Ovechkin in GQ magazine
From 'Russian Machine Never Breaks', Oct. 23, 2010:
In this November’s Issue of GQ magazine (on newsstands everywhere!), there is a feature written by Michael Idov about Alex Ovechkin called “Ovechkin With Love.”
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If Alexander Ovechkin’s first name is perfect – “the Great” attaches easily enough – his last name couldn’t be more ironic if Alanis Morissette wrote a song about it. It means “little lamb.” Little, I repeat, lamb. Not only little, but a female one. In Russian, an ovechka is a girl lamb.I would argue with that. Baby doesn't mean a baby girl, it could be a baby boy. Ovechka is a little lamb, a baby sheep. And a little lamb could grow and become a ram. :-)
The twice-daily training sessions – morning and night – left little time for anything else. He’d be up at 6am, eat a bowl of porridge served by Dad (Tatyana was often on the road with her team), and head into the dawn.Ovi's high school principal recalls that "his first training was at 5am, at Dynamo. And you still need time to get there!"
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44 comments:
The excerpts on RMNB of his comments on American woman and women in Russian clubs makes me wonder what the heck was he thinking when he said that. Reading your blog this summer, wasn't he seeing someone in Russia and she came over here during training camp. Why would he talk about picking up girls in clubs if he is seeing someone? The writer lost all credibility with me when he implied that Alex's career choices were hockey player or hit man. Given who is his mother, I sincerely doubt hit man was a career choice.
Cathy,
I agree about hit man, but in general it was pretty accurate description of what was happening in the 90s in Russia from what I've heard.
Ovi is a great guy, but he still is a human being and you know what implies to that (I am talking about girls :-)
Ovi's view about Russia and Moscow should be taken with a grain of salt, it is a rose-colored glasses view. Even Pavel Lysenkov made fun of it. So I agree with the author on that.
Ovechkin: Oh, how awesome it is during the summer in Moscow! There is no better city in the world!
Pavel Lysenkov, Sovetsky Sport: It is not Turkey, and not Hawaii. What to do in the summer in a stuffy, dusty city, packed with traffic jams?
:-)
http://alexovetjkin.blogspot.com/2010/01/epic-lysenkovs-interview-with-ovechkin.html
TJ, I was really happy to see that they gave a nod to your blog in the story! How cool is that? Also, thanks for the link.
In general from what I transcribed, what did you think of the article? Honestly, I was pretty frustrated after I first read the whole thing for the first time.
I love Ovie to pieces, but he does come across as a major douche in this article. I went to DC about a month back, while he has pleasant during the convention, he did seem to kind of emit an "eau of douche" after practice, but I cant say that I blame him. I wouldnt be so pleasant if I had to deal with people hounding me with autograph and pic requests everyday..Those thinks are best done at an organized event!!
Hopefully the way of thinking of Russian women has since changed...The article seems to imply that he would rather date a girl who would rather be a "ho" then one who is a little more than skinny!!
As for spending summers in the city, I cant say that I blame him being from a large city myself. Large cities have a certain energy that is awesome to feed off of!!! Maybe being in a large city makes him feel alive, like it does to me!!
I am hoping something got lost in the translation in this article, I would like to think Ovie is smarter than that!
Thanks for the comments, all I read were RMNB excerpts. LOL. Need to go and buy the magazine...
@Ian,
I am not sure if it's my blog or RMNB's. They just seem to be nice suggesting it was my blog. Again, need to pick a copy and read myself. :-)
Obviously if someone wants to write about Ovi, they have to go thru my blog because it documents an archives all the references. A lot of times I myself don't remember what was here a year or even a month ago. This blog is almost complete reference to all the articles or posts about Ovi.
He doesn't do himself any favors in this article. He seems like a complete ass in Moscow.
The dichotomy continues to be puzzling: how giddy and school-boyish he seems when dating compared to how he rates and checks out women. Almost seems like a split personality.
Also, he has at least two accomplished friends from his school days, Nikita, who of course finished his schooling and lives in the U.S. and Evegny, a clean-cut friend who finished college and visited him in DC last year. Even his groups of friends seem to give a confusing portrait of Ovechkin.
