A signal, according to Callaghan | Page 2 | Golden Skate

A signal, according to Callaghan

Ptichka

Forum translator
Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 28, 2003
I only believe in conspiracy theories when it's one country (or a block of countries) against another. So, if both Michelle and Sasha got weak marks, I would believe it. Yet this did not happen. So no conspiracy as far as I am concerned.

Ok, she skated that programe before, but only at the well-paid so called "cheesefests" (btw can anybody explain to me why these competitions are called this way?),
I think it's "cheese" as in cheesy, corny.
 
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PrincessLeppard

~ Evgeni's Sex Bomb ~
Final Flight
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Ah, what message are they sending now? They put her above Sasha in the FS...so I'm thinking the "you must retire" assumption was completely wrong. :D

Also, the SP is never skated at Cheesefests, just the long. I believe this is only the fourth time she's done "The Feeling Begins" SA 2002, Nats 2003 and 4, Worlds 3003 and 4. Okay, five. (this is why I teach English...)

Laura :)

PS I'd love to see Michelle do at least two GPs. That would be fab.
 

thvudragon

On the Ice
Joined
Jul 27, 2003
tharrtell said:
Ogre - good point about Shizuka's spins. Not a subjective call - simple matter of counting rotations. That's a pretty cut and dry rule that doesn't appear to have been enforced.
Arakawa had exactly 8 revolutions, meeting the requirement but barely. She didn't deserve a deduction on that spin.

TV
 

jesslily

Final Flight
Joined
Jan 4, 2004
Callahan's comment about Michelle really disappointed me. Can he think of something not this unpleasant to say? Why int. judges want Michelle to retire particularly? She, Sabestyen, and Arakawa are about same age, why does Michelle have to retire?
Michelle is not the only "rich" eligible skater in US.
 

bronxgirl

Medalist
Joined
Jan 22, 2004
Just as we say here on GS that a nasty post about a skater or another poster reflects more about the original poster, Callaghan's nast comments reflect more about himself than about MK. Too bad he's taken away from some of Arakawa's hard earned glory and demeaned himself.
 

mpal2

Final Flight
Joined
Jul 27, 2003
bronxgirl said:
Just as we say here on GS that a nasty post about a skater or another poster reflects more about the original poster, Callaghan's nast comments reflect more about himself than about MK. Too bad he's taken away from some of Arakawa's hard earned glory and demeaned himself.

:confused:
How has he taken away from Arakawa's skate? I don't hear anyone saying that Shizuka didn't deserve first in the LP. Read the article again, Callaghan's comments were made after the SP and before the LP. .(edited to add) His comments were most likely made before anyone knew why Michelle's SP scores were lower. The USFSA didn't know what was going on with the scores until they spoke to Jan Hoffman after the SP event was over.

Besides, Shizuka wasn't with Tarasova long enough to say it was TT's coaching that did it. Shizuka has had her best year ever and most of it was spent under Callaghan's supervision. I would be more likely to give him credit for her ability this year than TT. We will see what TT can do next year for Shizuka
 
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bronxgirl

Medalist
Joined
Jan 22, 2004
Shizuka has had her best year ever and most of it was spent under Callaghan's supervision. I would be more likely to give him credit for her ability this year than TT. We will see what TT can do next year for Shizuka.

That was my point. It was as if he was puffing himself up as THE coach, "Look at me, I've coached the two women who have beaten Michelle", instead of givng the credit to Arakawa for her wonderful skate.

sorry, I always have formatting problems...
 

mpal2

Final Flight
Joined
Jul 27, 2003
I see what you're saying now. I'm not too worried about Shizuka, she'll be able to take care of herself. ;) She's a tough gal.
 

heyang

Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Actually, Dick pointed out that she was over the time limit at Nat's by 3 seconds. I think Terry mentioned that Dick noticed it at Nat's, but the judges chose to ignore it.

I agree that she should get the deductions since it's in the rule book, but I'm surprised that the required penalty is so harsh - 0.1 off each mark. I could see taking it off one of the marks, but not both. Also, that 5.1 for tech was low even assuming the deduction was taken.

I'm glad MK was able to put in 2 great performances. If only she could to the qualifier over again.
 

shanilia

Rinkside
Joined
Jul 27, 2003
heyang said:
Actually, Dick pointed out that she was over the time limit at Nat's by 3 seconds. I think Terry mentioned that Dick noticed it at Nat's, but the judges chose to ignore it.
And Dick said no one brought it up at Nationals because it'd be like criticizing an icon. Michelle owns the Nationals, so no one dares mess with anything minor.
 

katherine2001

On the Ice
Joined
Aug 8, 2003
It's too bad that either the judges or someone didn't warn her after Nationals that her program was too long. That way she would have had a couple of months to edit the program to fit within the time limit. I have no problem with them enforcing the rule. If you're not going to enforce them, why have rules in the first place. Also, to enforce some rules and not others isn't fair because people would have a legitimate beef that they got a deduction for breaking a rule but another competitor got no deduction for breaking a different rule.
 

hockeyfan228

Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
I am in Dortmund, and I think that Kwan was held up in both the quali (by 2-3 places) and the SP (by 1 place), regardless of the time deduction.
 

humbaba

Final Flight
Joined
Jan 12, 2004
A hardline "the rules is the rules" approach is fine as long as rules are consistently interpreted and uniformly applied. The problem is, this rarely seems to happen in real life. We've all seen examples of it at school, at work, and within families. Teachers, bosses, and parents often have favorites and scapegoats. Some people are allowed to get away with a lot, while others have to toe the line.

What bothers me about the Kwan situation is that I suspect the time limit rule was applied more strictly to her than is normal practice. In many years of following skating, I don't recall another time when this rule was invoked. My gut feeling is that the time limit penalty traditionaly has only been applied when there is an egregious violation; skaters who run over by a few seconds were routinely pardoned. Probably, the more established the skater, the greater the wiggle room.

Kwan may not have worried that she was cutting things close on the short because minor run-overs were customarily forgiven. Then the officials took a rule, normally laxly enforced, and applied it stringently.

The rules shouldn't be manipulated to selectively benefit or punish skaters. At times, the '04 worlds seemed to be a last hurrah for the excesses of the old system. Let's hope skating officials don't become equally adept a subverting the new one.
 

show 42

Arm Chair Skate Fan
Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Then the officials took a rule, normally laxly enforced, and applied it stringently.

The rules shouldn't be manipulated to selectively benefit or punish skaters. At times, the '04 worlds seemed to be a last hurrah for the excesses of the old system. Let's hope skating officials don't become equally adept a subverting the new one.

Thank you hum, this too was my point all along.........42
 

Grgranny

Da' Spellin' Homegirl
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Didn't anyone else hear what MK had to say about it in her short interview? She said in the practices the clock said 3:40 every time and she didn't know why it was 3:42 in the competition. I guess, from her interview, they use the clock when they practice so they can be sure of the time.
 

kyla2

Final Flight
Joined
Jan 24, 2004
Callaghan

I think the wish is further to the thought-he wants her to retire so his skaters can move up. He needs to concentrate on his own skaters performances and not comment on someone elses. He is classless.
 

April

Rinkside
Joined
Aug 4, 2003
Time and Time Again

Mk will retire. Every skater retires. That day will come when Kwan is ready. And the infamous deduction, it is a shame that no one reminded her that her SP was too long before Worlds, and what's up with those practice times? Time and time again, MK proves she's strong enough
 
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