Firing Ottavio Cinquanta

Mafke · Mar 26, 2014

This is what failing businesses often do. Random, radical facelifts that don't really address the root problem because that would be too psychologically uncomfortable.

Too many fans lost too much confidence in the judging process in 2002 and the ISU hasn't done enough to win it back. Not nearly enough. Sochi was like a nail in the coffin and I'm really wondering if there will be ISU figure skating in 2016.

The ISU is like one of those failing restaurants on Kitchen Nightmares, only there's no Gordon Ramsay to come to the rescue.

Blades of Passion · Mar 26, 2014

^

Yes, absolutely.

Cinquanta was flat-out LUCKY to become ISU President right when skating hit the absolute height of popularity. Anyone with a good head on their shoulders could have easily negotiated huge television contracts at that point in time. He has not helped figure skating, in the long run he has only hurt it immensely, and he needs to go away. The ISU in general needs to completely change how they operate.

Ryan O · Mar 27, 2014

evangeline said:
As much as I'd love to see Ottavio Cinquanta booted off the ISU, the problem with getting rid of Cinquanta is the very real possibility that someone even worse--say, Dider Gailhaguet--will end up replacing him.

As I said on the thread about the proposal to eliminate short programs, why is one man allowed to stay at the top of an organization for this many years? How many terms has he been President now?

It's ridiculous. It seems like he's been ISU President since I was in high school. And Dider Galihaguet has controlled French skating for too long. Same problem. Men like this take control and stay in charge for decade after decade. ENOUGH!

Mafke · Mar 27, 2014

Ryan O said:
why is one man allowed to stay at the top of an organization for this many years? How many terms has he been President now?

Widespread corruption and incompetence. I don't care what he's supposedly done for the sport. It is simply impossible for one person to be in such a position of power for so long and to not abuse their power.
One person in charge too long will eventually reach the stage where that person is no longer any benefit whatsoever and is an active element of destruction.

If the ISU doesn't realize that then it deserves its imminent collapse and my only question is how (and if) figure skating will be represented in the 2016 olympics. At this rate I don't see the ISU surviving (and generally think that's a very, very, very good thing.

karne · Mar 27, 2014

Anna K. said:
Uhm, and how can justifying fixes like in Sochi help a small and delightful country? Is Australia up to hosting Winter Olympics yet?

I somehow missed five Japanese men at Worlds but I have to give you the credit for adding "little country PCS" to skating terminology :yes:

*groans* There was no fix in Sochi. What happened in Sochi was no different to what happens to American skaters in America, Canadian skaters in Canada, Japanese skaters in Japan...

Anyway, Australia doesn't have enough snow. Well, not enough in easily-accessible-close-to-big-cities anyway.

The argument about the five Japanese men was one I had with someone elsewhere before the Olympics. There is a group of people out there who were very strident about kicking the small countries out of the Olympics so they could send five Japanese men because "it's just not fair".

A little country will do better under this system than they will under a system run by the big countries, for that system will be built only to serve their big-country interests, and they won't give two hoots about the little guys.

cooper · Mar 27, 2014

so now if speedy will get rid of the SP.. with the best skating we've seen in the world championship.. so what now?? speedy should start fixing the judging system first!!

phaeljones · Mar 27, 2014

Blades of Passion said:
^

Yes, absolutely.

Cinquanta was flat-out LUCKY to become ISU President right when skating hit the absolute height of popularity. Anyone with a good head on their shoulders could have easily negotiated huge television contracts at that point in time. He has not helped figure skating, in the long run he has only hurt it immensely, and he needs to go away. The ISU in general needs to completely change how they operate.

yup. bang on!

What I just cannot come to grips with on this matter is why the skating federations, like (for instance) Skate Canada, JSF and USFSF, have failed in their duty of public trust in not acting against this guy and speaking out against him, and the ISU, or trying to effect meaningful change. Or do they like him?

This is all so depressing.

Anna K. · Mar 27, 2014

karne said:
A little country will do better under this system than they will under a system run by the big countries, for that system will be built only to serve their big-country interests, and they won't give two hoots about the little guys.

What makes you think that the existing system is not run by “the big countries”?

*groans* There was no fix in Sochi. What happened in Sochi was no different to what happens to American skaters in America, Canadian skaters in Canada, Japanese skaters in Japan...

I absolutely agree that we don’t have to deal with an exception in the case of infamous Sochi results; it’s obviously a system. However, we definitely talk about artificially manipulated judging, call it a “fix” or whatever.

leafygreens · Mar 28, 2014

karne said:
*groans* There was no fix in Sochi. What happened in Sochi was no different to what happens to American skaters in America, Canadian skaters in Canada, Japanese skaters in Japan...

Categorically false.

GF2445 · Mar 29, 2014

Wouldnt it be interesting to sit and watch an ISU meeting and observe the atmosphere and the politics of the ISU.
people say that the ISU is dysfunctional and disorderly. Its actually very functional and extremely orderly- but this orderly and functional union is run by corrupt people.

BlackPack · Mar 29, 2014

Nature abhors a vacuum.

Say Speedy goes away.

Who are your candidates for replacing him?

Is Didier really second in line? Who's 3rd? 4th?

