushenko should have scored higher because of his quad (i.e., athletic merit over art), and then complained that your roommate and our Canadian friends should not have scored as highly as Oksana Domnina and Maksim Shabalin because of their artistic merit.
Anyway, I appreciated the graciousness.