TSL’s suggestion that Zhenya should sleep with Daniil Gleikhengauz to improve her chances of making the Olympic team is incredibly unprofessional and disgusting. I think it calls attention to a larger problem in sports: ethics and professionalism in journalism.

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I’ve tried to cut TSL some slack in the past because they do sometimes have good points, but they’re way out of line here. Their comments were trashy and rude regardless of the context, but it’s even worse coming from so-called professional journalists.

If you want to present yourself as a reputable journalist, you need to maintain a certain level of professionalism. And advising skaters about what to do in their sex lives is VERY unprofessional.

The problem with TSL is that they’re walking a fine line between “professional journalists” and “two guys gossiping about skating”. They’re respected like reputable sources, but they sometimes use their platform to share unprofessional thoughts and ideas.

There’s nothing wrong with using a YouTube channel to discuss skating. I personally find it interesting to hear other people’s opinions. But using your channel to make crude comments about skaters or share gossip that isn’t public knowledge is wrong.

Since TSL is independent, they’re able to access and publish information that traditional journalists can’t. While this has allowed them to expose a lot of abuse in the sport, it’s also enabled them to say whatever the hell they want bc they don’t have to answer to an editor.

I think TSL is a symptom of a bigger problem: the lack of independent journalists in figure skating. No matter how problematic TSL is, people keep listening to them because they’re one of the few major sources that is able and willing to talk about the ugly problems in the sport.

The world of figure skating has covered up so many terrible things that it’s almost impossible to find a sports journalist who can get ahold of the truth. If this information was readily available, TSL wouldn’t have such a massive following.

I still watch TSL occasionally (usually for their interviews with skaters and coaches), but I take everything they say with a large grain of salt. All journalists need to be held to a standard of professionalism, and it’s necessary to call them out when they’re out of line.