I know and respect everyone has their own opinions. And yes, even Goe's are subject to interpretation as are all marks. But the system allows for someone TES flawed to possibly win. The COP system is just too complicated even for us diehards. I think Chan has got an unfair rap. I am guilty of it because I repeat myself - but mind you everyone else does the same. Sometimes we put so much into a jump as people but remember in the case of NHK Mao had a huge lead and she lost by a lot in the freeskate. She just had too big of a lead. But the marking system allows for someone TES weaker to still do well or win. In the legal world it is often frowned upon that district attornye or for that matter any lawyer but especially the prosecutor not criticize the judge as to influence them. WE have to be careful booing, blogs, websites like this does not intimidate judge - they are suppose to be free of partisan and control their biases but ironically by yelling and screaming too loudly and too voiciferously that could destroy the sport. So the very complaints many have may only be perpetuated or in short, we look like hypocrites. We say judges are blind or bias and then we influence them. I am not sure how do you judge a good edge versus a good quad? I know this will be an unpopular approach but I think we need to consider that. And in many ways we are all rational to ourselves and irrational to those who disagree. (Guilty here) We have our favourites; sometimes you read these posts and it is obviously who likes who and sometimes it is "rationalized" by the poster but it is their positon or thoughts and other time it just sounds like for no reason they like so and so. Sadly in many ways there is only one gold medal and three podium spots (usually lol). Like my mom taught me - what is fair is in the eye of the beholder. I guess our happiness and the skater's happiness shouldn't be in the results made by the judges. Life has to go on....
It doesn't matter that Mao lost the free skate. The score she got for it was amazing and astounding and lots of others probably would have fallen off the podium because of all the doubles and singles. The entirety of goe and pcs probably would have been reduced for other skaters. But Mao got an astounding and great score.