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- Aug 1, 2011
Out of curiosity I just googled "sochi olympics crazy fans" and got back "About 83.400.000 results."
Apparently that is not going unnoticed either
Russian Audiences
- Thread starter sgsmozart
- Start date
Apparently that is not going unnoticed either
From my television it does seem different from any competition I've seen in any other country that I've been to or seen on TV, but I will try not to paint as broad a stroke as others here just like posts here about fans from each country generalizing an entire population based on a tiny sample of posts here from other fans in different threads. 3 Russian posters or 3 Canadian posters, etc. do not give me anywhere near the data needed to make any assessment of fans from these countries.
Someone here mentions it also depends on your seat and I recall having a basically empty row behind me at 99 nationals where many skaters would come sit together after they skated which included Amber Corwin and many other lesser known female skaters who spent the rest of the competition talking exclusively about Kwan and it wasn't nice, it was chock full of profanity and there wasn't a name they didn't call her including every variation you could think of for "easy woman" even chanting "fall" when she skated. (there were 2 little old ladies that finally told them to shut up and they subsequently made fun of these ladies too) But I didn't generalize anything based on this sample.
But at least from my TV, my impression of the crowd in the team event was nothing like I've ever seen in relation to response for other countries. Expecting Russia not to get a little overzealous about their own skaters seems a bit unrealistic.
Someone here mentions it also depends on your seat and I recall having a basically empty row behind me at 99 nationals where many skaters would come sit together after they skated which included Amber Corwin and many other lesser known female skaters who spent the rest of the competition talking exclusively about Kwan and it wasn't nice, it was chock full of profanity and there wasn't a name they didn't call her including every variation you could think of for "easy woman" even chanting "fall" when she skated. (there were 2 little old ladies that finally told them to shut up and they subsequently made fun of these ladies too) But I didn't generalize anything based on this sample.
But at least from my TV, my impression of the crowd in the team event was nothing like I've ever seen in relation to response for other countries. Expecting Russia not to get a little overzealous about their own skaters seems a bit unrealistic.
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- Dec 20, 2013
I wish I was there too !.
I NEVER said Canadians & Americans were the same.
I was born & raised in the US & now live in Europe, so I know that to group Canadians & Americans together is not right.
I'm not having a go at either Canadians OR Americans, I'm just saying that it is only natural that you support your own skaters when they are at home-just like the 2001 & 2003 Worlds & that it has happened before.
- Joined
- Nov 20, 2011
The Russian crowd just loved S/S's performance, even though they are V/T's rivals.
they did and they also loved their Nutcracker FS
I thought the Russian fans were very supportive of all skaters today, not just the Russian athletes. They were applaucing during the routines, they appplauded D/R for the transitions in to their throw. They came across as quite knowledgeable of all things skating.
Maybe for the team competition they were focussed on team Russia performing well and winning. A lot of the time I find American audiences insufferable but it's just the way they are. There seems to be a lot of people trying to run down teh Russians, for whatever reason I don't know.
Maybe for the team competition they were focussed on team Russia performing well and winning. A lot of the time I find American audiences insufferable but it's just the way they are. There seems to be a lot of people trying to run down teh Russians, for whatever reason I don't know.
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- Aug 1, 2011
You just ran down Americans. Hypocrite much?
It seems that country slamming on the board is the entree of the day, it's sort of sad considering that it totally goes against the spirit of the Olympic games.
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- Nov 20, 2011
because this thread was created as a so called bashing thread for the russian crowd :disapp:
I enjoy the loud cheer
probably the loudest I have heard and seen
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- Aug 1, 2011
Yes, it's a shame.
Don't you worry. Russian, Americans and Canadians have all been equally bashed on this board. Yay for world egalitarianism. :sarcasm:
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- Nov 8, 2013
I'm won't deny the Russian crowd was cheering on their home teams, and maybe even to an excessive extent, but I don't agree with that this somehow makes them more "unsportsmanlike" than any other country.
In theory, the Olympics are about the athletes and the international community coming together, etc...Really it's just another opportunity for people to stroke their flags and forget (or distract each other from) their other problems. The U.S. media (for reference, I'm reading print news/watching non-broadcast feeds and not watching N.B.C.) has spent a large portion of their coverage focusing on only the bad things in Sochi, Bezic/Hamilton are mouthpieces for the USFSA (notice how their reaction to Plushenko has changed now that there is no U.S. man vying for gold), etc. I wouldn't be surprised if things were similar in other countries.
Someone pointed out that the majority of attendants in Sochi are from the general, non-skate-fan populace. The majority of comments I've read from casual news websites in the U.S. refer to Mao Asada as "that Japanese girl" and believe that there is a massive conspiracy out there to screw over American skaters. If the general U.S. populace were attending the team event, I'm guessing they would see it as "us vs. them". I'm also guessing we would hear some shouts of "USA! USA!", especially if Kwan came back after her hip repair and skated lights out.
Singling out the Russian crowd for their behavior seems unfair. People stick with their tribes. So what?
In theory, the Olympics are about the athletes and the international community coming together, etc...Really it's just another opportunity for people to stroke their flags and forget (or distract each other from) their other problems. The U.S. media (for reference, I'm reading print news/watching non-broadcast feeds and not watching N.B.C.) has spent a large portion of their coverage focusing on only the bad things in Sochi, Bezic/Hamilton are mouthpieces for the USFSA (notice how their reaction to Plushenko has changed now that there is no U.S. man vying for gold), etc. I wouldn't be surprised if things were similar in other countries.
Someone pointed out that the majority of attendants in Sochi are from the general, non-skate-fan populace. The majority of comments I've read from casual news websites in the U.S. refer to Mao Asada as "that Japanese girl" and believe that there is a massive conspiracy out there to screw over American skaters. If the general U.S. populace were attending the team event, I'm guessing they would see it as "us vs. them". I'm also guessing we would hear some shouts of "USA! USA!", especially if Kwan came back after her hip repair and skated lights out.
Singling out the Russian crowd for their behavior seems unfair. People stick with their tribes. So what?
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- Jan 25, 2013
(moved) That cheer when the Germans fell in their FS was pretty awful and classless. I know it's exciting that your home country wins, but that was so uncalled for. :disapp:
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- Jul 26, 2003
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Well, the crowd must have felt a bit chagrined, because they clapped enthusiastically for S and S at the end of the program.
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- Jul 26, 2003
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What!! I love the huge German bell..I hope you wouldn't ban it too?I just cannot for the life of me recall this kind of attitude from the Canadian public in Vancouver. I take no offense in cheering loudly (or louder) for Russian skaters, or chanting 'Rossia' or whatever. But laughing at skaters that make mistakes? Very, very subdued reactions to other amazing skaters? Complete over the top reactions during the warm-up? I also roll my eyes every time they start clapping when music comes on that was created by a Russian composer - skaters who opted to skate to Russian music this season are rewarded with *some* audience participation. I think it's normal that the crowd gets into a familiar tune, but it's just so obvious it happens only when it's Swan Lake or something. The patriotism is just very tangible throughout the entire competition and it's getting on my nerves. I've watched so many figure skating competitions in all sort of countries and I feel it's never been like this before. Still a week and a half to go...
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- Aug 1, 2011
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