Most Nitpicked Skater

Dee4707 · May 20, 2004

Of all the threads we discuss at Golden Skate which of these skaters is nitpicked at the most. Whatever the reason may be that you do it or see it posted, please vote for the one who we shall give the title of: Most Picked On Skater of the Year. Also your comments as to why you voted the way you did.

rtureck · May 20, 2004

I think voting for the most nitpicked is one side of the coin. The other side of the story is how ready are their fans to defend the skaters.

I can not separate the 2 when I am thinking about this issue. I guess we have to work out some net nitpicked index At least that makes more sense to me.

So IMO the skater with the highest the net nitpicked index is Weiss.

ouridol · May 20, 2004

Definently, definently Sasha. Since she is already so close to 'perfection' many people find the need to nitpick something.For example, if one performance she puts together all of her jumps, they will nitpick her edge on her spiral. And then one competition she falls apart and nobody notices the detailed coreo she has in her program. :rolleye:

She can just never satisfy everyone. I, by no means, think that she is perfection, but maybe moreso than any other skaters. 180 degree spiral, gorgeous spin positions & centering/speed, beautiful pointed air positions during her jumps, MITF all top-notch.

Dee4707 · May 20, 2004

I voted for Sasha too. I thought about this poll from another thread where, I think it was Mr. Joe said something about Sasha not being so smug now, or something to that effect. I know that I've talked to other skating friends and they call her a little brat. Now, I don't know Sasha and probably never will but I love to watch her skate so I try not to think about whether she is a brat or not. :laugh:

Dee

Hermione_Granger · May 20, 2004

I would have to say Michelle. It seems that no
matter what she does, she never seems to win.
People have complained about the music she picks.
They have commented that she "recycles" her programs.
She's nitpicked for not doing hard enough jumps or not
doing enough competitions these past few years.
People have complained that she wears the same
costume. Some have commented that she should never
have left Lori to work with someone else and that her
programs have become stale because of it.
It seems like there are people who are never
happy with whatever choices she makes.

It reminds me of that saying, "You can please some of the
people some of the time, but you can't please all the people
all the time."

SusanBeth · May 20, 2004

It gets to me a bit when people harp on Sarah's 3/3s in SLC. None of the other medalists even tried one. How can you turn that into a negative for Sarah

mpal2 · May 20, 2004

SusanBeth said:
It gets to me a bit when people harp on Sarah's 3/3s in SLC. None of the other medalists even tried one. How can you turn that into a negative for Sarah

Actually, that's not totally accurate. Sarah was the only one who completed 3/3's.

Michelle had a 3 toe/3 toe but didn't get enough out of the first jump to complete a 2nd triple and turned it into a double instead of falling. I'm sure Irina tried but had some of the same issues.

I'm quite sure both ladies intended to complete at least one 3/3 and went into the 1st jump with full intentions of putting another triple at the end. If you know you can't get it, go for the double instead of the fall at the Olympics.

show 42 · May 20, 2004

Hermione, I agree, I went with Michelle too although I thought Michael, for me anyway, is a close second.........42

SusanBeth · May 20, 2004

Nobody can judge intentions. Going by what is judgeable, there was nothing to show a 3/3 attempt.

lulu · May 21, 2004

On this board-Michelle & Sasha-but really any of the top-top skaters are nitpicked. Once you get that good, it is harder(but certainly possible) to find failings and mistakes.

LilyBerg · May 21, 2004

I voted for Michelle and I agree with lulu. All skaters are nitpicked, even though I don't get why sometimes.

Joesitz (RIP) · May 21, 2004

Nitpicking just takes something out of context from the whole picture. Here's my take on nitpicking.

Examples of Michelle being Nitpicked:

Since Tara's time: she lacks the technical.
Since Irina's time: she skates too slow
Since Sarah's time: she has no moves in the field.

constantly: she has no 3x3s

Nothing wrong with nitpiciking if it is in the form of corrective criticism., but in most cases it is just to put down a skater because his/her fans irritate the writer.

Joe

sarahmistral · May 21, 2004

Joesitz said:
Nitpicking just takes something out of context from the whole picture. Here's my take on nitpicking.

Examples of Michelle being Nitpicked:

Since Tara's time: she lacks the technical.
Since Irina's time: she skates too slow
Since Sarah's time: she has no moves in the field.

constantly: she has no 3x3s

Nothing wrong with nitpiciking if it is in the form of corrective criticism., but in most cases it is just to put down a skater because his/her fans irritate the writer.

