Dick Button and Janet Lynn provide 1-2 punch for Delegates to this week's USFS GC | Page 2 | Golden Skate

Dick Button and Janet Lynn provide 1-2 punch for Delegates to this week's USFS GC

Matt K

On the Ice
Joined
Oct 3, 2013
He's also a USFS official.

An official? I don't think that is true. I'm almost certain that is false.

I don't think anyone who is affiliated as some kind of official for USFS can be writing articles like that. George Rossano is an obvious fan of U.S. figure skating, though, from what I can gather.

But thank you for pointing out, if, and a big *if*, he is part of USFS.
 

Anna K.

Medalist
Joined
Feb 22, 2014
Country
Latvia
You just took my sentence out of context. Read my previous sentence before that and put it back in context ;)

That's what I did before I answered.
I read your post, took out a sentence, and added a remark to suggest that other context would be more appropriate :rolleye:

Really, if none of them is from US, why can't he be objective?
 

Matt K

On the Ice
Joined
Oct 3, 2013
That's what I did before I answered.
I read your post, took out a sentence, and added a remark to suggest that other context would be more appropriate :rolleye:

Really, if none of them is from US, why can't he be objective?

So you twisted my sentence to fit your context :biggrin:

You should read my first post again. Or don't. Never mind.

I love how George Rossano did pieces on how the PCS is not marked properly and it was used as a tool to just rank skaters like ordinals. And in that article, he merely just repeats what PCS the dancers got and never went into any more detail like it was proper and correct. But not in the ladies event, where he talked about the overmarking and undermarking of skaters PCS. And his reasoning that since the judges put D/W ahead 3 times, so they have reached a consensus that unless they fall and the Canadians skate clean, D/W will win no question about it :laugh: and that is okay and proper. I love the lovely way he starts that article about how it's all over for the Canadian ice dance couple :laugh:

I am re-posting this article from George Rossano if anyone wants to read:
http://www.iceskatingintnl.com/archive/results_2014OWG/2014 OWG DSD.htm

But I digress. Carry on.
 

Alba

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 26, 2014
That's what I did before I answered.
I read your post, took out a sentence, and added a remark to suggest that other context would be more appropriate :rolleye:

Really, if none of them is from US, why can't he be objective?

He can be objective. The problem is that he's not that objective when the skaters are from US. ;) I think Matt K is saying that.
 

Matt K

On the Ice
Joined
Oct 3, 2013
He can be objective. The problem is that he's not that objective when the skaters are from US. ;) I think Matt K is saying that.

Yes, that is what I am saying. Thank you! Like I also pointed out in my recent post above yours, he moans and groans about the unfair judging, and/or trends, and/or stats of the results, but when a team from his U.S.A. becomes the beneficiaries/on the receiving end of results on the good side, it's suddenly all okay and good.
 

Anna K.

Medalist
Joined
Feb 22, 2014
Country
Latvia
I love how George Rossano did pieces on how the PCS is not marked properly and it was used as a tool to just rank skaters like ordinals. And in that article, he merely just repeats what PCS the dancers got and never went into any more detail like it was proper and correct. But not in the ladies event, where he talked about the overmarking and undermarking of skaters PCS. And his reasoning that since the judges put D/W ahead 3 times, so they have reached a consensus that unless they fall and the Canadians skate clean, D/W will win no question about it :laugh: and that is okay and proper. I love the lovely way he starts that article about how it's all over for the Canadian ice dance couple :laugh:

And so? Many commentators don’t get into dancers’ PCS or even TEC detail simply because those are too complicated.
All right, the fact that he didn’t get into detail and the fact that D/W represent US doesn’t look like a coincidence. Despite of that, can’t he be simply delusional instead of being dishonest? :rolleye:
 
Joined
Jun 21, 2003
As far as I know Dr. Rossano does not hold any executive office in the USFSA, nor is he seeking one. I believe that he has served as data operator at major competitions and is qualified to judge at various levels, but AFAIK does not judge at the championship level. He once wrote a pretty cool simplified version of the IJS point system that could be used at lower level events, but I don't know what became of that project. He is active in the local figure skating scene in California; I would expect that he might be a delegate to the USFS congress (?) He is also an experienced skating photographer and writer with a number of credits.

Like other interested folks, he has opinions about what's going on in the USFSA.

As for the USFSA election, I have no insider information but I would be very surprised if Mr. Pfenning's candidacy gains traction with the majority of the voting delegates. I expect (while reserving the right to be wrong :) ) that the recommended candidate of the USFSA official nominating committee will carry the day with little debate.
 
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Anna K.

Medalist
Joined
Feb 22, 2014
Country
Latvia
He can be objective. The problem is that he's not that objective when the skaters are from US. ;) I think Matt K is saying that.

I haven't read much of him. Actually, I have read none :laugh:
What's important I think is, if he contradicts himself when he expresses his bias for the national team.
 

