Really! Seeing the word “disappointment” with a picture of hometown boy Nathan Chen sprawled on the ice is really low journalism, occupying the entire front of the sports section in huge bold letters.
Is this how we respect someone who has devoted hours and hours of practice to a sport that is challenging to say the least? Athletes put themselves on the line chasing the elusive color of medal that so often defines them. Hitting someone when they’re down is mean-spirited and not helpful.
Is this how we show our support and pride toward hometown athletes when they supposedly don’t meet up to our expectations? Chen has not disappointed me. He is a hero for picking himself up and trying again. That’s what athletes are made of, courage, the bravery to move forward without apologizing.
Chen, along with other athletes, does not deserve this kind of press for the effort that has gone into their sport. If I had to rewrite that headline it would have said, “Chen, disappointed but still a hometown hero,” with a picture of Chen standing tall. What is truly a “disappointment” is the Tribune’s choice to show Chen when he’s down.
Lorraine Montoya-Renzetti, Holladay