Joe

Too true, Joe; I'll hazard a try using Sasha, who, btw, did attempt a triple lutz-triple toe at SLC, but she fell on the toe after completing three revolutions, if I recall correctly (however, I'm human and may be erring, and I'm not an elite skater, so pleeease don't nitpick on me :laugh:

)

After SLC: she's brash and cocky, too much so for someone who always 'falls apart' and never does better than 4th at major international competitions, and her edges are bad

After Worlds: okay, she's moved from 4th to 2nd at worlds, but she's still incapable of being 'perfect'

After Marshalls: okay, she can do an utterly flawless program, but only at cheesefests (but yet she gets torn apart when she skated sick at fell at these supposedly 'unimportant' cheesefests)

:rolleye:

IMHO Sasha's talent and the media's willingness to fawn over it irritates people who like other skaters better, not ALL people, just SOME--again, this has nothing to do with the skaters themselves, it's all projected image through commentary and shouldn't affect any skating fan's perception of any skater during those minutes spent putting everything learned in training out there for fans to appreciate--but then, that would be a perfect world, as people are human and have their subjective opinions of personality traits they attach to the skaters from seeing interviews, hearing anecdotes, etc.

Sarah

rtureck · May 21, 2004

LOL

I still think Weiss has the worst net nit picked index. When Sasha was referred to "not as smug as before" in another thread (that was not even nit picking), her fans immediately created a new thread to defend her via the vehicle of a poll. :laugh:

Balancing the perceived "nitpicked" and the swift and immediate defense for some of these skaters, I think Sasha e.g. probably has a net nit picked index of zero or maybe even in the negatiave terroritory. Weiss probably is at a score of +8.5 (+10 being the highest net nit picked index)

Mathman · May 21, 2004

lulu said:
On this board-Michelle & Sasha-but really any of the top-top skaters are nitpicked. Once you get that good, it is harder(but certainly possible) to find failings and mistakes.

I agree, Lulu. Once a skater gets to the very top, there is really not much else to do except nitpick. Someone like Plushenko, for instance, is 95% perfect, so we can either gush about the 95% (fun but boring) or else nitpick about the 5%.

I like Rtureck's idea of a "pick minus gush" scale. (Michael Weiss does deserve a few more offsetting gushes, LOL.)

BTW, I think that Dee's original post raised two separated questions. I think that "nitpicking" someone's skating, which IMO means pointing out tiny flaws in otherwise superb performances, is different from "picking on" someone -- making unkind remarks about them which have nothing to do with skating.

Mathman

lulu · May 21, 2004

rtureck said:
LOL

I still think Weiss has the worst net nit picked index. When Sasha was referred to "not as smug as before" in another thread (that was not even nit picking), her fans immediately created a new thread to defend her via the vehicle of a poll. Balancing the perceived "nitpicked" and the swift and immediate defense for some of these skaters, I think Sasha e.g. probably has a net nit picked index of zero or maybe even in the negatiave terroritory. Weiss probably is at a score of +8.5 (+10 being the highest net nit picked index)

LOL-I like the "Nitpicked" scale.

I wonder who would be a +10-Tonya Harding?

Tonichelle · May 22, 2004

I voted Michael... the man can do nothing right by so many fans of figure skating...

berthes ghost · May 24, 2004

I went with Sasha.

Nitpicking is a nerdy fan thing, and totally dependant on the web IMHO.

Since MK is one of the alltime greats of the sport, up there with icons like Henie in terms of results, then it is no surprise that her every move is debated. She's just so much more famous and visible than everyone else.

Skaters like Sasha (Julie Lynn Holmes, Vinginia Baxter, etc...) are all but forgotten without the web. Only with the power of the internet could an "also ran" get discussed adnausium.

ice_magick · May 24, 2004

I vote, Carolina Kostner!!

Longhornliz · May 24, 2004

I feel like the "sasha falls apart in the LP" pressure has been building and building since SLC. Now we want her to not fall, not double an intended triple, not falter at any point, do a 3/3, and do it with a smile on.

Most Nitpicked Skater

Who is the Most Picked On

Michelle Kwan

Evgeni Plushenko

Alexei Yagudin

Michael Weiss

Sasha Cohen

Johnny Weir

Sarah Hughes

Tim Goebel

Irina Slutskaya

Brian Joubert

Dee4707

Ice Is Slippery - Alexie Yagudin

rtureck

ouridol

Dee4707

Ice Is Slippery - Alexie Yagudin

Hermione_Granger

SusanBeth

mpal2

show 42

Arm Chair Skate Fan

SusanBeth

lulu

LilyBerg

Joesitz (RIP)

sarahmistral

rtureck

Mathman

lulu

Tonichelle

Idita-Rock-n-Roll

berthes ghost

ice_magick

Longhornliz

Similar threads

Connect with us