Weir/Lipinski take spot as top figure skating commentators at NBC
- Thread starter breathesgelatin
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Happy to hear that NBC will be using younger commentators. Tara and Johnny did a decent job in Sochi and were at least entertaining - except for ice dance. I prefer Tanith Belbin for Ice Dance commentator since she has actually competed more recently and is knowledgeable about all the new rule changes. Of course NBC rarely shows Ice Dance so who knows what amount of coverage it will get this season.
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- Feb 27, 2012
According to an article by Phil Hersh, Johnny Weir and Tara Lipinski (joined by Terry Gannon) will be NBC's primary team for figure skating commentary. ...
http://www.chicagotribune.com/sport...bc-skating-broadcast-team-20140918-story.html
Discuss!
Tracy Wilson and Andrea Joyce still will have roles, according to today's update to Hersh's original story from yesterday.
In a text message Friday, Hammond said, "I think my figs days are over."
Tracy Wilson, the 1988 Olympic ice dance bronze medalist who has done feature commentary on NBC for the last four Winter Games, said Friday she will have a continued role with the coverage.
"It will most likely be similar to past seasons, including scoring pieces, reports and analysis," she wrote in a text message.
Andrea Joyce also will continue in her role as backstage interviewer.
Tracy Wilson, the 1988 Olympic ice dance bronze medalist who has done feature commentary on NBC for the last four Winter Games, said Friday she will have a continued role with the coverage.
"It will most likely be similar to past seasons, including scoring pieces, reports and analysis," she wrote in a text message.
Andrea Joyce also will continue in her role as backstage interviewer.
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I nominate Michelle Kwan.
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- Jan 12, 2014
No duh they're keeping Andrea. She also does the gymnastics background interviews (which are HORRIBLE. everyone hates her for her absolute lack of tact).
I guess it's a mixed-blessing. I really liked Scott and Sandra but thank god Tom is gone. He, even after all these years, still knows absolutely nothing about the sport and is the definition of a cheesy commentator who overdoes everything. I will never forget how he ruined the end of Yuna's OGM performance with his trite overehearsed lines that he even delivered mechanically "the crowd on their feet, the coronation is complete," blah blah.
I guess it's a mixed-blessing. I really liked Scott and Sandra but thank god Tom is gone. He, even after all these years, still knows absolutely nothing about the sport and is the definition of a cheesy commentator who overdoes everything. I will never forget how he ruined the end of Yuna's OGM performance with his trite overehearsed lines that he even delivered mechanically "the crowd on their feet, the coronation is complete," blah blah.
I am sorry but I can not get on the Tara and Johnny band wagon. I like them both and they add something fun, bright and bubbly to the regular commentary but.... That is it. Figure Skating is having a hard time attracting new young people to the sport, do we really think that Tara and Johnny will have parents running to the rink with their impressionable youngsters to take part in the sport as JW and TL present it. I will give it the old college try to embrace them. I hope it works out for everyone.
So many comments here I agree with.
Overall, this is the best decision available for now. They are fresher in the audience's memory than Scott or Sandra. Scott meant well, but his inability to shut up wore thin long ago. Neither Scott or Sandra did much to educate the audience, even under 6.0. Tracy was way better, and I often wish NBC would use her for all disciplines like Canadian TV does. I hope she stays. When she was briefly with ABC before they lost broadcast rights, her pairs with Suzie Wynn was heaven for me. Both fed off the other's love for detail. It was ice dance boot camp. It would be great to have them re-teamed.
Terry should always be in the booth. He clearly enjoys his skating work, takes it seriously and nerve belittles the skaters or the audience. Love him.
Overall, this is the best decision available for now. They are fresher in the audience's memory than Scott or Sandra. Scott meant well, but his inability to shut up wore thin long ago. Neither Scott or Sandra did much to educate the audience, even under 6.0. Tracy was way better, and I often wish NBC would use her for all disciplines like Canadian TV does. I hope she stays. When she was briefly with ABC before they lost broadcast rights, her pairs with Suzie Wynn was heaven for me. Both fed off the other's love for detail. It was ice dance boot camp. It would be great to have them re-teamed.
Terry should always be in the booth. He clearly enjoys his skating work, takes it seriously and nerve belittles the skaters or the audience. Love him.