@Cathy W,
Ovie started dating a model in July. From things she has said, and from some of the more neutral things written about her, she likes to party and travel. So, she's not out of sync with his Moscow lifestyle, but she probably finds DC boring when she visits. NYC is more her thing in the U.S.
I don't think it's really important but "ovechka" is a female little lamb indeed. Male little lamb is called "yagnenok" (ягненок).
This, 'if not for hockey, I would have grown up to be a thug" schtick, reminds me of rappers of middle class origins trying to bulk up their street cred.
ikr Eliza?
He's a huuuuuuuge mama's boy first of all, so I wonder how dear Mrs. Ovechkina feels about his views of women.
I love Ovie but he seriously comes off as a real prick in this article.
Yes, I know Ovie is 25, and likes to party and check ouT women like most typical males. However, to say I'm extremely disappointed would be an understatement. I never thought I would say something like this. My respect and admiration of Ovie have taken a big hit after reading the GQ excerpts on RMNB. But then again, I haven't seen Ovie's thoughts and opinions about women in such a brutally insulting way before.
Ovie, I have to ask in case you're reading this: are these really YOUR words? Because if they are, I'm very disappointed. For all your awesome gifts as a hockey player, you know next to nothing about what a real woman of quality and intelligence can offer you. And that's a shame, because you are an intelligent young man, but come across in this article as a spoiled gazillionaire who's only interested in getting whatever you want just because you can. Damien Cox didn't have to do a hatchet job on you in his book; you accomplished the same thing in your own words in GQ. What a huge letdown this is.
And Ovie, if you intended this to be humorous, if this is an example of your sense of humor--I'M NOT LAUGHING. Do yourself and your future wife whoever she may be--and any future daughters you might have--a huge favor: Grow up.
What I got from the article: Russian women are whores and Ovi needs better friends in Moscow.
As someone else posted, what does his mother think of this? So much for wanting a girl like his mother.
Doesn't anyone think that maybe, just maybe he was showing off for the author? I remember on this blog awhile back Ovi saying he WASN'T a womanizer. So what are you gonna believe?
But does Ovi have some growing up to do? Definitely. One day, he's gonna realize that he said some stupid things and acted in some stupid ways.
Yes, my respect and admiration for Ovie was definitly punched in the face by the idiotic things he said in this article.
Sigh. He does come off as a prick, he needs to grow up, but honestly, it could be the questions being asked and how they were being asked.
I know how reporters work, even in news- they get an idea for a story, they probably need security. They create a bunch of questions to build a conversation with- ie, if with a politician, they focus on a mistake they made and keep coming back to it in different ways, making it appear bigger.
Not saying that's what happened, he said what he said and it is less than pleasing, but it's not a sports magazine, it wont be asking him questions about hockey. I mean, the main article is called "Glee gone wild" for Christ sakes. The magazine is about sex- it usually features half naked actresses with articles about how crazy they are and how to get a guy in bed. It's what sells- they wouldn't have printed it if all he said was he loves his mother, he had a hard life and Moscow has some need clubs.
"How is your life in Moscow?" will be answered differently than "What are the clubs like in Moscow?"
Also, it's an article, not an interview. An interview was used, but in articles there's a little thing called editing... leaving things out, putting in your own opinion of what was meant and of course, twisted words.
Ovie has said some of these things before, but they were also said with a shy smile and a blush after a (usually) direct question before it went on to questions about hockey or other aspects of his life. He is an honest person, and will usually answer what you ask.
That being said, we haven't read the whole thing, maybe there is some other stuff.
He should watch what he says though, be more careful about what comes out.
**Sigh** Where to begin. I personally think the article is very exaggerated. Ovie does tend to come off sounding arrogant and like a womanizer at times, but I think he does it in a humorous, innocent way a majority of the time, and is not all that serious about it. I think either the writer of the article, or the translation took it too far. I have no doubt that being a 25 year old, successful , wealthy man allows one to set standards when it comes to the opposite sex. After reading the article, becoming disgusted, and taking a step back, I realized that in some ways, I'm just as transparent as Ovie is, just in a different way. I'm very sure most of us are, we just don't like to admit it.
In the end, I still say the article is a bit exaggerated. I agree with O's comments. The article makes him sound like he has a personality disorder.
