Sufficient legally – yes. Sufficient from a standpoint of educating the media and the once-every-four years fans who weren't necessarily tuned into figure skating in fall 2012? No, not in the least bit. I wrote this in another thread, but in order to have it out there sufficiently, USFSA should have had the information announced to the press in Boston as often as possible, and they should have asked that NBC announce it at least once every broadcast, preferably more. They might have gotten sick of doing it, but the first time casual fans heard about the existence of other criteria should not have been after the team was already announced.
30 for 30: the price of gold
- Thread starter cptnhastings
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Sufficient legally – yes. Sufficient from a standpoint of educating the media and the once-every-four years fans who weren't necessarily tuned into figure skating in fall 2012? No, not in the least bit. I wrote this in another thread, but in order to have it out there sufficiently, USFSA should have had the information announced to the press in Boston as often as possible, and they should have asked that NBC announce it at least once every broadcast, preferably more. They might have gotten sick of doing it, but the first time casual fans heard about the existence of other criteria should not have been after the team was already announced.
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- Feb 27, 2012
The NBC talent DID say -- during each of Saturday's two broadcasts, before the team was announced on Sunday -- that results at Nationals were not the only criteria.
Casual fans who were paying attention would have heard the NBC gang say so at least once per broadcast (I wan't keeping count of additional times).
As for the media: as I said above, the language explaining that Nats is the "final qualifying event" for the Olympics was in the USFS press material released IMMEDIATELY BEFORE NATS STARTED (as well as years earlier). Any member of the media in Boston who was paying attention to the current press material could have asked USFS for more information.
(Any reporter worth her/his salt does not hesitate to ask questions when s/he WANTS to know something. Lest you wonder, I do have professional experience as a member of the general media, although I have never covered skating.)
I will never understand the arrogance of casual fans and the once-every-four-years general media who insist that their unawareness of the rules undermines the rules.
I made the analogy in another thread to my own casual viewing of gymnastics.
My ignorance of gymnastics rules is MY problem, not the problem of USA Gymnastics.
I am entitled to an opinion that disagrees with what the gymnastics rules actually say. (The same is true in the case of casual skating fans and USFS rules.)
But I am not entitled to declare that the gymnastics rules are untenable simply because I have had no awareness of them. My lack of prior awareness would not and should not add any extra weight to my opinion on what the gymnastics rules say.
I am entitled to an opinion that disagrees with what the gymnastics rules actually say. (The same is true in the case of casual skating fans and USFS rules.)
But I am not entitled to declare that the gymnastics rules are untenable simply because I have had no awareness of them. My lack of prior awareness would not and should not add any extra weight to my opinion on what the gymnastics rules say.
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- Jun 27, 2003
Scott Hamilton even referenced during the ladies free (right after Ashley's skate IIRC) the exact rule (bullet number and all).
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