Alba

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 26, 2014
I haven't read much of him. Actually, I have read none :laugh:
What's important I think is, if he contradicts himself when he expresses his bias for the national team.

Me neither. :laugh: But I understood what Matt K point was. I was explaining that.

Yes, that is what I am saying. Thank you! Like I also pointed out in my recent post above yours, he moans and groans about the unfair judging, and/or trends, and/or stats of the results, but when a team from his U.S.A. becomes the beneficiaries/on the receiving end of results on the good side, it's suddenly all okay and good.

It's the same with almost everybody. For Beverly Smith the opinion of Tarasova was the bible when she said Tessa and Scott deserved to win with Carmen, not so when she said Sotnikova deserved to win. ;)
 
Joined
Jun 21, 2003
Here is one of his lovely articles crowning D/W gold medalists even before they skated their individual FD in Sochi.

http://www.iceskatingintnl.com/archive/results_2014OWG/2014 OWG DSD.htm

Oh, I am sure they reached consensus about the outcome of the event, Dr. Rossano. But that's okay, though, since they skate for the U.S. of A, so hush hush, case closed. But as for Sotnikova, she was overscored in PCS and Kim underscored in PCS, so he needs to write about that in his Ladies recap. Neither of these ladies are from the U.S.

Well, I think Rossano told the truth about ice dance. There was a growing consensus in the months leading up to the Olympics that Davis and White would win. Just like the consensus in 2010 that Virtue and Moir would win. Just like the consensus in 2006 that Navka and Kostomarov would win.

As for the ladies, I do not think there was any such consensus before the event. If anything, the question was whether hard-charging Julia Lipnitskia had enough last-minute momentum to challenge Yuna Kim. The way the actual event unfolded -- to me at least -- was a surprise.
 

Matt K

On the Ice
Joined
Oct 3, 2013
It's the same with almost everybody. For Beverly Smith the opinion of Tarasova was the bible when she said Tessa and Scott deserved to win with Carmen, not so when she said Sotnikova deserved to win. ;)

Yes, that was my point. The home-biased nature of George Rossano is no different from that of Beverly Smith, PJ Kwong, Lynn Rutherford, icenetwork ...
 
Joined
Jun 21, 2003
Anyway, to get back to the topic of the thread ;) ... the point of Rossano's article is not so much D&W versus V&M (an ever-fascinating topic to be sure), but rather that in the campaign for USFSA president, there seems to be no discussion one way or another of the qualifications of the presumed front-runner, Sam Auxier (who?). The whole debate is apparently centered around whether a Pfenning presidency would diminish the clout of the USFSA within the ISU (what clout?)

U.S. skating icons Dick Button and Janet Lynn wax poetic about the good old days; Rossano seems sympathetic to their views. We will soon find out.
 

Alba

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 26, 2014
there seems to be no discussion one way or another of the qualifications of the presumed front-runner, Sam Auxier (who?).

I would tell Rossano: Let me introduce you to Sam Auxier. The next president of The USFSA, that's who. ;)


the point of Rossano's article is not so much D&W versus V&M (an ever-fascinating topic to be sure),

Well, the point of Matt K was not about D&W vs V&M either, but rather the credibility of the writer (s) in this case.
I feel like Matt K advocate. :biggrin:
 

KKonas

Medalist
Joined
Oct 31, 2009
Dr. George Rossano is a U.S. figure skating enthusiast and fan, an armchair fan, who writes for Ice Skating International. He is a Californian mathematician and physicist/statistician who likes to pick and prod at numbers in judging protocol documents. He is no different than a GoldenSkate forum fan.

Here is one of his lovely articles crowning D/W gold medalists even before they skated their individual FD in Sochi.
http://www.iceskatingintnl.com/archive/results_2014OWG/2014 OWG DSD.htm



Oh, I am sure they reached consensus about the outcome of the event, Dr. Rossano. But that's okay, though, since they skate for the U.S. of A, so hush hush, case closed. But as for Sotnikova, she was overscored in PCS and Kim underscored in PCS, so he needs to write about that in his Ladies recap. Neither of these ladies are from the U.S.

Getting back to the topic of discussion of this thread: Janet Lynn's "essay" was just migraine inducing and painful. The ambiguous reasoning behind some of the "points" made, and the terrible organization/structure of her particular essay made it hard to follow and overall was just bad. That was a terrible, terrible read of an essay. Also, I am not sure if her bold function on her computer was working properly when she was typing, but it was so inconsistent throughout her essay I did not know whether or not she was trying to start a new idea or thought. It really disrupts the train of thought. I doubt the USFS candidates are even taking that piece seriously, to be honest.

Dr. Rossano is also a national figure skating judge for singles skating and a data operator at national competitions and is President of one of the Southern California skating clubs.
 

LyraAngelica

On the Ice
Joined
Apr 12, 2014
Sam Auxier was elected President of USFS.

"With the conclusion of Governing Council, we say goodbye to Patricia St. Peter as president and welcome Samuel Auxier as the 31st President of U.S. Figure Skating."
 
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