---Marie
What Ovi said in this article IS TRUE, this how he is in Russia. in Moscow and.... its disgusting how girls behave... in clubs. And what he is saying ( is really disgusting ).. lost respect for him. But its how it is. So i guess its no moral standart's for Alex.... its sad, but true... And age has nothing to do with sex. Some guys happily married at 25, AND THEY REALLY REALLY GOOD HOCKEY PLAYERS!!! Guess Ovi PLAYER on ice and life.
Sad...
Like "Marie" I have had time to digest the entire article (I bought the GQ) yesterday..here are my thoughts.
I think we tend to forget that Ovie is a 25 year old athlete that makes 8 million a year (or there abouts), he is not your average 25 year old. His standards of living and what he wants from a woman are way different than your average 25 year old. Of course he is going to pick a supermodel over someone who is average.
It is also important to remember that he comes from different culture. Standards of beauty are different in Russia than of the US, as does they way of thinking of women in those countries. So, it's unfair to solely blame him for his view of women.
I agree that he has some sort of personality disorder, but someone with the level of exposure he has and expectations almost has too. Although having all that money would be nice, I wouldnt want that lifestyle. I would hate to screen everyone I meet and worry about their intentions.
Before getting upset (I was going to use another term...lol), take a step back and realize that he is human and has flaws.
Wow, am I the only guy here?
I got a copy of CQ yesterday and read it. And I don't see anything shocking, I really don't. Ovi is not sending his pix like Brett Favre or is cheating on his wife like Tiger Woods.
He is not married for God's sake.
What I agree with you though is that Ovi needs to grow up and keep his mouth shut. Tiger or Brett would never say such thing to a reporter like Ovi did.
I'd say Ovi is naive and totally open especially if a reporter speaks his native language.
With all that pressure during the long NHL season he really needs a break in the summer and he goes and plays. I think almost any guy would do the same, but they won't tell you, ladies.
Anyhow what's done is done and now you know that Ovi is a human being, but he is still a great guy. Unlike the article says, he was dreaming of coming and playing in the NHL, he could've make a whole lot money back in Russia.
I hope he'll say BOOM when he'll win the Cup and nothing else matters. :-)
BTW, this article is not a translation. Yes, the author was born in Latvia, former republic of the Soviet Union, but he is a New Yorker. He published two books, one in Russian and one in English and he writes mostly for New York magazine.
And here we go, Life.ru (I hate them) wrote response on GQ article:
"It should be noted that the Ovi in Moscow and Ovi in Washington are two different persons. Over the pond he is the face of the NHL and a good guy in general. Even after he gets in trouble on the ice, after the game Alex justifies it in front of the cameras, like, I did not want to. And they forgive him everything. And everyone loves him.
In Russia Ovi seldom wonders what people think about him. And it is not surprising, as Sasha comes home to spend the money rather than to earn it."
What I agree is that too many Russians is bad for Ovi and America makes him a better person. :-)
Oh well then, it's totally okay that he disrespects women, since he has money.
Good to know.
Before going all righteous on Ovi and posting your premature comments, read the whole thing! And try not to miss the point that Moscow for Ovi is the very familiar place where, at the same time, he is UNRECOGNIZED, as apposed to DC, where he always has to remember about people who expect 25 years old behave like a Buddhist monk, like many people here. Moscow waitress checks him out, but he does not catch her eye (he would be the first to say “I am not good looking”)… Ice rink warden kicks him out of the public skating rink… He says that he never had a chance to experience the opulence of Moscow’s City Center when he was growing up – he is from Moscow’s outskirts. Let the guy be!
Neither did he demonstrate any disrespect for the women in general. Reporter just exploits the irony of interplay between Russian words for Ovi’s last name and “telochki”. They talk about three specific clubs which attract very specific (rich and beautiful) clientele. Ovi is sure glad to be included - who wouldn’t? Ovi is also described as being accompanied by Valeria, the one that was seen lately in DC.
