S&S's programs are a bore this year, and I wouldnt even have their PCS as high as they are. Their costumes, music choice, interpretation, all dreadful, some of their worst work ever; if it a team who the judges had never seen before were doing that kind of thing the judges would laugh and give it 5s in PCS probably. In the case that anyone is overscored over the years it is in fact S&S for me. Their 2008 World title over the Zhangs and Dube & Davison absolutely floored the EuroSport commentators who were certain they were only going into 3rd place when they finished. Bin Yao, one of the most highly respected coaches in the sport, complained about the Germans scores on many occasions from 2008-2010. Their European title over Kavaguti & Smirnov in 2011 was a big controversy, and many felt K&S should have been much closer to them at the 2009 Europeans too. I also thought V&T should have beaten them at the GP final and Worlds last year, especialy Worlds.
In the event V&T do win their first World title this year it will be overdue justice IMO. V&T often against S&S get no credit for the things they do better, especialy the triple twist which is light years better than S&S's quite pathetic one which should score about what Totmianina & Marinin scored on theirs, while V&T's is possibly the best I have ever seen, including the Chinese pairs at their peak. Their death spirals and spins are much nicer and more accurately done IMO, and S&S have the ugliest positions on death spirals, although again not reflected in TES by the judges at all. S&S are a great team of course, 4 time World Champions, and I do understand the many reasons people like them alot, but I dont get all the over the top love and borderline worship for them on this forum. I still remember posters not merely debating, but agressively insisting and even trying to brainwash me into admiting that they were better than Totmianina & Marinin who dominated in their era, had a winning record vs prime Shen & Zhou who S&S couldnt even touch in old granny age, who were both much cleaner technique (apart from lifts and the triple twist) than S&S and also had overall more polished lines, unision, positions, and better basic skating than S&S, and who had more clean long programs in 2 months than S&S have had their whole careers.
I disagree B&L are the silver favorites though. Their awful programs this year aside S&S are still the better team at this point, and also still more the judges favorite of the two. S&S are the silver medal favorites, and still a threat to V&T for the gold although I agree with the prevailing consensus V&T are now pulling ahead, and rightfully so.
