All Access

[mpal2]

With rare exception in this show, I would have rather seen ESPN use this hour and a half of our limited coverage time to show us more skaters during the actual competition.

DG

The "All Access Show" is supposed to be all fluff. In fact, they repeated many of the fluff segments already shown during the competition itself.

What I would like to see happen is that they dump all fluff to the Access Show, and show more skaters during the competition portion of their coverage.

Please write ESPN and beg for this to happen. Don't forget to ask that they leave the air time for competition as is and add skaters to fill the old fluff spots or even *gasp* to add more air time for the competition.

 

[Doggygirl]

The "All Access Show" is supposed to be all fluff. In fact, they repeated many of the fluff segments already shown during the competition itself.

What I would like to see happen is that they dump all fluff to the Access Show, and show more skaters during the competition portion of their coverage.

Please write ESPN and beg for this to happen. Don't forget to ask that they leave the air time for competition as is and add skaters to fill the old fluff spots or even *gasp* to add more air time for the competition.

An EXCELLENT suggestion! All fluff in one show. I'm likin' it. We vote you VP of Programming at ESPN.

DG

 

[mpal2]

I accept! :yes:


Let's go tell them that I start in 2 weeks. (I do have to give the old job notice after all).



BTW,

http://sports.espn.go.com/sitetools/s/contact/espntv.html

Let ESPN know what you think.

 

[curious]

Does anyone have a comment on this? I think it should have been called Access Ice. Oh well, the whole thing was confusing. I thought about what could be the purpose of it. It was definitely a push for Paul Wylie to come into prominence with the Disney people. Maybe Dick is going?

The other purpose I thought of was a nice segment for MK as she is being replaced at Disney with Kimmie.. Kimmie was all over the production.

Any comments on this show?




Joe

michell lost the disney gig?

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

michell lost the disney gig?

Please don't jump to conclusions. It is all wonderment on my part for the whole show and what's in store for Wylie and Meissner.

Joe

 

[attyfan]

michell lost the disney gig?

Michelle's contract with Disney expired. It was signed during a time when Eisner was promoting an idea he called "Synergy", which relied on cross-marketing Disney with sports; this idea resulted in Disney buying both a baseball team and an ice hockey team (which was named after a Disney film), as well as signing one currently competing figure skater for promotional activities, and another, ex-competitive skater with an MBA (Paul Wylie) to handle some of the work. Since that time, the teams have been sold, and Wylie got axed, so the expiration of the Kwan contract shouldn't have been a surprise.

I haven't heard anything about Kimmie getting a formal contract; I think that she is getting over-hyped.

 

[Piel]

When Michelles was on th cover of "Parade" magazine 3/20 they ask her how she felt about her Disney contract coming to an end and she replied "Well, we all get old". I don't know if that means she was replaced by someone younger or not.

 

[treeskater]

I didn't catch the time change so came in after the first 25 minutes. It was a little rough but not too bad for the first time ESPN did this - I think it was to attract more females (behind the scenes stuff) to ESPN and build an audience for the regular skating competitions. There are many skating fans who still don't recognize one jump from another nor appreciate the inbetween skating movements, but they still love the drama and want to root for their favorite skater. I like the idea of keeping fluff stuff to its own show and they could utilize it to do more education about skating and the CoP. Wylie did a good job except I hated the moments on camera of all his fluffs/retakes.

I have some older tapes (commercial) that was done about a Canadian ice show including practices (falls, tears, etc.) and how a show is put together. It was fascinating and gave me an appreciation for all the off camera stuff that happens. So there showing how hard the camera people work to put on our TV screen was a repeat for me, but new to many other viewers. We get so critical and want everything so perfect, but it is all managed by humans and no one is perfect. The producers miss the boat many times and fail to listen to those in the know who try to point them in the right direction (which skaters to focus on.)

I also did not like making such a focus on Kimmie. I'm sure she and her parents saw it as a golden opportunity to travel, etc. I wonder know if they regret all the hype........I felt she was 'used' in a most unpleasant way and I am ashamed of ESPN for being so manipulative.

So I guess the bottom line is viewership and money and sponsors, the skaters take second billing.........

 

[Mathman]

I suppose Michelle outgrew the Mickey Mouse crowd. Maybe Disney figures it's time to go with a younger girl.

But for the conspiracy theorists among us, it's fun to wonder whether Michelle was a victim of Disney's new broom in the wake of the ouster of Michael Eisner. After the Michael Orvitz fiasco, and a number of financial and personal management style miscalculations, Roy Disney and his corporate allies forced Eisner out of the chairmanship last year. He is due to resign as CEO in the fall. So maybe Michelle and Synergy got swept away in the backwash.

