Pj's all-time top 10: Men

[Violet Bliss]

http://www.cbc.ca/sports/figureskating/opinion/2011/11/pjs-all-time-top-10-men.html

 

[pangtongfan]

haha actually a decent list, even the order (well other than the odd eye popping thing like Stojko higher than Yagudin), depending on your criteria. Much better than her dreadful womens list. Still some predictable heavy Canadian bias, although ironically I think Chan could have been higher.

 

[Spun Silver]

Well, at least it's better than her ladies list.

 

[blue dog]

I am shocked she ranked Toller ahead of Kurt. Actually, I'm shocked Dick is 1st and not Kurt...

 

[jcoates]

I have to say, I have a lot fewer issues with this list. I would have found a way to work Robin Cousins into the list. Also, the super dominant Jenkins brothers. They get short shrift these days, but they were major technical innovators in the mold of Button.

 

[seniorita]

Very professional article to use an argument of an athlete as arrogant that drives you crazy, makes it rather personal if you are a journalist, I guess Plushy didnt say bonjour to her.

Grafstrom should be on every top ten list.

 

[Tonichelle]

Kurt should be higher... at least by one... I'd have him #1

 

[drivingmissdaisy]

I most disagree with Stojko being 5th, I wouldn't even have him on the list (I'd bump him below Petrenko). I'd probably have Yagudin over Browning too, and Plushenko right up there with them. And I wouldn't have Chan in the top 10 (yet).

 

[Mathman]

Very professional article to use an argument of an athlete as arrogant that drives you crazy, makes it rather personal if you are a journalist, I guess Plushy didnt say bonjour to her.

When Plushenko first started competing and touring in North America he was shy and also was not confident about his English. This might have given some American journalists the impression that he was stand-offish.

As opposed to Yagudin, who went out of his way to try to charm all the female reporters.

 

[skateluvr]

Really not so bad but still essentially a list with Canadian bias, but so much more thought out than her ladies list. I too feel Yagudin should be ahead of Elvis, who was amazing and such a feirce competitor.

 

[Tonichelle]

When Plushenko first started competing and touring in North America he was shy and also was not confident about his English. This might have given some American journalists the impression that he was stand-offish.

As opposed to Yagudin, who went out of his way to try to charm all the female reporters.

he was cuter anyway

 

[dorispulaski]

This time PJ's list is not very different from my list...but where are Gillis Grafstrom and Karl Schaefer and Jackson Haines? I just need more than 10 skaters.

 

[pangtongfan]

Chan did the highest level of skating ever by a man last season, especialy once he stopped skating half the program on his *** and utilizing/exploring his 5+ fall margin he has over the others. Nobody in history would have beaten Chan at Canadians, GP final, or Worlds. For that alone he has to be atleast top 10.

 

[prettykeys]

I am shocked she ranked Toller ahead of Kurt. Actually, I'm shocked Dick is 1st and not Kurt...

Me too. I would put Kurt and Alexei higher. hehehehe

It's a nice list! The only "meh" in this one is Elvis, who I do like, but wouldn't put in my Top 10. Most of the other guys would probably be on my list.

Edit: Was Evgeny shy?? I like shy boys...

 

[Olympia]

I am shocked she ranked Toller ahead of Kurt. Actually, I'm shocked Dick is 1st and not Kurt...

I see why she put Dick first in terms of skating history, but I'd have been tempted to put Kurt first or at least second. No explanation needed. The guy has rocked throughout his long and fabled career. His skating is so natural and smooth, and his footwork defies the laws of ice and gravity.

By and large, though, this is a list I can live with. As it happens, many of the greatest Canadian skaters are the greatest world skaters, especially Kurt, Orser, and Toller Cranston, so even if Kwong wanted to be chauvinistic and favor Canadian skaters, she wouldn't be quite so off-center as she was in her women's list.

I'd always put Curry ahead of Cranston, but they'd both be up there in my list. Both men were pillars of modern men's skating and made huge contributions to their sport, as amateurs and later on as pros. Each had a touring company, but Curry's was more innovative in terms of incorporating dance (and dance choreography by the likes of Lar Lubovich, Peter Martins, and Twyla Tharp) in skating. Like many of you, I'd put Yagudin ahead of Stojko for several reasons, including the fact that he was possibly the finest exemplar of Russian style in men's skating. He had it all: technique, artistry, enough charisma to set the rink on fire. I'm sorry there's no room for Robin Cousins or Daisuke Takahashi when the list is configured this way. I might be tempted to substitute Daisuke for Elvis because he's just such a standout for me.

 

[pangtongfan]

I would for sure put Cousins before Curry. Curry didnt struggle with figures like Cousisn did and still couldnt win a major title until his final season. Cousins dominated free skating in his own era, Curry didnt dominate either figures or free skating. If both were in their primes together Cousins would crush Curry in the free skating portion IMO. Curry struggled to beat guys like Hoffmann and Kovalev often in free skating, guys that Cousins always dominated in that portion. Curry was a wonderful artist but Cousins was overall a better free skater anyway with much bigger jumps, better spins, more speed and power by far, also great artistry and great versatility.

 

[prettykeys]

Who likes a golden performance with golden hair and golden costume and hip thrusts? Meeeeeee!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghKRIvwGrrA&t=1m40s

Some comments to describe this rockin' program:

he is bipolar xD

Plushenko is the figure skating!

This is an...interesting choice of music...

I also must make a .gif of the part where he wiggles up to the judges (2:55) LOL

 

[jatale]

I like PJ's men's list too. The women's list is far more contentious for a number of reasons, but I think primarily because the competition is deeper and the audience is much bigger. Unfortunately for the men in figure skating, just like the men in gymnastics, the women's side of the discipline attracts far more attention and more competitors.

 

[Bluebonnet]

I love PJ's list although I'd list them in different order.

My list is like this:

1. Dick Button - the grandfather of figure skating

2. John Curry - the definition of artistic skating

3. Kurt Browning - the genius in everything skating and beyond

4. Toller Cranston - the innovative skating

5. Alexei Yagudin - forever the name of this generation

6. Elvis Stojko - the new branch of figure skating

7. Brian Boitano - leading the golden age of men's figure skating in US

8. Evgeni Plushenko - the legend

9. Brian Orser - one of the famous Brian in Battle of the Brians

10. Patrick Chan - could be the legend of the next generation

 

[lavender]

I would list them differently if anything. Elvis should definitely be last on the list imo.