Pairs Free Skate

All Euros can watch Eurovision, saw the whole thing on last night, through BBC, no interruptions by other sports!

My dream top 3 would be

Shen/Zhao
Kavaguti/Smirnov
Savchenko/Szolkowy

because I just don't like S/S but realistically they'll switch with K/S.

Joesitz said:

NBC's only interest is in the Ratings to please their advertisers.

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um, duh? not sure what else they're supposed to do. NBC is giving fair amount of time to all sports. considering torino was not the best for their ratings I'm not sure I can fault them for cutting back in their coverage at all. how are they supposed to come out even (much less with a profit) if they ignore their contracts with sponsors and the sports organizers just so a very small demographic of their overall viewership will stop whining that we aren't getting enough coverage?

and universal sports is not on everyone's package plan, so chacking the US teams on the main station would not be a good idea. you're lucky you get universal sports, a lot of members on this board don't.

Joesitz said:

What NBC could have done was to show the first 3 groups on Unisport and have the last two groups on NBC. They may have thought of that but it would most likely interfere with their commercial plans.

NBC's only interest is in the Ratings to please their advertisers.

It is quite a jolt watching one Pairs Team and then switch to a speed skate and then a commerical, and return to Pairs, 45 minutes later. During that period, it was not LIVE. I wonder if the entire Pairs was time delayed.

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Depends where you are watching. If you are in central or eastern time, then it should have been live, but out here on the west coast everything is 3 hour delay. Which is silly because if they are going to delay it anyway, they might as well edit the program so we get to see all the skating at once, all the skiing at once etc. The way it was made it very difficult to watch and I could not try to watch something else because I was always "checking" to see if the pairs were back yet.

Denney and Barrett were on a maybe 1 1/2 minute max time delay because of, I suspect, a commercial or two running over time. But the last 7 skaters were live, as were Shen/Zhao. I don't remember if the group of three (B/L, E/L, L/H) were live or not. If they weren't, it would have again been a VERY slight delay.

Tinymavy15 said:

Depends where you are watching. If you are in central or eastern time, then it should have been live, but out here on the west coast everything is 3 hour delay. Which is silly because if they are going to delay it anyway, they might as well edit the program so we get to see all the skating at once, all the skiing at once etc. The way it was made it very difficult to watch and I could not try to watch something else because I was always "checking" to see if the pairs were back yet.

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there's not enough time for the stuff on the East coast to be done and editted before they hit primetime on the west coast, for one.

and it doesn't make it feel as "in the moment" that way, either.. I enjoy watching the other sports in between. It's a tiny bit annoying, but it's still fun (Moguls rule)

Was watching Universal Sports and it seems like Terry is going for Ali & Robin while Kristi and Peter are going for Zhen & Shao. Peter also mentioned how flat D-squared was and how Kristi is proud of Amanda & Mark and was in tears. Aww.

Sorry if this has already been mentioned, but does anyone know which pairs teams NBC is broadcasting? Thanks!

cornell08 said:

Sorry if this has already been mentioned, but does anyone know which pairs teams NBC is broadcasting? Thanks!

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I'm sure it's the 2 Americans and the final 2 flights.

S/Z skating last! I hope they complete their dream season and cap it off with a gold medal!

bekalc said:

What fairy tale ending. S/S have harder choregraphy, transitiosn than S/Z. But were the rewarded for it nope. Hardly a fairy tale ending for the German team.

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Shen and Zhao deserve that fairytale ending! The fact that they have won 2 olympic bronze medals, 7 world championship medals and over 30 grand prix medals and they are still competing at the olympics shows how bad they really want this. Their determination, experience and passion is unmatched in this competition. Although I do wish Aliona and Robin the best, I feel both of Shen & Zhao's programs surpass theirs in grace, beauty, execution and overall presentation which lets not forget is a huge part of figure skating! When Shen & Zhao skate their best they are unbeatable!! Fingers crossed for everyone tonight!

