Why bother watching dance or ladies? | Golden Skate

Why bother watching dance or ladies?

dorispulaski

Wicked Yankee Girl
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Country
United-States
From watching men and pairs, we can predict the outcome. Navka and Irina after the short/OD, no matter how they skate, will have such huge PCS that their total score will be impossible to overcome. The other skaters will skate badly, partly in consequence of there being no chance, and partly in consequence of throwing in tricks they can't do because there is no chance that anything they do will affect their slotted PCS score. If doing it right could move your PCS score, Matt Savoie would be ahead of Evan Lysacek and Jeff Buttle. A skater's only hope is to go for impossible Tech scores. And even that doesn't work. In the men's, no one really went for it, other than Buttle and Takahashi planning to fall on a 4t . In pairs, Z&Z and I&B really went for it at least. And at least I&B managed to move up from their slotted 10th/11th, so perhaps there still is some incentive to skaters not yet on top. But not much.

It wouldn't bother me except for the part of 'No Matter How They Skate'. That wasn't Plush's best ever skate. Heck the 2002 Goebel version was better.

This is the kind of crap that causes an unbalanced mind to think they have to disable someone to win, because the game is so very, very fixed.
 
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Engwaciriel

On the Ice
Joined
Dec 27, 2005
Just a wuestion to everyone who only has negative things to say about everything. Why do you even care for figure skating? All this negativity is killing me...:banging:

It is a subjective sport, and there's always going to be controversy, but I for one still love watching it, and I'm most certainly going to watch the ladies and dance. Even though the russians probably will win, I still look forward to seing the rest compete. It's worth watching the ladies just to see Suguri skate, or the mens to see Lambiels tears when receving the silver medal. And even though the Kerrs has nothing to do with the medals I love watching them.

Stop being so negative, think of all the postivie things instead!
 

kareliz

Rinkside
Joined
Jul 27, 2003
ITA. It is just so frustrating. In reflecting on this competition, I thought that Matt should get a special medal for best complete skating. Oh - shouldn't that be who wins? Or is at least on the podium? Maybe that would be going too far, since he is somewhat internal. But what has happened, when artless skating with no line or choreography can win by so much? Matt's skating was the high point of the men's comp for me.

Lambiel on the other hand may have squeaked out a lot of jumps. but the landings are low and awkward and he has no line or stretch. I would have put him fourth.

The system just isn't doing what it was supposed designed to do. I realize that one problem is that the component score is a fixed highest possible number, while on the technical there is no highest mark. But in general, it does seem like predetermined favorites are being held in predetermined placements. Urghghgh.
 

childfreegirl

Final Flight
Joined
Jan 6, 2004
Why bother watching dance or ladies?

Because it's the OLYMPICS!

To see all those skaters who skate their best and are proud to be representing their country, even if they don't have a shot at a medal. The last time I checked, the Olympic motto was Faster, Higher, Stronger.

If you don't want to watch the dance or the ladies, don't. But don't be such a downer.
 

dorispulaski

Wicked Yankee Girl
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Country
United-States
That was not a rant about the skaters, it was a rant about the scoring system. If I wanted to watch a show, and I like shows, I would.

In fact it's more a rant about how the judging system is being applied more even the judging system.

I'll get over it, but I am not a happy camper today, having just watched a competition in which the most memorable moments were watching Kevin van der Perren swashbuckle around and watching Matt perform. Klimkin was pretty good too. That's about it.

I'll be better tomorrow. Well not tomorrow-tomorrow B&A and C&S will be dumped, but in a month or 2.
 
Joined
Jun 21, 2003
Good point about including falls on quads as part of your program. If you really took the scoring system to heart you could plan four quad-splats and really rack up the points.
 
Joined
Jun 21, 2003
DORISPULASKI said:
I'll be better tomorrow. Well not tomorrow-tomorrow B&A and C&S will be dumped, but in a month or 2.
About Belbin and Agosto, yeah the ISU boxed themselves into a corner on that one. They thought, we can safely give them a silver medal at worlds because they can't go to the Olympics anyway. Oops. Now the ISU will have to use a little more ingenuity to make it all come out right.

But on the bright side, if the U.S. does not medal in dance, they will have to put Sasha on the podium.
 
