New (somewhat depressing) Jeff Article | Golden Skate

New (somewhat depressing) Jeff Article

screech

Final Flight
Joined
Jan 23, 2005
The Toronto Star has a new article on Jeff.

It depressed me. It's not the fact that he's struggling with the quad that's depressing, cause seriously, I don't think anyone really expected him to have it consistent. But it's his mindset.

It seems like he feels Skate Canada is pressuring him. But even that's not the worst, it's that he seems to have lost the happiness over his world silver. Thinking 'what if'. That if he had skated better and had a quad, he'd be world champion right now, rather than the silver medallist without a quad.

And then there's the fact that he seems injured, with his physio appointments for his hip.

Dude! Don't stress over the quad! Yes, work on it, but don't make it so your life (and health) depend on it!
 

BronzeisGolden

Medalist
Joined
Jul 27, 2003
Hmmmm.....I worry about the logic behind such a strategy. Jeff is an absolutely stunning skater and one of my favorites among today's men, but I think that getting all of his other jumps consistent would be a higher priority. I understand that it would be very unlikely for him to win without a quad, but it would be EXTREMELY unlikely for him to win a gold or any other medal (in a cleanly skated event) if he can't skate without mistakes on his triple jumps. That is one reason why I have never really loved this big quad explosion. Clean, 8 triple performances were rare enough, but now with quads a clean program is even more elusive. Whatever happens, I wish him the best. He is a beautiful skater and I will be cheering for him in Turin.
 

Ogre Mage

On the Ice
Joined
Jul 30, 2003
Jeff is one of my favorite male skaters and I am not pleased by this article. Frankly, I think he would be better off perfecting his inconsistent 3axel and playing to his strengths: choreography and interpretation. It's fine to go for the quad but it's not worth ruining your skating career over. He could be the next Paul Wylie if he doesn't ruin his hips first. Why is he lamenting over Moscow? He came in as a longshot and skated off with a World Silver Medal, surpassing all expectations.
 

Ptichka

Forum translator
Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 28, 2003
I wonder if working with Arutunian is good for him. On the one hand, I believe Arutunian may be Buttle's best chance of mastering the quad; on the other hand, he may put too much pressure on it.
 

chuckm

Record Breaker
Joined
Aug 31, 2003
Country
United-States
I don't think Jeff has any chance of getting a competition quad if he's landing them only 5-10% of the time. Todd Eldredge reported before SLC that he was landing the quad successfully 80% of the time in practice, but he couldn't pull it off on competition ice. A 10% success in practice points to 0% and a fall, huge lost points and a disrupted program in competition.

I agree that what he SHOULD be doing is getting his 3A to a 90% success rate, as this last season, he landed the 3A only about 50% of the time in competition.

So he's lamenting not winning gold at Worlds 2005? Doesn't he recognize that he won silver because Plushenko withdrew, Weir was injured, and few of the other top men performed a clean FS? That World silver was a gift to be treasured, not to be slighted, especially since Jeff himself skated a very flawed FS in Moscow.

If he's focusing only on gold in Torino and feels driven to get that quad, he's setting himself up for a huge disappointment. Why can't he just enjoy the gifts he has and skate a great program? He might even wind up on the podium.

Unfortunately, Jeff is carrying the expectations of Skate Canada on his back, just as Joannie Rochette was at World 2005.
 

STL_Blues_fan

Final Flight
Joined
Jan 24, 2004
chuckm said:
I don't think Jeff has any chance of getting a competition quad if he's landing them only 5-10% of the time. Todd Eldredge reported before SLC that he was landing the quad successfully 80% of the time in practice, but he couldn't pull it off on competition ice. A 10% success in practice points to 0% and a fall, huge lost points and a disrupted program in competition.

I agree that what he SHOULD be doing is getting his 3A to a 90% success rate, as this last season, he landed the 3A only about 50% of the time in competition.

So he's lamenting not winning gold at Worlds 2005? Doesn't he recognize that he won silver because Plushenko withdrew, Weir was injured, and few of the other top men performed a clean FS? That World silver was a gift to be treasured, not to be slighted, especially since Jeff himself skated a very flawed FS in Moscow.

If he's focusing only on gold in Torino and feels driven to get that quad, he's setting himself up for a huge disappointment. Why can't he just enjoy the gifts he has and skate a great program? He might even wind up on the podium.

Unfortunately, Jeff is carrying the expectations of Skate Canada on his back, just as Joannie Rochette was at World 2005.

well said, Chuckm! I couldn't agree more.

