Article on Upcoming US Nats

[dewet]

Found this at FSU:
http://www.ajc.com/sports/content/sports/skating/0104/041askate.html
Hardly about the US Nats.

We have a sport that's now very, very athletic -- even the women are doing triples -- and because of that they're falling," Stevenson said. "You're getting an entertainment product that's not necessarily perfect gloss. When did you ever see Peggy Fleming fall? If you watch something very casually on television, you expect it to be polished and finished. Then this girl falls three times, and she's supposed to be the charismatic new star?"

Even the women are doing triples? Are they supposed to be doing doubles?

Oh, lots more wacky quotes in there.

 

[Rgirl]

That is a doozy of an article, Dewet! And true, hardly about Nationals except to say it hasn't been in Atlanta since 1980. Thanks for posting it. I had a few, "I can't believe s/he said that!" moments, lol.

Although the writer made the point clumsily, IMO, I do agree that skating is a rarity among sports in that it has an "alter ego" as entertainment. I also agree that for the kind of US skating fan who only watches figure skating at the Olympics and otherwise goes to COI or SOI, seeing skaters fall can be a shock. I remember in '92 after the Olympics, there was an article in the NY Times about how the number of triples the women were expected to do was too much, impossible for a woman's body, and would hurt the sport. The reason the writer said this was because nobody, not even Kristi, skated a clean Olympic LP.

Then there was the ever irksome Roz, at least for me, who said, "Nothing killed our sport more than our last two Olympic champions going AWOL. Tara Lipinski, where is she? And Sarah Hughes went back to school. That's obviously a wonderful decision to go back to school, but it did nothing for our sport. The sport gave so much to you; why don't you just try and give back a little bit to help the sport?"

I would think Roz would know that Tara made a decision based on the condition of her hip to turn pro, besides, didn't Roz turn pro after her Olympics? I know she was older, but she also didn't have a hip injury. As for Sarah or any Olympic champion being obliged to stay in the sport to "give back" and "help" the sport, IMO, there are a lot of ways skaters who have achieved a lot in skating can "give back." Coaching, judging, becoming a sports medicine physician specializing in figure skating, to name just a few. Plus, it's not like Sarah got all the "goodies" from having a four-year reign as Olympic champ. She tried, but her heart just wasn't in it. Considering the money the Hughes put into training, my guess would be they probably broke about even or perhaps made enough to cover Sarah's tuition at Yale. I don't know. Roz's opinions seem too often to be like her commentary. Sound and fury signifying nothing.
Rgirl

 

[Doggygirl]

Very interesting article....

RGirl, I read the article before reading your comments, which I always find interesting. What leaped out at me the most upon reading the article were Roz's comments about Tara and Sarah. You of course pointed out Tara's injury which was my immediate thought. My immediate thought on reading her Sarah comment was "how dare Roz say that? I don't believe Roz paid for the path to Sarah's medal - I believe Sarah's family and probably some sponsors on some level did that. And of course it was SARAH putting in the time and hard work on the ice to make it happen." Is the US still a free country? I sure hope so. I was shaking my head reading Roz's comments about both of these ladies.

I sure can't speak for the general population...so I'll only bring up an example from my own household. My husband would probably rather watch beige paint dry on a wall before he wants to watch figure skating. But he DOES watch it with me sometimes, and his first question is always "Is this a REAL competition?" To him, "real competition" is at the amateur level where these men and women are putting it all out there. (Grand Prix, Nationals, Olympics, etc) He has zero interest in watching professional skating events that are truly constructed for entertainment only. (i.e. Boitano's special - I think it was yesterday - we didn't watch it.)

This leads me to point out a sentence from this article...

"TV ratings remain fairly strong for major competitive events."

Maybe that sentence says it all. Maybe people LIKE watching the competitive events, slips and falls and all, because these athletes are clearly putting it all out there with the difficulty, etc. Maybe the reason interest has waned in televised professional "entertainment" type programs is that there AREN'T going to be any mistakes because either 1) no risk is being taken really, or 2) mistakes are edited out.

Sometimes what makes a sports event exciting is not the mistakes per se, but the RISK the athletes take. i.e. the exciting and risky pass in football that MIGHT (and sometimes is) intercepted. etc. etc.

Perfection all by itself isn't that exciting to me anyway. (LOL, I could slide on by rear end all the way around the rink at least once with perfection, but how boring would that be to watch!) Perfection WITH RISK is very exciting to watch. Could that be why the TV ratings remain high for "competitive events" v. the presentation type events? Hmmm... maybe the TV stations will start airing more of the competitive events. Now that would be great!

DG

 

[Jhar55]

From what I just read "Roz" comment why not give something back? What did she give back IMO, NOTHING but collected a pay check. Has she gone into coaching? NO. So also IMO Roz needs to do us all a favor and be quite. Don't like her skating or hosting of ice shows. Sorry if your a Roz fan but this is my thoughts.

