Johnny Weir officially retires + joins NBC as skating analyst | Page 6 | Golden Skate

Johnny Weir officially retires + joins NBC as skating analyst

karne

in Emergency Backup Mode
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 1, 2013
Country
Australia
I'm very happy to hear that the Johnny does a great job as commentator, maybe for once in his competitive career Plushenko won't be portrayed as Russian Communist Villain by NBC. :yes:

Nope. The NBC will always have the Evil Communist Russian vs the Sweet Innocent All-American Boy (possibly with added impetus this year since it's very likely that their All-American Boy actually WILL be a darling, and not just someone pretending).
 

ice coverage

avatar credit: @miyan5605
Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 27, 2012
I believe that in the NBC/Skate Canada thread, someone had asked about access to the live streaming from Sochi.

FYI, the language in an NBC press release today (which mentions the streaming only in passing):
It has already been announced that NBCOlympics.com will live stream all Olympic competition from Sochi. The vast majority of live streaming will only be available to authenticated cable, satellite or telco customers via “TV Everywhere,” the media industry’s effort to make quality content available to authenticated customers both in and out of the home, and on multiple platforms.
http://nbcsportsgrouppressbox.com/2...y-124-hours-of-olympic-winter-games-coverage/

IIRC, this limitation on access is the same as what NBC had in place for its streaming of London 2012.
 

noskates

Record Breaker
Joined
Jun 11, 2012
I enjoyed Tanith ALOT more than I expected to. I think she really makes the viewer understand what's happening or not happening as the case may be. She's very knowledgeable and current. I've always loved Johnny and I think this is an excellent gig for him. He's intelligent, insightful and I think once he relaxes will be alot of fun to listen to. He's also current! I don't care much for Tara. I think she's very critical and somewhat negative. But any time I don't have to listen to Sandra Bezic gushing about signature moves, Scott gushing about everything, Peggy Fleming making meaningless comments or (gasp!) Dick Button telling me that a spiral is better than a triple jump ....................I'm a happy figure skating viewer! I think NBC really got it right with bringing in younger people who have fresh observations on the sport.
 

macy

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 12, 2011
I LOVED hearing Johnny, he was fabulous! He and the British guys are now my favorites. I still am not a fan of Tara's ...I still found her a bit annoying. As for Scott I saw him at skate America sitting with the other reporters but I wasn't sure what he was doing.
 

Matilda

Medalist
Joined
Dec 19, 2012
I believe that in the NBC/Skate Canada thread, someone had asked about access to the live streaming from Sochi.

FYI, the language in an NBC press release today (which mentions the streaming only in passing):
It has already been announced that NBCOlympics.com will live stream all Olympic competition from Sochi. The vast majority of live streaming will only be available to authenticated cable, satellite or telco customers via “TV Everywhere,” the media industry’s effort to make quality content available to authenticated customers both in and out of the home, and on multiple platforms.
http://nbcsportsgrouppressbox.com/2...y-124-hours-of-olympic-winter-games-coverage/

IIRC, this limitation on access is the same as what NBC had in place for its streaming of London 2012.


Noooooo!!!! :cry::bang::mad:

It was me asking about it, actually, precisely because I was afraid they would do this again, and I just can't stand the idea that I would have to listen to Scott and Sandra--especially knowing now that Johnny (and Terry?) will be commenting online. Why can't they at least offer a paid service for the Olympics, or something? :scowl:
 

LRK

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 13, 2012
@JohnnyGWeir
Excited for NHK Trophy this week! I will be commentating for both the ladies and the men!
7:41 AM - 5 Nov 13
https://twitter.com/JohnnyGWeir/status/397750641436934144

LOL, so Weir will be opining on the NHK ladies while Lipinski is judging the Miss Universe ladies. :cool:

:) I'm sure he will do a wonderful job!

I do wonder if there are any videos of his recent commentary online? would love to see/hear them. :)
 
Joined
Jun 21, 2003
At Cup of China I thought Terry Gannon was too talkative, especially for the men. It seemed like he was trying to shepherd the newbies a little too much.
 

Matilda

Medalist
Joined
Dec 19, 2012
Johnny has Dick's seal of approval!

Johnny Weir-Voronov ‏@JohnnyGWeir 42m
Feeling quite honored that I just got a call from the legendary Dick Button and his appreciation of my commentary! #PushDicksButton


:yay: :clap: :rock:
 

Bluebonnet

Record Breaker
Joined
Aug 18, 2010
@Tara_Lipinski
The whole #NBCSochiTeam together for meetings & press photos!Scott & I did some funnies.Not sure theyll make the cut pic.twitter.com/jkcpWOpSjU
1:17 PM - 4 Nov 13
https://twitter.com/Tara_Lipinski/status/397472816012201984

So Hamilton remains on the NBC team. (And my visions of Weir taking over the world will not come true ... at least not in Sochi. ;) I will shut up now ...)

If Weir could remain professionalism like he has been since he joined NBC, I don't think "Weir taking over the world" is just a dream sometime in the future. He certainly got commentating talent.
 

louisa05

Final Flight
Joined
Dec 3, 2011
If Weir could remain professionalism like he has been since he joined NBC, I don't think "Weir taking over the world" is just a dream sometime in the future. He certainly got commentating talent.