Yana
 

mzheng

Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 16, 2005
ITA with chuckm said. I considered he is lucky to get that Silver in Mosco without quad and no consistant 3 Axel....CoP is designed for skaters like him, with veriaty moves on ice and good basics but without quad and no consistant 3Axel. But it does not mean you can win or medal without consistancy on all triples. He needs to be more appreciate with what he achieved so far. And set a realistic goal.

I believe the new 'clarify' rules for a 'fall' definition from ISU recently will hurt more to those inconsistant jumpers.....Last year's most of the 'fall' (in the sense of 6.0 system) does not get -1 manditory deduction. But with the new clarify a skater got -1 deduction on a 'fall' defined as common sense -- basically except the step out, any body part touch the ice would warrantee -1 deduction. -- And rightly so.
 

brad640

On the Ice
Joined
Dec 8, 2004
It is poor sportsmanship for him to disparage his silver. I guess it is hard for him to take pride in his medal because he skated poorly, but there was no way he could have won gold.

In addition to the 3a as others have noted, he also needs to work on the 3z which was inconsistent for him last season.

If Skate Canada is pinning all its hopes and dreams on Jeff, then maybe Sandhu will have a better skate.
 

VINLUVSKWAN

Rinkside
Joined
Feb 17, 2005
Jeff Buttle's quad attempt, etc.

Yes ITA w/ you all who think Jeff's World Silver medal was a gift, and so was Evan's bronze (both had at least 2 jump mistakes, offset by PCS higher than their TES scores). Weir could have easily won the silver or bronze had he (Weir) not tripped in his footwork sequence and been a little faster in his spins. Compare Jeff's 2 major falls (axel, 2nd jump) to Weir's 2 scratchy but clean landings (flip, loop). Weir was underscored in the LP.
 

brad640

On the Ice
Joined
Dec 8, 2004
I think Johnny was scored fairly. He had many mistakes in the first two phases of competition and only one jump combination in the LP. He did well to finish 4th and improve on his standing from 04.
 

mzheng

Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 16, 2005
Right now I consider only maybe Plushine is above rest of the field (but after the surgery It's hard to say if he can fully recover to what he had before).

The Silver and Bronz are up for grabs by so many skaters. Some better at veriaty movements on ice and presentation skill, some better on jump consistant, but no one is better on both account than the other that much. To name a few on top of my head(no perticula order), Brian, Lambiel, Lindman, Kimlin, Weir, Evan, Jeff, Sandhu, etc. all of them has chance to shot the podium.

Jeff should just concentrate on trainning. Not dewelling the mentality "What if I can't do better than last year's world Silver? What if there is no hope for Gold if I don't have the quad? What if .....". Don't think about the gold medal, or any medal in that sense. Just concentrating on trainning......Seems this is the common syndrom from the first big success.....I heard earlier that though his programs are really good, but his practice does not so well.
 

soogar

Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 18, 2003
I think Jeff's interview is more of a product of the pressure Canada is putting on him than Jeff himself (when will Canada ever learn about pressuring its top men?). My thoughts are that he's getting a lot of pressure from his federation to step it up. It seems kind of odd to me because correct me if I'm wrong, but has he ever even made it to worlds before this year? Last year Canada sent Ben and Eman to worlds. This has been such a breakthrough year for Jeff and all of a sudden Canada is treating him like a favorite? This gives a lot of insight as to why Eman is such a headcase. I don't think anyone can skate well with that kind of pressure (remember Ito?).
 

screech

Final Flight
Joined
Jan 23, 2005
soogar said:
I think Jeff's interview is more of a product of the pressure Canada is putting on him than Jeff himself (when will Canada ever learn about pressuring its top men?). My thoughts are that he's getting a lot of pressure from his federation to step it up. It seems kind of odd to me because correct me if I'm wrong, but has he ever even made it to worlds before this year? Last year Canada sent Ben and Eman to worlds. This has been such a breakthrough year for Jeff and all of a sudden Canada is treating him like a favorite? This gives a lot of insight as to why Eman is such a headcase. I don't think anyone can skate well with that kind of pressure (remember Ito?).