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Frau Muller

Final Flight
Joined
Mar 1, 2005
DORISPULASKI said:
This is the kind of crap that causes an unbalanced mind to think they have to disable someone to win, because the game is so very, very fixed.

Doris, you're entitled to your opinion but it is very, very wrong. Maybe your concern should be that the so-called "game" has changed to reflect superior artistry, basic skating skills, musicality?

By the way, I happen to think that B&A *do* have a great chance to medal & can even take the gold because they happen to have the artistry, musicality & 'lines' that are normally associated with Eastern Europeans. If Russia fails to earn all four golds in skating in Torino, it will be in the dance. Mark my words.
 
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Sk8n Mama

Final Flight
Joined
Jan 23, 2004
Why bother watching? For guys like Evan Lysacek who gave every ounce he had in the LP. For guys like Buttle who have worked their butts off for this. For the Zhangs who Lord only knows how continued on inthe LP after that fall. For Shen and Zhao who didn't practice the SBS jumps til they got to Torino and still wowed the crowd and won the bronze. For Sasha Cohen who will try like heck to break her curse. For Emily Hughes and Kimmie Meissner who will wow at their first Olympics. For Dubreuil and Lauzon who keep working and working and moved to France just to move as much as possible in the dance discipline. Do I need to go on? You keep watching for the athletes because they deserve that at the very least. They skate with the flu and injuries, they put up with internet message board complaints about them :p and media doubts, they leave their families for most of the year, some of them wait tables just to make ends meet, and they were their (our) countries' colours proudly and pray that they just don't dissapoint us. That deserves my respect and, for that, I will watch.

Besides:
Navka and Irina after the short/OD, no matter how they skate, will have such huge PCS that their total score will be impossible to overcome.

Plushenko deserved to be so far ahead. I don't like a lot of his PCS but jumpwise the guy brought it. Same goes for the pairs-Tot/Max won it fair and square. I don't think Sluty will win the short no matter how she skates. She'll have to be clean but, if she's clean, she might be way ahead. The dance......well, ice dance is still ice dance, but the athletes still deserve our respect even if the system/judges don't.
 

FreeKatie

On the Ice
Joined
Nov 21, 2005
I think Belbin and Agosto have a chance to win, but even if they didn't, watch just for the pure love of the sport! The COP has faults but there's nothing we can do about it at the moment.
 
Joined
Jul 11, 2003
The Russian sweep will take place this Olympics. One has to sit back and see if they deserve it.

I don't see the technical prowess in Dance, and I really don't want to learn its intrecasies(s). I look at dance as I would from watching dancers on the dance floor. Some catch your eye; others don't. It's the same with me for Ice Dance.

There are too many tricks being used for the points which, imo, kill the beauty of Ice Dance. Nothing wrong with a trick or two during the routine as highlights and original moves but to have skaters skimming the ice in various shoot the duck positions and crotch displays do not grab me, and avoiding the tempo and character of the music grates on me.

N&K will undoubtedly win. The Kerrs will hopefully be in Top Ten. I'm watching Dance for The Kerrs!

Joe
 

Frau Muller

Final Flight
Joined
Mar 1, 2005
Joesitz said:
I'm watching Dance for The Kerrs!

Joe

Me too. I sure hope that American TV will show their Scottish Highlands free dance!

For women, I look forward not only to my fave, Irina, but to see the beauty of lower-ranked artists, such as Fleur Maxwell and ElieG. Maybe they will rank high enough in the SPs to warrant NBC showing them...I hope! :rock:
 
Joined
Jun 21, 2003
Still, we can see pretty figure skating any time. The Olympics are supposed to be something special. So far, no, not so much.
 
Joined
Jul 11, 2003
Mathman said:
Still, we can see pretty figure skating any time. The Olympics are supposed to be something special. So far, no, not so much.
Nothing unexpected, so far, and nothing memorable. It will be difficult to recall this Olys for future posters, imo.

