Men - Short Program

[MissIzzy]

People, people, are you so quick to forget a guy just because he competed as long ago as last week? If Patrick Chan falls five times at Worlds, he may still win silver, but he will lose-to Daisuke Takahashi. He's getting scored ridiculously high too. These are the guys who manipulate the code shamelessly, and that is why they outscore everyone so much.

I admit, a two-horse race is more boring than the drama we had last quadrennium, but hey, Evan could always come back; a guy who code-spun his way to Olympic gold will always be a contender.

[ranjake]

Excuse me for being 'tardy to the party', just watching now on Universal sports. Abbott- loved the program, think it can develop into really something. I love his transitions; great skating, gorgeous guy. Here's my question- who authorized that costume??!!! Ugh, the worst ever- completely distracting. I really hope for a costume change- STAT.

I don't know what I think of Chan's score. The quad combo and last triple were great, and the triple axel fall wasn't as jarring to the program in my eyes as the falls at skate canada. I can see his skating skills, but I don't love the program. I've enjoyed other programs of his far more.

[pangtongfan]

other than a fall on 3A which, as someone have already said in this thread, would take -3 GOE and -1 deduction, and possibly lost 3 points GOE that he might otherwise get.

The fact you are suggesting his triple axel which is just an average jump even when he lands it (not that there are many occasions he does) would possibly get +3 in GOE had he landed it cleanly already says enough. Nice to admit to the fraud scoring, even while supposably defending it.

[Mathman]

Well, I love that Chan now thinks quads are super-important and cool, and make it much more difficult to get through the rest of the program. And that all skaters should do them and shame on those who don't do one in the SP... I like this because 1. Chan does the real talking on the ice this time and 2. he's willing to admit he was wrong about the quad in the past.

I don't remember Patrick ever saying he was wrong about anything. When he had good blade-work but no quad, quads were over-rated and guys like Plushenko and Joubert were laughable imposters.

Now that he has a quad, quads are king and everyone who doesn't do one in the SP -- like Takahashi -- is a wimp and a twerp.

Oh well, that's my boy.

As to the skating, I do think that Chan has a "one-fall advantage" over Abbott, and maybe a two-fall advantage over Verner, at least in the Program Components. He is just a better skater (IMHO).

[seniorita]

I watched SA two days before and I have all recent and fresh, now I finished the men sp in Cor, the difference between Taka and Chan is the performance factor, Takahashi is a rockstar, he doesnt mind ruining his image, his hair, his facial expression. He is an entertainer, his sp is all kinds of showy! Chan looks still comme il faut but it is maybe cause of age. I wish he could change the college boy costumes and aura always. But his quad triple in sp was jaw dropping, wow! About the marks I m puzzeld this year so I dont know, it seemed ok this time although if he had landed the axel he would have 10 point or more lead? I mind the sp falls A LOT, maybe it should have been a diffrent factor about losing a required element in sp, but as we have already said sp seems like a mini Lp now so anyway.
Abott this time I didnt like him, he looks scared and not confident much, I like his Lp much more. Tomas coming back from last year like he does is awesome! I hope he gets on Euros podium, this program he has just flies by so fast! Love the blue on him!
Hanyu is probably not having the break out season but he is lovely and I m

[Poodlepal]

I thought that Jeremy and Patrick and Tomas should be right on top of one another. Tomas and Jeremy skated the same program cleanly, but Jeremy was a little faster and "artsier", so I'd put him ahead of Tomas a little bit--not by a huge margin, but by a point or two. The judges agreed. I thought Patrick should have been about the same as them--figure he made up for his jump by doing the harder combo. However, I see where people would be annoyed.

You've got a system in which falling hardly counts, where you can get more points falling on a jump than if you come up a little bit short but still land it, and you've got a system where judges decide that one person is exponentially better than another because he bends his knees twice and hops 3 times in his footwork and another person only bends his knees once and hops twice, and where a person can make up for a fall by a smiling(Kanako) or slapping himself in the face (Daisuke), and well, with that system, Patrick Chan is unbeatable. Evan played the points too, but Evan at least only won when he skated clean or very close to it (maybe a hand down or something--but he never won when he fell, iirc.)

Pangtong Fan, don't stop watching. I want to read your funny comments when Patrick Chan is handed his gold medal after he falls, slides across the ice and is scooped up by the Zamboni. After all, he has good transitions!