Jeff has been to Worlds twice before. He went in 2002 (his breakthrough season with a silver at his first ever GP event - NHK, and a win at 4CC). He placed 8th at those first worlds (with a mediocre LP). He went again in 2003 where he stood up on the quad in the SP, and was 9th going into the LP but BOMBED and came 19th in the LP and 15th overall. Last year he was headed for his best season, but the food poisoning at the GPF hit him hard and he wasn't up to his usual self and kinda bombed at Canadians, getting knocked off the team. So this year was his 3rd at Worlds, and not his breakthrough season, since 2001/2002 can very easily be considered such.
 

soogar

Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 18, 2003
screech said:
Jeff has been to Worlds twice before. He went in 2002 (his breakthrough season with a silver at his first ever GP event - NHK, and a win at 4CC). He placed 8th at those first worlds (with a mediocre LP). He went again in 2003 where he stood up on the quad in the SP, and was 9th going into the LP but BOMBED and came 19th in the LP and 15th overall. Last year he was headed for his best season, but the food poisoning at the GPF hit him hard and he wasn't up to his usual self and kinda bombed at Canadians, getting knocked off the team. So this year was his 3rd at Worlds, and not his breakthrough season, since 2001/2002 can very easily be considered such.

I guess breakthrough is different for you and me... personally a silver medal at a minor GP event with 12 competitors and a top 10 finish at worlds isn't that much of a breakthrough like a medal at worlds. Either way, it's not as though Jeff is a serious frontrunner for gold , especially considering the manner in which he had won his silver medal. I don't think it's right for Canada to place so much pressure on this boy.
 
Joined
Jun 21, 2003
Jeff is in a hard spot. Unfortunately, I think he is right to be worried about the quad. With Plushenko, Joubert and Lambiel in the game, the podium starts to get crowded. Will there be room for skaters with great choreography, grace and flow, but no quad, like Buttle and Weir?

MM
 

CDMM1991

Medalist
Joined
Jun 3, 2005
IIRC MM Johnny actually has a fairly solid quad. So it's just Jeff we'll have to be worrying about quad-wise. I'm really hoping the pressure doesn't get to him.
 
Joined
Jun 21, 2003
As far as I know, Johnny has never landed a quad in competition. I believe that he has only attempted it once -- in the spring Marshall's after Worlds last year. He completed the rotations, but couldn't hold the landing.

To me, Jeff is the strongest "complete package" skater, except Plushenko if he is healthy. But the CoP really rewards quads (properly so, IMHO). We'll see.

MM
 
S

SkateFan4Life

Guest
IMHO, Jeff needs to perfect his triple axel so that he can skate gorgeous long programs with 7 or 8 triples, strong choreography, and musical interpretation. He fell on his triple axel at Worlds, and quite frankly, I think he was scored generously by the judges to win his silver medal. Make no mistake about it, Jeff is a top-notch figure skater and definitely an Olympic medal contender, but he needs to get all of his triples honed to the nth degree. Having a quad certainly would help his cause, but many of the top men who have quads don't land them cleanly in competition, and/or they make mistakes on some of their triple jumps, so they do not skate clean programs. Jeff's musical interpretation and style are superior to some of the men who have quads, IMHO, and that will earn him some points with the judges.

It's sad to read about Skate Canada putting so much pressure on Buttle to win, win, win. Give the guy a break! Jeff seemed to skate with so much joy in previous seasons, and if he's under the gun from his national skating association, some of that joy may go right out the door.

In my view, perhaps the Canadian skating officials see Jeff as their chance to "finally" win an Olympic gold medal in men's figure skating. They've come close a number of times - Don Jackson (bronze in 1960), Toller Cranston (bronze in 1976) Brian Orser (silver in 1984 and 1988), and Elvis Stojko (silver in 1984 and 1998), but never the top spot.
 

jesslily

Final Flight
Joined
Jan 4, 2004
Every skater, espesically world competiter feels the pressure. It's not that only Jeff feels. If he really can not get the quad, can he work on 3 axel combos and get all the other triples comsistent and flowiy? From his last year's performance at world I feel that he hasn't truely mastered all the triples. On the other hand he had great program, music, and presentation.
 

Ogre Mage

On the Ice
Joined
Jul 30, 2003
Jeff's dilemma reminds me of Kristi Yamaguchi's in 1992. She couldn't do the 3axel like Midori Ito and Tonya Harding and in the media many seemed to think she would get buried because she didn't have one. So she concentrated on getting a 3/3 combination and perfecting her presentation. Of course, the men's event is more jump-centered. But CoP rewards the complete program more than 6.0.

I fear that sudden success has put an undue amount of (both internal and external) pressure on Jeff, similar to what Arakawa suffered in 2005.
 
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