Ovechkin is a hockey player, not a son, friend or brother-in-law of any reader of this blog, so why does everyone feel entitled to be disappointed, righteous and saddened? As Ovi himself said, “normal people would only care about me playing good hockey, and people who read “yellow” press should get their own life”. And you are wondering why Semin does not want to pour his soul out…
Thank you to the sane posters. I'm a female, and I think the other females on here need to get a life and realize that he was:
1. showing off to another male
2. Tons of American men say a lot of bad things to guys about women when women are not around.
3. The Russian culture is different than the American one.
The only thing Ovi doesn't have is a handler that has been with him since he was 10 and follows him 24-7 making sure he doesn't say anything wrong (like Crosby).
People tend to forget too that if a woman has no self respect, no one is going to respect her, so it's a 2 way street.
TJ, what language to they speak in Latvia? Is it Russian or a similar dialect?
I did read the article today and I did get the fact that it was written by a guy, one of Ovi's friends, and for a guy magazine, so the tone and content would be geared towards guys. I take it with a huge grain of salt. I'm sure the tone would have been different if the interviewer was a girl and the magazine was for a different crowd. And I don't think his mom would ever stand for him disrespecting any good girls :-)
And the most important part, if the Lera is the same one as he has been dating, then she don't seem to mind sharing Ovi with other girls ;-)
They speak Latvian in Latvia. Because Latvia was a part of the Soviet Union, Russian was commonly spoken. Not so much anymore
For everyone who questions what Russian women think about themselves and their men, about allowing “disrespect” and not being feminists enough, here is a short summary by Russian presidential female candidate Irina Khakamada: “I’m a post-feminist. A woman who isn’t fighting for her rights, who isn’t trying to prove anything, and for whom men are for happiness. Like a fast car or a beautiful watch. Because everything else — making money, having children and bringing them up — I can do myself.” See, we can do everything ourselves! This has been the situation for a long time. Russia has always been a country of strong women. Read a few Russian folktales and you will be well versed in important aspects of our national character. Vasilisa the Wise, a beautiful princess, is always helping her beloved and saving him from certain death; his name is Ivanushka the Little Fool. Russian literature, too, is all about this: while the weak man rushes about not knowing what to do or how, the woman calmly takes responsibility for her fate. 60 % of college-educated people in Russia are women. During the history, Russian women had to be equal by working to fill in the absence of men who would be wiped out during all the wars, and, still, more than 20% of workers in construction and other “heavy industries” are women. When Russian women are told that they should fight for their rights and respect from the men, they sincerely do not understand what people are talking about since they do not feel disrespected or discriminated against. The “favorite” complaint of Russian women about their husbands is that they are weak. Laws on divorce are easy and abortion is legalized since long-long ago. So, it is perfectly acceptable to have men just for happiness!
It's hard to believe, but there's nothing in the U.S. Constitution that guarantees a woman the same rights as a man. The 19th Amendment gave females the right to vote and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 protects women from gender discrimination in the workplace, but there's no legal document that says women and men have equal rights. Ask most women today about the Equal Rights Amendment and many will say it's a law. Yet the ERA has come before Congress repeatedly since 1923 and has yet to be ratified by the states. Feminism and disrespect, anyone?!
It is hard to believe again, but Russian women during the reign of the Communists, in short, were guaranteed more equality than they had ever been before in any other society. In Russia, their equality was proclaimed by the state openly and supported by laws (1918), female labor was paid the same wage for the same work as male labor (still not the case in US!). And in order to “break free” a working woman did not forsake her family duties, the state guaranteed her many social benefits, including long paid maternity leaves and subsidies for children. According to a recent report by the World Bank on Women, Business and the Law , in 2010, women in Russia have more socio-economic and labor security than in the United States and in many countries in Europe. For instance, a working woman in Russia is entitled to 140 days of paid maternity leave plus 540 days of unpaid maternity leave.
The notorious Italian adventurer Casanova, who by force of nature consorted closely with women in different countries, had this to say about Russia in the 18th century: “It seems that Russia is a country where the sexes have become confused. Women govern, women preside at the meetings of scholarly societies, women take part in administration and diplomacy. The one thing this country is missing, the one privilege not accorded these lovely ladies is that of heading an army.”
For those saying, "think of the magazine, the male audience," after five years in the U.S. and media eye, Ovie should know that nothing he says or does remains for the intended audience's eyes only. What he says for a men's magazine is going to be read by women and even children, especially a high profile magazine like GQ. If it is about him his fans are going to read it.
