2023 U.S. Nationals Sr. Men's Free Skate

[moonvine]

They sent Ma and Pulkinen last year and they were disgraceful!!

Perhaps you could have done better?

 

[elbkup]

Great points! I think UK is even worse at growing the sport - we just won silver at Europeans, but zero mention on the national broadcaster BBC.

Also, look at this ice dance team (aged 13 and 15) and tell me that their talent doesn't deserve to be nurtured and broadcast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=49EcG96ONSE (This was at last year's British Nationals - look how many in the audience... )

I love this team .. said it before on this forum a number of times.. it is just criminal to skate like that in front of empty seats but they got some great notice during their skates during the Junior GP this season.. I am so looking forward to their development in future. Talent knows no boundaries.

 

[labgoat]

I say this tongue-in-cheek and in the warmest way possible, but man, this board is a tough crowd! I wonder if it's partly a generational thing of hearing what someone else heard, and associating it only with another, older era, and less about the musicality in it's own right.

I'm Gen X and listened to a wide range of music growing up (as most of us do). Had music theory and classical piano training via the Royal Conservatory of Music (reputable Canadian school), but listened to random bands like Marillion, Skinny Puppy and Ministry in my teens (still do!). And I doubt anyone on these boards would be into these bands, so it doesn't bother me in the least.

But in "music to skate to terms," a good singer is a good singer (although yes, due to the nature of the music business, many often record popular songs that are more like mathematical formulas to manufacture hits - this has happened in every era of "popular" music since like what, the 1920s?).

The thing is, it's refreshing to see a skater skate to music from another era, especially songs that are less jaded, less post-modern, with less mainstream messages of nihilism and casual death. One of the warm-up songs at the ladies' event had the group chant refrain of "We're gonna die young!" Or something like that. And we wonder why kids are having mental health issues.

Anyway, what I got from this was a young dude who wasn't afraid to skate to something unexpected. And that showed a young man not afraid to blaze his own path. To me, that looks like a flex.

It sure wasn't a boring music selection, and it got people talking, so go Samuel! Do your own thing.

Why is Frank Sinatra and Elvis considered ok and Andy Williams not?

 

[labgoat]

Cyndi Lauper - I Sing the Body Electric - 62nd Annual Grammy Awards Finale

Cyndi Lauper performs “I Sing the Body Electric” with Camila Cabello, Misty Copeland, Gary Clark, Jr., The War & Treaty, Common, Lang Lang, and more at the T...

youtu.be

I think Jimmy.

Peggy Fleming of all people did but not the Cyndi Lauper version

 

[theblade]

Why is Frank Sinatra and Elvis considered ok and Andy Williams not?

The "bad boy" mystique, perhaps?

I do like that this event had guys experimenting with music choices. The biggest criteria should be: does the music suit them and/or inspire them to skate their best effort?

 

[BlissfulSynergy]

This was a USFS event as you know. USFS continues to do random draw among groups at its competitions.

Which is fine. But to my memory, they too used to conform to the needs of television broadcast preferences in some years, didn't they? My memory can't be that faulty.

 

[moonvine]

Which is fine. But to my memory, they too used to conform to the needs of television broadcast preferences in some years, didn't they? My memory can't be that faulty.

I am sorry. I do not understand your question.

 

[BlissfulSynergy]

I am sorry. I do not understand your question.

It's hard to remember, but I thought in some years at U.S. Nationals, they conformed to the network's sp skate placement result demands for the fp. Networks always desire for big contending stars to skate last in the final.

Coincidentally, Jason and Ilia were in the final three, and Ilia was last this year. That can happen because draws are done by groupings.

 

[ice_tulip]

that's an interesting angle - and I'd missed this aspect completely - that makes sense - thanks for sharing that

But it shouldn't make sense. Skaters should be scored on their performance alone, NOT on politics. It's completely unfair and ruins the sport.

 

[BlissfulSynergy]

But it shouldn't make sense. Skaters should be scored on their performance alone, NOT on politics. It's completely unfair and ruins the sport.

Yeah, but this has been happening since the very beginning. If you read about the history of scoring and competitive events in figure skating, you will discover that the first competitions (men only btw) involved debated and ultimately unresolved judging/ scoring scandals!