[wallylutz]

I don't remember Patrick ever saying he was wrong about anything. When he had good blade-work but no quad, quads were over-rated and guys like Plushenko and Joubert were laughable imposters.

Now that he has a quad, quads are king and everyone who doesn't do one in the SP -- like Takahashi -- is a wimp and a twerp.

Oh well, that's my boy.

I always knew you have a school boy crush on Patrick Chan, Mathman, this just confirms it.

[museksk8r]

I think clean-quad-Patrick is harder to beat than clean-quad Jeremy. But good luck to both tomorrow.

I'm at the idea of Patrick skating a clean LP. When did that last happen? 2008 Canadian Nationals LP I believe, and there he only attempted one 3Axel and no quad. Jeremy actually has a better track record than Patrick when it comes to clean performances: 2010 Nationals, 2008 GPF, and 2008 Cup of China, all of which he attempted two 3Axels except at Nationals where he did one 3Axel as well as a quad. I've never seen Patrick skate a clean LP that included two 3Axels, nationally or internationally. That is what's wrong with COP though - this system could care less that you skate clean.

[CassAgain]

I thought Jeremy's SP looked great this time around, but agree about the ridiculous costume. What the heck is he thinking?

[Mathman]

After all, he has good transitions!

The funny thing is, Patrick "Mr. TR" Chan got lower scores in Transitions then in any other component.

(Actually, everyone did. I think Transitions always come out the lowest because this category is the most quantifiable.)

[museksk8r]

I don't care for Jeremy's hair or costume; he could do so much better! The only costumes of this mens' SP that I did like was Tomas Verner's and Samuel Contesti's.

I wish Abbott would wear a shirt and pants similar to his Nationals LP costume last season, but instead of royal blue, the shirt could be red with black pants. Or, he could wear the same style as his current SP costume, but have it be solid black without the white. He should wear his hair naturally without the slicked back gel look. JMO.

[blue_idealist]

4-3. Knowing that, do you still feel that Abbott and Verner were robbed?

Not so much.. although I think it should have been closer between PC and Jeremy, given PC's fall.

[Joesitz]

Chan is the fair haired boy this season (remember Nobi with Chaplin last season?). Otherwise I found the competition up to standard, but nothing exciting. Well, maybe the off beat music that Abbott interpreted. I didn't catch the name. Abbott did well. Verner was special and hope he makes the Finals.

I wish Marazov would stop making 'character' programs for his skaters. These are serious competitions, and the character routines should be left to SOI.

BTW. I thought Preaubert was underscored, but nothing I can do about it.

[chuckm]

Part of the reason why some people feel such outrage about Chan's inflated marks is that Chan himself has alienated many of former admirers by his remarks in the media. He has dished other skaters (Plushenko, Joubert) and commented negatively about Johnny Weir's wearing a wreath put on his head by a fan in the KnC at the Olympics. He has boasted about his own skating while taking potshots at other skaters.

At Skate Canada, after getting a shockingly high score for a SP with 3 falls, he said the judges wanted to give him the marks because they saw his practices and knew he could do the jumps. He then said that stressed the importance of practices (at a competition)!!!??!.

Jeff Buttle sometimes got overmarked, but just as often he took a hit when he had a string of off-performances. Jeff never had anything to say one way or the other about other skaters or his own performances. Jeff was a gentleman. Chan is a cocky brat.

[blue_idealist]

Part of the reason why some people feel such outrage about Chan's inflated marks is that Chan himself has alienated many of former admirers by his remarks in the media. He has dished other skaters (Plushenko, Joubert) and commented negatively about Johnny Weir's wearing a wreath put on his head by a fan in the KnC at the Olympics. He has boasted about his own skating while taking potshots at other skaters.

At Skate Canada, after getting a shockingly high score for a SP with 3 falls, he said the judges wanted to give him the marks because they saw his practices and knew he could do the jumps. He then said that stressed the importance of practices (at a competition)!!!??!.



Jeff Buttle sometimes got overmarked, but just as often he took a hit when he had a string of off-performances. Jeff never had anything to say one way or the other about other skaters or his own performances. Jeff was a gentleman. Chan is a cocky brat.

Sounds like Chan opened his mouth and inserted his foot again! What a surprise!