- Joined
- Jun 3, 2009
Mathman's point is that anonymous judging gives the appearance of something to hide, at it's most fundamental.
Mathman's point is that anonymous judging gives the appearance of something to hide, at it's most fundamental.
I apoligize if you took any of my comments as unwarrented criticism of Skate Canada officials.
But however knowledgable and well-intentioned they are, they are not immune from making public relations errors. I think this is one.
We are all agreed that the ISU and its member federations know which judge gave which scores. This throws out the window the official explanation for anonymous judging (which Mr. Thompson repeats here) -- that it protects judges from their own federations. Whatever the real reason, anonymous judging gives the appearance that the figure skating establishment has something to hide. Why go out of your way to make yourself look like a shady character?
Exactly. Perception is reality. Just ask the general public (or sportswriters) what they think of figure skating judging? By doing things secretly you are always suspect. IMO anonymous judging serves no good purpose.
Exactly. Anonymous judging does not produce better judging. It just hides problems from public scrutiny. Public circuses are good. Sneaking around in the dark alleys is bad.
Power to the people, up the establishment! The people may have a right to a secret ballot, but judges do not have a right to conduct secret trials.
You go into the Star Chamber to face the judges in secret...maybe you don't come out again. I am not consoled by the hope that the Emperor might later review the conduct of the judges -- in secret.
I agree with everything Thompson said except this:
Yes, this is the official explanation. But I think the real reason was, as Oxade says, to prevent public circuses like what happened in Salt Lake City.
In other words, the purpose of secrecy is not to prevent wrong-doing but to hide it. (That almost seems like a tautology to me. That's what secrecy means -- hiding something.)
So do the leaders of the powerful national federations. The only people who are in the dark are us.
This is a bad thing. Forget Mr. Pound. Anonymous judging undermines public confidence in the objectivity of the sport.