 

[mzheng]

My husband would probably rather watch beige paint dry on a wall before he wants to watch figure skating.

It is funny.

Reading Roz comments, I feel just a usaul herself, bitter feel the sports didn't give her enough?

 

[Doggygirl]

Interesting thought Mzheng...

...if I understand you correctly, maybe Roz is "bitter" because her own income opportunities have diminished? And maybe's she's playing the blame game with Tara and Sarah?????

Hmmm. I think we all have to make our own way in this world and not count on others who have nothing to do with us to fuel our own flame?

Interesting point.

DG

 

[RealtorGal]

I think Nancy Kerrigan is doing more than just skating with her son... Where did THAT bit of misinformation come from?

 

[Piel]

I really appreciated Roz's comments this time...only because I didn't have to listen to her whiny a** voice .

I think that Sarah Hughes did a wonderful thing for figure skating with her decision to go on to college. It showed young girls and boys that you can be a world class athlete, a world class student and do it with class and grace.

One thing that IMO turned the viewing audience off during the time after the 94 Olympics when there was so much skating on was all of the fake team "competitions". The same skaters would skate to the same routines over and over and over again. I got bored with that.

It's frustrating that FS is placed in the black hole of not sport not really pure entertainment. Especially now that the "sport" of World Class Poker is getting so much TV coverage. With all of the time ESPN dedicates to just talking aboout sports you would think that they copuld show more skating than they do. On their classic channel I swear the Boston College - Miami football game with the Doug Flutie "Hail Mary" pass is shown at least once a week. Would it kil them to show the Michelle and Lu Chen worlds once in a while?

I think if they would find a way to televise the GP series in a more timely manner it would help draw more viewers. I have some friends who watch skating if they come across it while channel surfing. Several times this season one or the other has called and asked "How come so and so skater got such and such placement at this event when they showed it last week and when they just showed it again they got a different placement?" It makes it difficult for the casual viewer to keep the different competitions straight. Even though the announcers always explain the GP format at each broadcast, those who don't follow closely cn get confused.

Piel

 

[giseledepkat]

ITA with you all about the inanity of Roz's comments -- just wanted to add that I really admire Sarah for not "cashing in" on her OGM. You just know she could have had endorsements up the wazoo!

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

IMHO - The former Olympian Women (now). I'm ok with all of them.

Tara - She went Show Biz after the Olys. The hip was ok for that move. I go along with it. But it would have been fun for the matchup at just one World's against you know who. We will never get that.

Sarah - The dream came true. She hasn't any need to go further and she doesn't owe anything to competitive skating. She paid her dues working towards the dream. I'd welcome her back on a head to head with you know who. We will never get that.

Oksana - She's got a real hearbreaking story behind her climb to gold. She wins me over on that but she was not the best THAT NIGHt in Lilliehammer, imo, and I am still waiting for her to land the jumps properly. There was some revenge during the Pro skates afterwards but I would have liked a Worlds for that.

Nancy - She was a loser before she got to Lilliehammer. The press was overwhelming and too much publicity brings disaster to all concerned. Two foot landings by the heartbreak kid beat her out. She's looking good now, a wife, a mom, an announcer, an still interested in figure skating.

Irina - The gal without the skating body-type. She perservered the technical and then the presentation. When she put two and two together, it just missed the gold. I hope she hasn't left. She is imo, one tough competitor. Hopefully good health comes to her and the family.

Michelle - Nothing stops her. If Bebe wins gold in 2006, we'll see Michelle in 2010.

All the others - just that, all the others.

Joe

 

[Bubbles]

I really appreciated Roz's comments this time...only because I didn't have to listen to her whiny a** voice .

I must admit this was one of my first thoughts on reading Roz's comments -- it's better to read what she says than listen to her saying it. Her voice could cut and polish diamonds.

 

[Jimmy Hoffa]

From what I just read "Roz" comment why not give something back? What did she give back IMO, NOTHING but collected a pay check. Has she gone into coaching? NO. So also IMO Roz needs to do us all a favor and be quite. Don't like her skating or hosting of ice shows. Sorry if your a Roz fan but this is my thoughts.

I think she thinks she is giving back with her commentating. She can keep it, though.

 

[Mathman]

Michelle - Nothing stops her. If Bebe wins gold in 2006, we'll see Michelle in 2010. -- Joe

Mao Asada in 2010, Michelle in 2014!

 

[thisthingcalledlove]

Rosalyn Sumners

IMHO for somestrange reason, I get this vibe that Roz hates all Oly gold winners. I remember she was gushing over Michelle at the World Pros in 1998 when they allowed it to be pro-am. She seemed to want Michelle to beat Kristi Yamagucci, which she did. And for some reason, when Michelle lost to Tara, then to Sarah, I get the sense that Roz has flashbacks of Sarajevo, and standing second to Katarina Witt.