Is this really the Ovie he wants to flaunt to the world? Is this the person he wants his fans to see.
All of us irate posters know he is human. We don't need to be told that. All of us have pointed out his flaws before.
Yes, he has said he prefers Russian girls before, but what he says in the article goes far beyond what he has ever said before (aside from that Russian game show/guess his cell # where he said American girls try to trap men by crying rape). This is nearly on par with that and it is disappointing. In the 4-5 years since those comments he seems as immature and insensitive as he was then. Most of us do a lot of growing up in that amount of time.
Playing to your audience dosen't mean taking it to such an extreme that you present yourself as a jerk, if that is what he did.
Somethings just aren't funny and being a young guy is a piss poor excuse.
Who is the real Ovie? I hope he decides soon.
@Anonymous,
A fairly good history summarization, but nothing new to me. You can add that American women also had more rights in colonia times than they have had for most of the history of the U.S.
However, history aside, there has been a disturbing trend amongst younger females in some areas of Russia, namely cities like Moscow, since the fall of the Soviet Union. Ovie's comments emphasize that.
I just want to add that even if the author was friendly to Ovi (btw, he is not his friend), there are people at GQ that edit his $hit, and you know how far the editing can go.
I apologize to all ladies if Ovi somehow offended you, hopefully it was the editing at GQ that turned things ugly.
Oh well, let's just stick to hockey. Personally I should stop publishing Life.ru $hit, I hate these guys and I still do that.
Maybe I should stop updating this blog altogether.
All I want now for Ovi to win the Cup and then I can die in peace.
Here here, tj!
Don't go dying yet... As they say, best is yet to come. You'll be amazed. And so will Ovi from what I've heard. After all, there is only so much you can play with people's lives.
@TJ,
No need to get down. You provide a great center of information on Ovie - the good and the bad. You also provide solid information on whether a source is reliable.
These discussions are also good because of the different interpretations or agreements. Who knows, maybe some of this will filter back to Ovie and he can start understanding where American females are coming from and become more aware of what he says and how people interpret it. Sensitivity training?
tj, don't stop updating this blog. I look forward to reading it every day and am sad when you've gone fishing 'cause I know there will be no new info for awhile.
And don't just publish the good stuff. We've gotta take the good with the bad.
Thanks, guys and gals, sometimes I really wonder why I am doing this, and your support matters.
tj, I really appreciate you running this blog. I enjoy the community that has formed here. Also, I think we all take life.ru with a grain of salt. I at least like the pics they have. Where else would we get to see Ovie's new dog or Ovie, Sasha, and Feds hanging out at the World Championship.
I read the excerpts on RMNB and was kinda turned off. I think Ovie needs to grow up, he's 25 and has been a party boy for several years. But he's single and not hurting anyone, so let him do what he wants. I just wish he would learn to be more quite about it. At least he knows to behave himself while he's in the US.
TJ, you do a great job keeping us up to date on all the Ovie happenings, as well as giving us some insight into Russian culture. All your hard work is appreciated! Dont let the bitterness of others get you down!
@bwitch16: maybe Lera doesn't mind sharing Ovie with other girls because he doesn't mind sharing her with other men LOL!
@TJ: let me add my thanks to you too for this blog, and all Ovie news, good and bad.
To those who suggested irate posters get a life, I also realize Ovie is human and very flawed. It's just that his words, if they are his and not embellished, or with something lost in translation, is very difficult to accept. He's definitely been knocked down some notches on my staircase, not due to anything someone said about him, but what he said himself. I'm very disappointed to read his views. He needs to learn not to always speak openly without thinking first about how those words will affect others. He has a lot of growing up to do, for sure.
Beautiful people come in all looks, shapes and sizes, but true beauty comes from within.
Ovi needs to learn that.
A baby lamb can grow into a ram, but he would not be called ovechka then, right? It would be more like baran, barashek, baranov, baranchikov, etc... Admit it, ovechka = ovza stands for a sheep. :-) Have to go with the translation.
I agree, ovechka is female, yagnenok, as someone pointed out, is male.
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