My Dream--online feed

Does anyone know if there will be a feed online tonight. My Sky in Mexico has failed me and has opted out of their former good coverage. I need a little help!:scowl:

KatrianaAshley said:

Shen and Zhao deserve that fairytale ending! The fact that they have won 2 olympic bronze medals, 7 world championship medals and over 30 grand prix medals and they are still competing at the olympics shows how bad they really want this. Their determination, experience and passion is unmatched in this competition. Although I do wish Aliona and Robin the best, I feel both of Shen & Zhao's programs surpass theirs in grace, beauty, execution and overall presentation which lets not forget is a huge part of figure skating! When Shen & Zhao skate their best they are unbeatable!! Fingers crossed for everyone tonight!

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Welcome to the boards, KatrianaAshley! Post often!

Gracie, if I find a feed from atdhe.net, justin.tv, or ustream.tv, I'll pass it along to you. Gonna watch most of it from home (except for the final flight since I'll be driving to work during that).

Yeah. I understand, bekalc, that you find the current incarnation of S/Z a little overrated and think they're ascension in the pantheon of great pairs teams is unearned, but it's hard not to look at it as a fairytale ending for them. Their first Olympic experience wasn't particularly noteworthy, exception as an indication of things to come. They were good in 2002 and undeniably deserved the bronze, but their estimable achievement was overshadowed by the controversy (and even tainted a little). They could've been contenders in Turin, but that injury largely took them out of contention and they got a bronze (while seeing their teammates score a questionable silver, and I do think if another team had been third or fourth - ie, from another nation, we would've seen a complaint made). So in my mind, they never got the Olympics they deserved True, three world championship gold medals along with one of the most memorable long programs of the decade (2003, Washington) is a lot for any career, but who can blame them for wanting more?

Now, I know you think S/S are getting the shaft here, and that they should be experiencing a coronation now, but I don't think that's especially true. I've never particularly loved the German team, and had resigned myself to them winning in Vancouver - no one really deserved it, in my mind. We had great teams that could be proud of a silver medal or bronze, but gold? I was one of those who felt T/M were a step down from B/S, and B/S a step down from M/D and G/G. But I found myself wishing for them, or a team of their caliber to come. And it wasn't like the Germans were undeserving or anything - just completely underwhelming. So Shen/Zhao were just a kick to get back. And it seemed to revitalize the whole season. We saw Pang/Tong rid themselves of those pesky URs that kept them off the podium in the past. We saw M/T skate a clean long, which seemed a pipe dream before. And we saw S/S display competitive grit at Skate Canada, bouncing back with a gorgeous LP after the disaster in TEB. This pairs season to me is the best of the quadrennial, and I can't help but being so glad that Shen/Zhao are part of it (the season and the reason why).

So yeah, I hope they skate lights out tonight and win. I hope the Germans skate lights out and earn whatever medal they earn (and if it's gold, yeah, I'll be happy, because that program is a beauty). I hope Dube/Davison give the long program of their lives and redeem themselves after that short program. I hope Evora and Ladwig scoff at John Baldwin in the Kiss and Cry after acing their long. I hope M/T (sorry, I can never spell her name) have a clean long program and are happier, because his look of devastation ripped my heart out and I don't even care for this team. I hope Pang and Tong nail their Man of La Mancha LP because I love it too. I hope.... for an unforgettable night of figure skating leading to a clean result that we all agree on.

Yeah, I like my pipe dreams. What of it?

s/s better not win and if k/s podiums... i'll scream.

☆Genie;466499 said:

s/s better not win and if k/s podiums... i'll scream.

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I am afraid there is a very good chance you'll be screaming tonight.

Anyone but S&Z winning gold would mean the least deserving Olympics champions ever.

I just hope, like it's been said, K/S Don't medal...I truly despise their skating. And they irritate me. Hopefully Zhang/Zhang can move up, but Pang/Tong will make me almost as happy.

As for gold, I hope S/Z win...but would be happy with an S/S win as well; I love their style. But S/Z is a fairytale, and we all love happy endings.

BigJohn said:

Anyone but S&Z winning gold would mean the least deserving Olympics champions ever.

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Why don't we watch the competition first before making comments like that.

I will seriously cry if S&Z don't win tonight. I'm so nervous I don't know if I can take them skating last. Anyone got some tums? lol

I don't mind them skating last apart from the fact that I don't know how I'll stay awake! It's already 1.30 am here!