I like Sam-Skwanthc's comment that Johnny and Tara bring a more modern character to the sport. Well said. But I did like Scott. He was knowledgeable, balanced and FUN! I loved his high pitch enthusiasm when a skater did well. Sandra was too dry, too analytical for me. I always like Peter Carruthers in pairs and Susie Wynne in dance. I remember Peter going "oh, no, oh no..." seconds before that terrible drop by the Russian pairs several years ago at Skate America. He knew what he was looking at and when things were good and when they were going bad. But I guess it's time for a change of the guard. Good luck Johnny and Tara!
Someone mentioned the British dudes on Eurosport. Now there's the ticket - these guys for ice dance! Downton Abbey meets figure skating! Really ...I think it would have appeal! I also like the female that commentated with them at the Olympics. Very knowledgeable, just the right amount of comments and lots of fun, dry British humor!
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- Jan 1, 2013
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Scott was annoying, but never drove me to total madness, usually because some of his comments were genuinely amusing or funny without being catty ("He's a cat!"). Sandra - well, I didn't even know who she was when I first started hating her. Her commentary in Vancouver was the epitome of unprofessionalism. (That's not a word, but it should be.)
But Weir? Mean, nasty, catty, bitter. The whole way through Sochi. If you were lower-ranked than tenth you were a prime target for him. And I think it wouldn't have mattered who the US sent to the Olympics. I think by then Weir had just figured out that even if he HAD made it to Nationals in Boston, he would have struggled to finish in the top five, let alone qualify for the team.
But Weir? Mean, nasty, catty, bitter. The whole way through Sochi. If you were lower-ranked than tenth you were a prime target for him. And I think it wouldn't have mattered who the US sent to the Olympics. I think by then Weir had just figured out that even if he HAD made it to Nationals in Boston, he would have struggled to finish in the top five, let alone qualify for the team.
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- Sep 10, 2013
She worked on Jeremy Abbott's LP this season to some extent.
I never liked Sandra as a commentator, Scott was okay and Terry Gannon annoys me.
Johnny and Tara I can't stand even more. Like an earlier poster said, can we have Uncle Dick back?! I even liked Michael Weiss as a commentator, what's he doing these days?
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- Jan 12, 2014
What I disliked was that Johnny and Tara never seemed to like ANYONE - they always seemed bitter or critical. Even when they said something that was technically praise it didn't come across as such. I don't know where the Sandra hate comes from. Yes, at least once every games she goes into a long vague rant about artistry but unprofessional is a stretch. I see how Scott could be grating but don't really feel that way. My only complaint was that in Vancouver (and a lot of people were mentioning this back then) he would just groan and do his hoarse scream/exclamation whenever something happened, leaving the average viewer completely confused about why he had that reaction, etc.
so how many times will tara speak about herself during broadcast??
I see this complaint about her a lot but I really never felt like she initiated talking about herself all that much. It was often Gannon (he referenced Her Nagano win countless times during Sochi) and to a lesser degree Weir who would bring her up especially whenever there was a younger skater.
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- Mar 23, 2010
she overpraised skaters that reminded of herself..
and advice to tara.. don't ever talk about artistry.. you can talk about the technical aspects of skating but don't ever talk about the choreography.. or artistry.. because you don't have the credibility at all.. heck let weir talk about artistry.. that's all..
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- Feb 17, 2010
Oh the woman who got 5.8's and 5.9's for her LP in Nagano for ARTISTIC IMPRESSION isn't allowed to have an opinion on artistry? Why is that?
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- Mar 23, 2010
yeah because getting those marks will give you a license about the so called "artistry"..
and she will start criticizing skaters and their lack of artistry.. hah!
Agreed. She wasn't the most mature choreographically (which is to be expected- she was very very young) but she seemed to feel the music and her Bezic programs were thoughtfully constructed. It would have been really interesting to see how her skating might have grown as she matured had she stayed 4 more years. She may not be a Mao or. Carolina but she is infinitely qualified to weigh in on most COP era skaters and programs, particularly the American and Russian teenagers.
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- Mar 23, 2010
and yet she criticized skater A for competing and defending her title and said "no guts" during sochi..