Mathman

 

[Piel]

I can't help but think that this trip to Worlds was a kind of consolation prize to Kimmie because she missed the world team due to her age.

 

[R.D.]

Kimmie or Sasha 2006 US Champion? Sorry, but I think a certain Ms. Kwan will be there to claim #10.

ITA. Kwan will be given the edge in a close one. The press will be about Kwan breaking the record (this year it was about tying it). However, that said, she tends to hold back when she is the favorite. If said above can really lay it down, and Kwan has a 2005 worlds QR kind of skate, it may not exactly be in the bag for Kwan...

 

[Eeyora]

Actually I believe wnen Michelle resigned her disney contract in 2002. It was only for three years.

 

[BravesSkateFan]

Kimmie said that she was watching the Asian skaters because of their jumps & wants to keep up or surpass them. That is very well & nice but what about her improving her artistic side. She seems to be good at that but, artistically She does not have the talent of Namoi, Sasha, or Michelle at that age.

Well to be fair, in 2010 its going to be Asada, Kim, Ando and the other "jumpers" that Kimmie is going to be competing with, and that's who she has been competing with for the last several years. She feels she needs the jumps to compete with these ladies and has watched them land 3/3's, 3 axels and quads...I can certanly understand why that's her focus.

 

[soogar]

Well to be fair, in 2010 its going to be Asada, Kim, Ando and the other "jumpers" that Kimmie is going to be competing with, and that's who she has been competing with for the last several years. She feels she needs the jumps to compete with these ladies and has watched them land 3/3's, 3 axels and quads...I can certanly understand why that's her focus.

It's questionable whether ANY of these ladies will make it to 2010. Ando has the best chance b/c she's already finished her growing and her body seems very strong. Still she might not want to stay until 2010.

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

To be honest about the Asian skaters, I am not all that impressed. Fumie has always been more than adequate; Shizuka never really got to me until Dortmund, and Ando did not measure up to the forum hype. The one who has the great feel for presentation is Yukina Ota but she has other problems in her skating.

I'm looking forward to Asado. She too is coming on with strong forum hype. Let's see how she compares with Kimmie when they are out of Juniors.

Joe

 

[BittyBug]

Perhaps the idea was not to bill her as the next-big-thing. Maybe, it was more to give other 15 year old aspiring figure skaters and idea what it was like to attend the World Championships.

I think you're exactly right, Linny. And I think this was also an attempt to package skating into something hip to attract a younger audience. I just read a stat in The New Yorker that people between the ages of 13 and 24 spend more time on the Internet than they do watching TV, so perhaps ESPN is worrying about who their audience is going to be down the road.

 

[Glacierskater]

I liked the show, but why is Kimmie suddenly in the limelight and hostessing this and that? And WHY did she and (I forget who) TALK all the way through Ando's program at world's? It was rude and I did not appreciate it. And can we say cheated triple axel? Please. When they showed that on the show, how can she sit there and comment on it like she did not have that extra HALF ROTATION ON THE ICE? IT WAS CHEATED! CHEATED! Take off the rose colored triple axel glasses and call it what it was. CHEATED!

Come on, quit shoving Kimmie down our throats. She has yet to endear herself to me, and I don't want it forced like it has been.

Whew. Glad to get that off my chest. Next.

 

[chuckm]

One thing that I noticed throughout the JGP, JGPF and Junior Worlds is that Kimmie's PCS scores are significantly below those of Mao Asada and Yu-Na Kim. So were Emily Hughes's.

Both Asada and Kim have excellent qualities to their skating besides having strong technical skills, so I think both of them will do well as Seniors even if they go through a rough patch with the puberty monster. Kim is hag-ridden by an ambitious mother, much like AP McDonough, so she may not stay in the game until 2010.

I very much doubt that Miki Ando will still be in eligible skating after 2006. She knows that Mao Asada will soon replace her as Japan's #1 skater, and as Miki is a big star in Japan, she might as well take advantage of the many opportunities open to her.

 

[lavender]

The one who has the great feel for presentation is Yukina Ota but she has other problems in her skating.

Ota is great isn't she. She just can't jump. Beautiful skater though.

Kimmie will have her work cut out for her. I think she will be successful in the US but if the other juniors stay consisent she won't even make the podium at Worlds. What does Kimmie do that's so special when it comes to spins and spirals...nothing. That's where she will need to shine to beat a skater like Asada.

 

[mzheng]

I'm looking forward to Asado. She too is coming on with strong forum hype. Let's see how she compares with Kimmie when they are out of Juniors.

Joe

Well, she sure is a worthier one as compare to Kimmie.

Back to topic, I missed this show. Only caught it briefly, when Irina commented on her own LP at the worlds. And a flash passing of MK. Irina talked cute.