Joe
 

#1Kerryfan

Final Flight
Joined
Jan 15, 2006
DORISPULASKI said:
From watching men and pairs, we can predict the outcome. Navka and Irina after the short/OD, no matter how they skate, will have such huge PCS that their total score will be impossible to overcome. The other skaters will skate badly, partly in consequence of there being no chance, and partly in consequence of throwing in tricks they can't do because there is no chance that anything they do will affect their slotted PCS score. If doing it right could move your PCS score, Matt Savoie would be ahead of Evan Lysacek and Jeff Buttle. A skater's only hope is to go for impossible Tech scores. And even that doesn't work. In the men's, no one really went for it, other than Buttle and Takahashi planning to fall on a 4t . In pairs, Z&Z and I&B really went for it at least. And at least I&B managed to move up from their slotted 10th/11th, so perhaps there still is some incentive to skaters not yet on top. But not much.

It wouldn't bother me except for the part of 'No Matter How They Skate'. That wasn't Plush's best ever skate. Heck the 2002 Goebel version was better.

This is the kind of crap that causes an unbalanced mind to think they have to disable someone to win, because the game is so very, very fixed.

Be positive!
 

Vash01

Medalist
Joined
Jul 31, 2003
The best skaters won in both disciplines. The whining has begun because they were not from this continent. The gold medal winners delivered when it counted. Others did not.

Vash
 

Ogre Mage

On the Ice
Joined
Jul 30, 2003
Mathman said:
Good point about including falls on quads as part of your program. If you really took the scoring system to heart you could plan four quad-splats and really rack up the points.
The system encourages this kind of strategy and that is a MAJOR flaw. I hate watching a bunch of splatted quads. They need to penalize falls more (in the LP).
 

Vash01

Medalist
Joined
Jul 31, 2003
DORISPULASKI said:
From watching men and pairs, we can predict the outcome. Navka and Irina after the short/OD, no matter how they skate, will have such huge PCS that their total score will be impossible to overcome. The other skaters will skate badly, partly in consequence of there being no chance, and partly in consequence of throwing in tricks they can't do because there is no chance that anything they do will affect their slotted PCS score. If doing it right could move your PCS score, Matt Savoie would be ahead of Evan Lysacek and Jeff Buttle. A skater's only hope is to go for impossible Tech scores. And even that doesn't work. In the men's, no one really went for it, other than Buttle and Takahashi planning to fall on a 4t . In pairs, Z&Z and I&B really went for it at least. And at least I&B managed to move up from their slotted 10th/11th, so perhaps there still is some incentive to skaters not yet on top. But not much.

It wouldn't bother me except for the part of 'No Matter How They Skate'. That wasn't Plush's best ever skate. Heck the 2002 Goebel version was better.

This is the kind of crap that causes an unbalanced mind to think they have to disable someone to win, because the game is so very, very fixed.

Plush did not NEED his best ever skate to win. Others made it easy for him. Don't blame him.

I agree with you about skaters 'planning to fall on a quad' to get partial credit. That rule is ridiculous. The system is in its infancy and is likely to be modified from time to time. A new system needs to be tested over many years, and this one has not been around very long. Ultimately though FS is a subjective sport, and it will have some disagreements. That does not make it less enjoyable to me.

Vash
 
Joined
Jul 11, 2003
Vash01 said:
The best skaters won in both disciplines. The whining has begun because they were not from this continent. The gold medal winners delivered when it counted. Others did not.

Vash
Vash - You should think about using the imo. Some of us have not been overwhelmed with the Russian team since the GPs so it is not surprising that we are still underwhelmed.

It is not unexpected that Russian emigres will continue to root for the mother country. Nothing wrong with that., AND I HAVE NOT READ ONE POST THAT THE RUSSIAN WINS THUS FAR WERE NOT DESERVED. I don't read whinning.

I think you are reading into this because for some posters an Oly win should bring a celebration. Well, maybe. It's optional.

Joe
 

sk8addict

On the Ice
Joined
Oct 22, 2004
judges

new scoring system, same old lazy judges. I agree Plush should not be getting 8s for components. But I think the component scores for each skater should have more variety. No skater is best at everything & these marks should show their strengths & their weakness. instead of 8.3, 8.9, 8.1, 8.5 we should really be seeing scores that look like 5.8, 7.9, 6.5, 4.9, 8.3 for each skater. I think that is what the system was developed to show. Same ol cheating, bias, lazy judges give same results. I for one thought it was worth sitting through all the disappointing performances to see Shawn Sawer. I like good skating no matter who the skater is.
 
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