Inoue/Baldwin turned down a spot to compete at the 2010 World

[moon119]

SPOKANE - John Baldwin Jr. leaned over to his fiancé and skating partner Rena Inoue as they stood in the basement of the Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena on Saturday. (See video of Inoue & Baldwin)
"The judges should be embarrassed," Baldwin said to Inoue.


Baldwin and Inoue, the two-time U.S. champions based in Aliso Viejo, came up less than a point short at the 2010 U.S. Figure Skating Championships of defying American figure skating one last time and reaching a second Olympic Games. And they found themselves at the center of yet another judging controversy for a sport that has spent much of the past decade embroiled in one scoring scandal after another....

 

[ImaginaryPogue]

Link

Baldwin comes off very poorly, imo.

 

[Mathman]

I think this reporter slanted the article that way. I have no doubt that John said all those things in the heat of the moment, but his statements to the press later were quite appropriate.

The author is plugging away at the, "this is figure skating, the judges must be crooks," angle.

 

[dwiggin3]

Link

Baldwin comes off very poorly, imo.

he does. I understand his feelings but his actions were that of a childish boy who is use to getting what he wants. I hope he retires and goes far away. Skating is better without him and his tantrums.

 

[BlackAxel]

Well, I really dont think the judges were intent upon "keeping them down" as John is insistent upon. Just because someone lands a throw triple axel does not mean that they deserve to be the winners. So I give a big thumps down to John and his supposed "sportsmanship." Frankly they lost due to mistakes that they made in their long program and that's about it......

 

[ImaginaryPogue]

Exactly. I'm definitely rooting for E/L based on his comments now. Dunno what's likely for them, though.

 

[cassieandcheetah]

Exactly. I'm definitely rooting for E/L based on his comments now. Dunno what's likely for them, though.

me too! I think e/l are an excellent team, and I'm quite sick and tired of john baldwin's behavior.he's already been to the olympics, he needs to stop being so sour about a younger and a better team going in their stead. I can't believe how selfish he has been lately.

 

[Wicked]

I am an I/B fan and I don't think the pairs competiton was unfairly judged. I'm sorry if John does. Turning down a spot at Worlds is just cutting your nose off to spite your face. You'd think I/B would jump at it to show what they can do.

 

[Mathman]

Still, I would like to know exactly how this reporter got these quotes from John. Did he have a boom microphone hanging down into the kiss and cry?

I bet every skater who ever took the ice has blurted out something about "those blankety-blank judges."

 

[Spun Silver]

To address the specific judging point at the end of the article, what do people think of the throw 3A getting deducted?

 

[moon119]

I feel for Rena though, they didn't score higher mostly because John didn't hit his jump.

 

[gkelly]

To address the specific judging point at the end of the article, what do people think of the throw 3A getting deducted?

You mean the fact that about half the judges gave -1 rather than 0 for the GOE on the long program 3A?

She was bent far forward at the landing and seemed to skid a little on her toe before finding the landing edge. -1 seems reasonable to me.

If it had been a throw 3S landed like that, for example, no one would blink at -1, compared to a small but well controlled throw 3S getting 0s.

 

[ImaginaryPogue]

Still, I would like to know exactly how this reporter got these quotes from John. Did he have a boom microphone hanging down into the kiss and cry?

I bet every skater who ever took the ice has blurted out something about "those blankety-blank judges."

Maybe, but this comment

"You want to use us (at Worlds) to help you save a spot because you don't think the other team (Evora and Ladwig) are good enough to keep that other spot," Baldwin said he told a U.S. Figure Skating official in turning down the Worlds position.

Is more than just those "blankety-blank" judges.

Frankly, with the retirements imminent, a top eight finish is reasonable for Denney/Barrett, which means E/L need top twenty. And it's not like other nations don't split the Worlds/Olympic results when close (see Japan).

It's just a completely class-less statement from the man.

 

[mskater93]

A competition has 2 phases. They had mistakes in the short that had them in 5th in that segment. Get over it, Mr. Baldwin.

 

[Pikachuusb]

I was always told if you cant say something nice about someone, dont say anything at all..... sitting here quietly with my mouth filling up with blood

Go Amanda & Mark and Caydee & Jeremy!!!

 

[Mathman]

Scott Hamilton called a fall on the throw triple Axel as she was landing, and then segued into delight that somehow, by hook or crook, she saved the landing.

Maybe, but this comment

"You want to use us (at Worlds) to help you save a spot because you don't think the other team (Evora and Ladwig) are good enough to keep that other spot," Baldwin said he told a U.S. Figure Skating official in turning down the Worlds position.

Is more than just those "blankety-blank" judges.

The author of this article took that from another article that appeared a few days ago in a different newspaper. I just don't see any evidence that this arthor interviewed John at all, but rather just pieced together some stuff that was floating around and tried to make it look like "Look, look, another judging controversy in figure skating, tsk, tsk."

 

[1795]

Exactly. I'm definitely rooting for E/L based on his comments now. Dunno what's likely for them, though.

ice shows.....

 

[hrmsk8ngnutt]

I would have given 0 GOE. She didn't have a hand down or a step out. One Judge even gave a +1. 3 gave -1. But there's no sense in complaining about that single element. Their twist, for example, was just bad. A good twist would have made the difference.

Yes, a good twist or John landing the 3T. One element should not make up for others missed or done less then perfectly.

 

[museksk8r]

Of course the weakest link of the pair is going to try to blame the judges for their shortcomings rather than himself. It's far easier to say look at our past accomplishments and how the judges cheated us rather than to admit one's own flaws.

 

[ImaginaryPogue]

Scott Hamilton called a fall on the throw triple Axel as she was landing, and then segued into delight that somehow, by hook or crook, she saved the landing.



The author of this article took that from another article that appeared a few days ago in a different newspaper. I just don't see any evidence that this arthor interviewed John at all, but rather just pieced together some stuff that was floating around and tried to make it look like "Look, look, another judging controversy in figure skating, tsk, tsk."

I guess I just don't understand how these comments, no matter what the context, are what you want to hear from an athlete or why people try to explain them away.