S
SkateFan4Life
Guest
I must ask a simple question: Do any of the fans who toss flowers and/or other
"stuff" on the ice after their favorite skater performs think for even a milosecond of the potential disaster this debris may cause? Trips, falls, etc. Granted, a group of young skaters always flies out on the ice to retrieve this stuff, and these youngsters do an admirable job. However, I've seen them pick up tiny petals, beads, and other small things that might easily be missed. When the next skater takes to the ice, he, she, or they could be tripped up quite easily.
Remember the pandemonium that followed Michelle Kwan's brilliant long program at this year's US Nationals? The rink was practically covered with flowers, stuffed animals, and other presents. The women's free skate was on prime time live television, so the "cleanup crew" was under the gun to race out, pick up all the stuff and get off the ice so the next skater could perform. Sure, there was a pause for commercials, the interview with Nancy Kerrigan, and the display of Kwan's scores, but there was so MUCH stuff to pick up. Egads!
IMHO, it would be better to give the skaters time to personally accept all the flowers -- I can see the network bigwigs screaming at me -- or to simply prohibit people from purchasing flowers at the arena for tossing onto the ice.
Of course, I'm a neat freak, anyway, and I can't stand clutter. That probably explains my point of view, as far as this topic is concerned.
"stuff" on the ice after their favorite skater performs think for even a milosecond of the potential disaster this debris may cause? Trips, falls, etc. Granted, a group of young skaters always flies out on the ice to retrieve this stuff, and these youngsters do an admirable job. However, I've seen them pick up tiny petals, beads, and other small things that might easily be missed. When the next skater takes to the ice, he, she, or they could be tripped up quite easily.
Remember the pandemonium that followed Michelle Kwan's brilliant long program at this year's US Nationals? The rink was practically covered with flowers, stuffed animals, and other presents. The women's free skate was on prime time live television, so the "cleanup crew" was under the gun to race out, pick up all the stuff and get off the ice so the next skater could perform. Sure, there was a pause for commercials, the interview with Nancy Kerrigan, and the display of Kwan's scores, but there was so MUCH stuff to pick up. Egads!
IMHO, it would be better to give the skaters time to personally accept all the flowers -- I can see the network bigwigs screaming at me -- or to simply prohibit people from purchasing flowers at the arena for tossing onto the ice.
Of course, I'm a neat freak, anyway, and I can't stand clutter. That probably explains my point of view, as far as this topic is concerned.