Anna K. · Mar 29, 2014

BlackPack said:
Nature abhors a vacuum.

Say Speedy goes away.

Who are your candidates for replacing him?

Is Didier really second in line? Who's 3rd? 4th?

:thumbsup:
It's not just the chairman problem.
There are not that many people involved in figure skating and they have all been connected. Considering what the system has been like all this time, it’s actually impossible to carry through the desired wipe-out and replace them with “better ones” in administration boards and judging panels.

That’s why I keep insisting on technological revolution: it’s the only non-violent revolution know. It changes people’s lifestyles without necessarily making people change or become different. Sci-fi as it is, it’s still the most realistic hope for real reforms

Except: technology measurements have to be invented in all other jumping-acrobatics disciplines first (figure skating is the oldest so it can be accordingly expected to be the most conservative). For that, all other disciplines have to reach the limits in their development so that the winner has to be decided by nuance that is hard to capture by an eye. That might take a decade or two. I don’t think I’ll survive that long – and I’m actually not sure that figure skating will :biggrin:

sgsmozart · Mar 29, 2014

Blades of Passion said:
^

Yes, absolutely.

Cinquanta was flat-out LUCKY to become ISU President right when skating hit the absolute height of popularity. Anyone with a good head on their shoulders could have easily negotiated huge television contracts at that point in time. He has not helped figure skating, in the long run he has only hurt it immensely, and he needs to go away. The ISU in general needs to completely change how they operate.

One big mistake is to hold the World Championships at the same time as the US collegiate basketball tournament ( March Madness ). The metropolitan newspapers are filled with page after page of basketball news and not a SINGLE mention of figure skating. The Worlds would get better coverage if it were held just before or just after this basketball tournament.

whatif · Mar 29, 2014

sgsmozart said:
One big mistake is to hold the World Championships at the same time as the US collegiate basketball tournament ( March Madness ). The metropolitan newspapers are filled with page after page of basketball news and not a SINGLE mention of figure skating. The Worlds would get better coverage if it were held just before or just after this basketball tournament.

Yes the whole world revolves around what USA does.

karne · Mar 29, 2014

sgsmozart said:
One big mistake is to hold the World Championships at the same time as the US collegiate basketball tournament ( March Madness ). The metropolitan newspapers are filled with page after page of basketball news and not a SINGLE mention of figure skating. The Worlds would get better coverage if it were held just before or just after this basketball tournament.

Because obviously the WORLD championships should be based on the USA's sporting seasons. :sarcasm:

Blades of Passion · Mar 31, 2014

"How Do You Solve A Problem Like Cinquanta?"

http://skateguard1.blogspot.ca/2014/03/how-do-you-solve-problem-like-cinquanta.html

cuon_alpinus · Apr 1, 2014

Let's support these articles.

http://voices.yahoo.com/cinquanta-needs-resign-faces-impeachment-12585405.html?cat=9
http://visaliakid.wordpress.com/201...and-immediate-action-from-the-isu-membership/
http://www.newsweek.com/opinion-what-went-wrong-figure-skating-238955

WeakAnkles · Apr 1, 2014

karne said:
Because obviously the WORLD championships should be based on the USA's sporting seasons. :sarcasm:

Now without looking at the financials I can't be certain of this, but I would bet that the US television contracts provided the largest single revenue stream for the ISU. So yes, under previous circumstances it is simply good business sense to accommodate your largest customer's needs. You won't keep them as a customer for long if you don't.

I think a look at the financials would probably be a shock to the system. I wonder how much of that FS TV money was diverted into 1. speed skating and 2. individual ISU pockets. And replacing one fox with another in charge of the hen house is simply a recipe for (bad) business as usual.

jenaj · Apr 1, 2014

karne said:
Because obviously the WORLD championships should be based on the USA's sporting seasons. :sarcasm:

It wouldn't be a bad idea, given the large potential market.

skatedreamer · Apr 1, 2014

WeakAnkles said:
Now without looking at the financials I can't be certain of this, but I would bet that the US television contracts provided the largest single revenue stream for the ISU. So yes, under previous circumstances it is simply good business sense to accommodate your largest customer's needs. You won't keep them as a customer for long if you don't.

I think a look at the financials would probably be a shock to the system. I wonder how much of that FS TV money was diverted into 1. speed skating and 2. individual ISU pockets. And replacing one fox with another in charge of the hen house is simply a recipe for (bad) business as usual.

The US TV market probably provided a sizeable revenue stream for the ISU in the past (especially in the '90s after Nancy/Tonya :eek:

) but I wonder whether that's still true. These days, chances are that there's more coming in from Japan.

Re: fox/hen house, it's kind of like trusting Bernie Madoff to police himself... :disapp: Anyone interested in checking out wire transfers to the Caymans?

Firing Ottavio Cinquanta

Mafke

Blades of Passion

Skating is Art, if you let it be

Ryan O

Mafke

karne

in Emergency Backup Mode

cooper

phaeljones

Anna K.

leafygreens

GF2445

BlackPack

Anna K.

sgsmozart

whatif

karne

in Emergency Backup Mode

Blades of Passion

Skating is Art, if you let it be

cuon_alpinus

WeakAnkles

jenaj

skatedreamer

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