I think he is doing an amazing job. And he notes some of the finer details of points and deductions without giving a math lesson (I remain firm in the belief that most viewers do not want a Sunday afternoon math lesson complete with factoring). I hope he has a long commentating career!
 

noskates

Record Breaker
Joined
Jun 11, 2012
I think he is doing an amazing job. And he notes some of the finer details of points and deductions without giving a math lesson (I remain firm in the belief that most viewers do not want a Sunday afternoon math lesson complete with factoring). I hope he has a long commentating career!

AMEN!!!! Johnny, Tanith and even Tara have been a breath of fresh air!

ETA: OMG - my ears are hurting. I just watched the NHK Men's Short and Pairs Short and Peter Carruthers just needs to shut up! :mad:He talked through almost every program and half of it was just babble. Just makes me appreciate the new commentators even more.
 

noskates

Record Breaker
Joined
Jun 11, 2012
After listening to Johnny comment on the men's and ladie's freeskate at the NHK - could someone please, please, please find another job for Peter Carruthers? Pretty please?
 

Icey

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 28, 2012
At Cup of China I thought Terry Gannon was too talkative, especially for the men. It seemed like he was trying to shepherd the newbies a little too much.


Yes, I noticed Johnny talked a lot less this broadcast and seemed reluctant to to go ahead of Terry. I thought Johnny was about right the first broadcast. Wonder if he got some "instructions" after the first broadcast. In any case, he is doing a good job and is refreshing.
 

ice coverage

avatar credit: @miyan5605
Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 27, 2012
NHK was my first opportunity to really pay attention to Weir on NBC, and I generally liked his commentary.

But ... am curious what others thought about his metaphors of a skater's bank account and net worth. I found them conceptually misleading, unless my limited understanding of scoring is even more deficient than I thought.
 

Mrs. P

Uno, Dos, twizzle!
Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 27, 2009
NHK was my first opportunity to really pay attention to Weir on NBC, and I generally liked his commentary.

But ... am curious what others thought about his metaphors of a skater's bank account and net worth. I found them conceptually misleading, unless my limited understanding of scoring is even more deficient than I thought.

I think cash flow is a better financial metaphor to use, which Johnny sort of was going that way with the whole bank account thing. Basically the skater's base value is like cash in the bank and I would describe mistakes/popped jumps/falls, etc as expenditures.

So basically Javier, by having all those quads had like $1,000 in the bank or cash reserves, vs. someone like Adam Rippon, with one quad, having $350.

Adam cannot afford to make a lot of expenses (i.e. mistakes) because he only has $350 to play with. As in Javier, has a more money (difficult content) to play with.

So using my cash flow situation: Adam, too made mistakes, but basically, was clean elsewhere and actually gain interest (+GOE) on his cash (the elements executed), so he was able to have a bank balance of $400. (An arbitrary number, not meant to be a precise ratio)

Javier, on the other hand popped a lot of jumps, including two of his quads. So basically his $1,000 went all the way down to $100, so in the end despite starting out with more money (difficulty) he executed (i.e. spent too much money) poorly, so ended up with less than men who started out with a lot less money.
 

skatingfan4ever

"Our blade takes us in the most amazing places."
Medalist
Joined
Nov 3, 2012
Country
United-States
AMEN!!!! Johnny, Tanith and even Tara have been a breath of fresh air!

ETA: OMG - my ears are hurting. I just watched the NHK Men's Short and Pairs Short and Peter Carruthers just needs to shut up! :mad:He talked through almost every program and half of it was just babble. Just makes me appreciate the new commentators even more.
AMEN to all you wrote. I don't subscribe to Universal Sports, but I was thrilled that DISH had it as a free preview for 2 weeks. But, Peter was a HUGE turnoff. Frankly, the only thing I'll miss when it's gone is Tanith. Otherwise I'm not missing much at all. Peter practically shouts everything he says and most of it is not even coherent. Interestingly, I think it's very obvious which commentators have skated under IJS or have cared enough to learn it and which ones haven't. Having skated under IJS themselves, Johnny and Tanith have valuable insider knowledge of what the judges are looking for. Peter, Scott, and Sandra are very much 6.0 commentators who will probably never warm up to IJS. Terry seems to have adjusted well to IJS and Tara has learned enough about it to speak intelligently about downgrades, URs, edge calls, etc.
 
Joined
Jun 21, 2003
I agree that Johnny's bank account thing was not helpful. He could have made the same point by just saying that skaters with a lot of big elements planned can afford to make a mistake, but skater's with lesser content have to go perfect.
 

emma

Record Breaker
Joined
Oct 28, 2004
While I do agree that the bank thing might not be the best metaphor - I love, love, love that Weir is searching for ways to communicate the scoring system. I love that he said things like, some would think a clean Ashley should have beaten (was it Mao?) with mistakes...yet tried to explain how this happens with this system. I think we can debate and criticize the system (and should), but while we are using this system, I appreciate commentators that try to explain it.

I also think he and Terry together did a little better - I love that Terry was throwing out skater stats and I love that they were both sort of catching viewers up on skater x from previous comps and so forth. It felt like sports talk to me - or the kind I like at least.

My only nitpick is the whole "artistry" reference - I wish they would just call it the second marks and also try to explain them; but they (the components) seem very different to me than the old second/artistry mark....or perhaps 3 of 5 of them do enough to warrant some discussion. But, I'm thrilled with this change and only wish for more (literally!!!)
 
Top