An expert commentator's job is to give his
opinion as well as the play-by-play. Not everyone is going to agree, but that doesn't make an opinion wrong. Sometimes it works out better when the opinion is controversial. It inspires discussion and possibly change.
think it was at the conclusion of the recent Worlds when he quite literally got into his own private pulpit and told the skating world to 'get rid of twizzles, because they are ugly and unseemly'.
Ban it because Dick hates it.
I took that as an example of overstatement to make a point. Twizzles are getting so overemphasised that something should be done to limit the use. Personally, I wouldn't have cried if they had banned Beillmann's, but I am glad enough noise was made to cause them to be limited. Dick definitely helped make some noise about it.
One of my 'favorite' habits of his is when he tells the audience what a particular skaters' style is like before the performance, even if this isn't actually visible in the actual upcoming performance......
Things like 'flirty' (= she looks at the audience...), ''graceful' (= no jumps....), 'lyrical' (= lots of slow spins....), and so on.
I don't really understand your point. Are you saying that a person without good jumps can't be graceful or a person with slow spins can't be lyrical? Perhaps you mean that he shouldn't point out the good qualities of a flawed skater?
Or how about repeating every time a particular skater steps onto the ice that 'she used to have a weight problem'.....Yeah, Dick, maybe she did, and I bet she's real happy you keep reminding everyone of that......
There's nothing shameful about having had a weight problem. As someone who managed to get weight problem under control, you can bet that I wanted it noticed.
How about this outburst when Tara Lipinski won something (I forgot what): "What have we wrought upon the world!?"
Beg pardon?
How pompous can you get?
That's a cute young girl who likes to jump.
So what?
Those, IMO, are "Dickisms". He is so unique in the way he expresses himself sometimes. That's his style and I like it. It makes you think, even if you don't quite "get it." His enthusiasm always comes through and can be infectious.
Show me any tape of any competition anywhere he is commentating, and I can probably list you a couple of dozen times when his critique of their performance is basically just judgemental, and without any connection to reality at all. Contrast that with people like Peggy Fleming or Scott Hamilton who are usually on very solid ground when they're commenting on someone else's skating, while all Mr. Button does is opine.....
Critiques are judgements. You can't have a critique that doesn't include judgements. Judgements are often based on knowledge, experience, and opinion. Therefore, they can vary from expert to expert. Some of Button's judgements I agree with and some I don't. I don't think claiming his are disconnected to reality is fair at all. He is drawing upon years of experience that perhaps you don't understand.
As for Peggy and Scotty, I do respect them. I find them less than helpful at times, but that doesn't take away from what they have given to the sport. Since both of them have expressed great respect and appreciation for Dick Button's work, I just have to agree with them.
) about this, in the first photo on the list, that looks more like a really really really perky CLOSING POSITION as opposed to actually being in motion with his mouth open; looks like they needed a "perky dude" photo for the page! 
(He also looks like Jake Gyllenhaal in that picture, too) [And also a bit like Kermit the Frog...]
And I really agree with the importance he places in "presentation / music." 