Wow! Imagine that! The sport of figure skating has been 'ruining' itself for decades and decades, with no fitting resolution in sight, sadly.

 

[Seven Sisters]

It's hard to remember, but I thought in some years at U.S. Nationals, they conformed to the network's sp skate placement result demands for the fp. Networks always desire for big contending stars to skate last in the final.

Coincidentally, Jason and Ilia were in the final three, and Ilia was last this year. That can happen because draws are done by groupings.

During the pandemic, some competitions eliminated the draw process and had the skaters do their FS/FD in strict order of placement after the short program. I suspect this was to avoid gathering in groups for the draw to reduce the potential for exposure.

We seem to be gradually returning to the draw method, which I prefer due to the increased potential for unpredictability.

 

[ladyjane]

They sent Ma and Pulkinen last year and they were disgraceful!!

What was disgraceful in their outings? Did they drink and then skate? Were they too late? Or did they just have skates that didn't work for them at that time? Say they are inconsistent (sometimes good, sometimes not so good) but I am sure they did their best. Disgraceful means they intentionally behaved badly, not that they had an unhappy skate with mistakes.

 

[Seven Sisters]

What was disgraceful in their outings? Did they drink and then skate? Were they too late? Or did they just have skates that didn't work for them at that time? Say they are inconsistent (sometimes good, sometimes not so good) but I am sure they did their best. Disgraceful means they intentionally behaved badly, not that they had an unhappy skate with mistakes.

Now I’m trying to think of skaters whose behavior I would consider disgraceful! Certainly Morgan Cipres would qualify.

 

[ladyjane]

Yes! Morgan Cypres behaved disgracefully. Or, to stay closer to (US) home: Ross Miner?

 

[Ruthypegs]

But it shouldn't make sense. Skaters should be scored on their performance alone, NOT on politics. It's completely unfair and ruins the sport.

I agree that it is unfair. When I said it makes sense, I meant the explanation given for the way they were scored. Although I can recognise why the judges might have done this, I don't agree with it.

 

[moonvine]

Now I’m trying to think of skaters whose behavior I would consider disgraceful! Certainly Morgan Cipres would qualify.

Coughlin.

 

[moonvine]

It's hard to remember, but I thought in some years at U.S. Nationals, they conformed to the network's sp skate placement result demands for the fp. Networks always desire for big contending stars to skate last in the final.

Coincidentally, Jason and Ilia were in the final three, and Ilia was last this year. That can happen because draws are done by groupings.

My brain can’t hold that much info. Also for years and years I watched the NBC broadcast and didn’t know there was more to it. Not until I got Icenetwork did I begin to understand how many skaters there were.

 

[BlissfulSynergy]

^^ Exactly. We were very short-changed in the good old bad old days of only network television coverage. My first live, in-person U.S. Nationals was such an eye-opening, fun experience!

It's great in the era of live-streaming, to be able to see all the competitors. But aside from tech issues and often poor quality video, Ice Network gave us so much more accessible content than we are getting these days. We need archived replays for at least the entire season! And where are the press conferences and the backstage coverage we used to get?! Sigh

 

[purplecat]

^^ Exactly. We were very short-changed in the good old bad old days of only network television coverage. My first live, in-person U.S. Nationals was such an eye-opening, fun experience!

It's great in the era of live-streaming, to be able to see all the competitors. But aside from tech issues and often poor quality video, Ice Network gave us so much more accessible content than we are getting these days. We need archived replays for at least the entire season! And where are the press conferences and the backstage coverage we used to get?! Sigh

I was thinking where was the usual "Ice Desk" with before and after the event commentary? They used to show it on the fanzone I believe, not on Peacock so I can't totally blame Peacock for that one.

 

[BlissfulSynergy]

I was thinking where was the usual "Ice Desk" with before and after the event commentary? They used to show it on the fanzone I believe, not on Peacock so I can't totally blame Peacock for that one.

The Ice Desk also used to be posted to YouTube. It looks like U.S. fed got rid of the competent hosts they had, and the in-house subs didn't work out. Plus, during the pandemic, the Ice Desk apparently went kaput, sadly.