Idea for The Ice Channel

I sent the following idea to The Ice Channel. (Yes, I know The Ice Channel is defunct for the moment, and I'm kind of late to the party. Yes, I know it's probably not an original idea.)

Change the name of “The Ice Channel” to “The Athletic Performance Channel” (or something catchier or more graceful) and invite the world of gymnastics to come on board. Gymnastics and figure skating are really sister sports, in a way, and there are many crossover fans between the two. Combining the two sports might get you the funding and fan base you need.

You have no idea how much I hope that would work. I really hope they get your idea, or are already thinking of something similar and are able to go through with it, and for it to be available in Canada! haha

P.S. I would think they could put diving in there as well. I've always found it kind of similar to these two sports, and very enjoyable.

Could we include dance? (ballroom, ballet.. .whatever)

And please - make it a worldwide broadcast company? :saint:

IDLERACER said:

The main thing that Gymnastics and Figure Skating have in common, is that they are the only two sports in which women/girls are encouraged to wear make-up. They might also wear the stuff for bowling or golf, but to the best of my knowledge, it is not encouraged.​

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I'll risk it all and put everything I have on the line here and say that, in my opinion, anything that's judged and/or anything where you have to wear some costume, etc. is NOT a sport. I'm sorry.

(To the naysayers: Of course, this doesn't mean that the above don't require certain levels of fitness, training, etc. I'm aware of that. But I just cannot call them sports. )

ON TOPIC

I think the idea you have is a good one- combine many activities and/or sports that are similar in characteristics/fan bases into one channel. I think they would get more viewers that way. And they could start out small and then branch out. For example, ESPN doesn't just show football, basketball, and baseball- they show other things, although those three sports get the most airtime (because they're the most popular).

tdnuva said:

Could we include dance? (ballroom, ballet.. .whatever)

And please - make it a worldwide broadcast company? :saint:

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Ballet NO! I don't want that dance to be reduced to tricks. There are several ballet competitions throughout the world. Their purpose is to showcase dancers for jobs, although they do select the top three in each category.

If Spirit has an 'in' with this, I would include Diving which requires perfect line more than skating, gymnastics do.

Joe

Red Dog said:

I'll risk it all and put everything I have on the line here and say that, in my opinion, anything that's judged and/or anything where you have to wear some costume, etc. is NOT a sport. I'm sorry.

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Um...Football payers wear costumes. Baseball players wear costumes. Basketball players wear costumes (and very fashionable ones, too, I might add, with those long Michael Jordan shorts that look like skirts, just like the kids wear on the streets. Now if we can just get them to pull them down in back and show their flowered underwear, they will be right in style.)

Mathman said:

Um...Football payers wear costumes. Baseball players wear costumes. Basketball players wear costumes (and very fashionable ones, too, I might add, with those long Michael Jordan shorts that look like skirts, just like the kids wear on the streets. Now if we can just get them to pull them down in back and show their flowered underwear, they will be right in style.)

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Nah, to me there's a difference between uniform (or jersey in basketball) and costume. (And don't try to tell me that figure skaters are really wearing uniforms in drag- it won't work.)

Everyone wears a uniform. Figure skaters wear figure skating dresses. Football players wear football uniforms. Businessmen wear suits and ties. Next you'll be saying that you don't think stock brokering is a sport.

Mathman said:

Everyone wears a uniform. Figure skaters wear figure skating dresses. Football players wear football uniforms. Businessmen wear suits and ties. Next you'll be saying that you don't think stock brokering is a sport.

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It's simply a matter of opinion- you either agree or you don't.

Well, not exactly, RD. When it comes to the meanings of words in standard English, it is not true that each individual can define a word to suit himself. Words have meaning. If this were not the case we could not talk to each other.

Here's what my dictionary says about sport: "An athletic activity requiring skill or physical prowess and often of a competitive nature."

That's what the word means. Sorry.

MM

Mathman said:

Everyone wears a uniform. Figure skaters wear figure skating dresses. Football players wear football uniforms. Businessmen wear suits and ties. Next you'll be saying that you don't think stock brokering is a sport.

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The uniforms of those playing team sports are UNIFORM! Individual players don't get to select the styles and colors. Businessmen follow a dress code (whether written or unwritten). Most individual sports have some written rules about what dress is acceptable, but in skating the costume is expected to contribute to the performance. I doubt a skater could get away with wearing the same very basic skating outfit for every competition, but it would be interesting to see what the reaction would be. I don't think any COP points are explicitly assigned for costumes.

Mathman said:

Well, not exactly, RD. When it comes to the meanings of words in standard English, it is not true that each individual can define a word to suit himself. Words have meaning. If this were not the case we could not talk to each other.

Here's what my dictionary says about sport: "An athletic activity requiring skill or physical prowess and often of a competitive nature."

MM

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Of course, words have meaning. What you say is true. However, in this particular situation where one word refers to a group of "things" (for lack of a better word), the line can sometimes get blurry. Sometimes there are "special cases" where it is unclear which category one fits. "Sport" is a word that refers to a group of items. What exactly qualifies something as a sport? It goes beyond dictionary meaning at times. Why else would there be all these debates as to whether figure skating (or gymnastics for that matter) is a sport? Or whether Pluto is a planet? Or whether...

Even different dictionary meanings tend to vary slightly (but mostly in wording). People have different interpretations as to what fits the definition of what in unique cases.

To me, an event where the participants don't at least have SOME control over the outcome of the event- I just don't see it as a sport.

OK. The way I see it is this: Sports (like football, baseball, basketball, etc.) have rules, and those rules determine the outcome of the game (who wins). You either score the most points, make the fastest time, or whatever. But I see a pattern- the outcome of such an event is objective. That is, no one or group decides the outcome of the game- in most cases, anyway.

One may argue that the referees in team sports determine the outcome of a game. But I see a difference. You see, the refs are there to make sure people are following the rules of the sport correctly. Occasionally you will get bad calls, but that's what instant replay is for.

In "judged" events, the judges have FULL control over the outcome of the event. Of course, you have rules, too, but once you finish your routine, the result is TOTALLY out of your hands. At least in said team sports, the players have control (can come back, can score, etc.) and in individual sports such as track, your time IS the result.

Just about everyone else here I bet would object. But I'm not the only one who thinks this way. The result should be clear and objective, assuming the rules of the sport are followed. How many threads do you see here that says, So-and-so should have won? Or posters who make logical arguments as to who could have won?

I will admit that switching to a point system is moving Figure Skating in the right direction, assigning certain points to certain moves. This supposedly makes the event more "objective". But there's still a big problem in that you still have judges deciding the outcome of the event. Will this be fixed anytime soon? It's doubtful.

Oh yeah- in exhibitions, do you talk about who "won" the event? You can still win an exhibition game in team sports. Sport should always have a winner (it's competitive, right?). Ice (figure) skating to me seems more like a form of entertainment. It's like ballet, or dancing. Sure you can make it competitive, but does this automatically turn it into a sport? Maybe it does, I don't know (and don't think so).

hoptoad said:

The uniforms of those playing team sports are UNIFORM! Individual players don't get to select the styles and colors. Businessmen follow a dress code (whether written or unwritten). Most individual sports have some written rules about what dress is acceptable, but in skating the costume is expected to contribute to the performance. I doubt a skater could get away with wearing the same very basic skating outfit for every competition, but it would be interesting to see what the reaction would be. I don't think any COP points are explicitly assigned for costumes.

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Right. Uniforms are uniforms. But last time I checked, skaters have a choice as to what costume to wear, right? When at Worlds, they aren't wearing a uniform with the country's flag on it. They are wearing some kind of decked-out outfit that's supposedly supposed to fit to the music that they're skating to!

Well, I REALLY digress here. I suppose my attempt to get back on topic after my comment failed... :no: :scratch:

Joesitz said:

Ballet NO! I don't want that dance to be reduced to tricks. There are several ballet competitions throughout the world. Their purpose is to showcase dancers for jobs, although they do select the top three in each category.

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I did not say only competitions. Ballet for me is never competition (except those kind of junior prices where someone can get scholarship or whatever). But I would not want skating _comps_ either - give me the (good!!) shows, please

Mathman said:

Um...Football payers wear costumes. Baseball players wear costumes. Basketball players wear costumes (and very fashionable ones, too, I might add, with those long Michael Jordan shorts that look like skirts, just like the kids wear on the streets. Now if we can just get them to pull them down in back and show their flowered underwear, they will be right in style.)

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And, the speed skaters look like space cadets with those skin-tight jumpsuits. Alpine skiiers also wear jumpsuits or other aerodynamic outfits that enable them to go just a little bit faster.

How about the Olympic swimmers at Athens last summer? They were everything from skin-tight body suits to teeny-weeny bikinis (the guys). Frankly, it was quite a show!

And how about tennis? Look at the outfits the women wear - Serena William's boots, black dresses, tons of jewelry, etc.

Track and field also has new outfits - bikini bottoms for the women and tiny tops.

I would dearly love to the the Ice Channel come into being, but I just can't see it happening at the present time. Figure skating just isn't the big, big draw on television that it was immediately after the Harding/Kerrigan saga. It would have to be a multi-sports channel, of which figure skating would be just one of the featured sports.

I would dearly love to the the Ice Channel come into being, but I just can't see it happening at the present time. Figure skating just isn't the big, big draw on television that it was immediately after the Harding/Kerrigan saga. It would have to be a multi-sports channel, of which figure skating would be just one of the featured sports.

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I agree, but it would have to be a more specialized channel. After all, ESPN exactly fits your description- FS is one of many featured "sports" on there. I still think the idea of a gymnastics/FS channel would work. But it would have to be marketed toward women. ESPN has a mostly male audience, hence why ice skating isn't doing so well on there.

The Ice Channel will never happen, the power to be will always find some reason
to axe it every time, just might cut into big name networks and we just might see more live current shows and well ACB, ESPN, CBS & NBC might loose soem pocket money.