CBC's comments on Alina Zagitova

[Mango]

I was completely unimpressed by this type of commentary for several reasons I’ve already stated in the other thread but if you are suggesting that CBC commentary is in line with Jack Gallagher then that is just raising things to a new level. I think they deserve better than that

Bottom line....the type of commentary we heard in my opinion is very dismissive but this is figure skating. Threads are full of this type of language and it’s probably a good idea he suggested a bathroom break as I’m sure several people listening needed to avoid the true crisis of wetting themselves from excitement upon hearing them go on like this. To each their own right

Commentary of this nature does open the door for criticism. Just ask Johnny and Tara who have inspired several threads of their own. There will always be an audience for this type of thing...one doesn’t need to look too far to find it. Personally...I find it distracting but that is just my take.

No, I'm not suggesting that. But I'm saying that other people thought similar things. CBC had comments on air. Japan Times has a whole column. People are talking about backloading and Alina. And it's not all nice.

 

[Kittosuni]

Haha....I upset some people last year when during warmups I said watching her move about sent my mind wandering about a cocktail with a little umbrella in it. Then when she did the donut spin my mind again wandered to swishing the little umbrrella around the cocktail. Sometimes it’s better not to think out loud.

I just think that the tutu is too small for her. i dont mind the SP tutu but I don't love it either. Its funny that literally no one is noticing her supposed "change costume" in the SP. Im not sure why is she even bothering

 

[Sam-Skwantch]

No, I'm not suggesting that. But I'm saying that other people thought similar things. CBC had comments on air. Japan Times has a whole column. People are talking about backloading and Alina. And it's not all nice.

Definitely a topic we’ll be revisiting this season I suspect. The rush to defend is as strong as the rush to criticize. I’m sure we’ll hear more of the same.

Regarding commentary...if you haven’t checked Yulia’s translated videos out you are missing out. They turn the mics off during performances and then speak afterwards. Her insight is interesting because she was a recent competitor under the same judging trends and she seems to understand those trends and the calls very well. She’s very positive like Ted which will bore some people but IMO she respects the sport very much and it comes thru in her words. Right now her and Ted are my favorites!! Why can’t he do GP too!!

Keep in mind her partner learned everything about the sport from Wikipedia
https://youtu.be/JWFTZZ8AOqU?t=4m40s

 

[Mango]

Definitely a topic we’ll be revisiting I suspect this season. The rush to defend is as strong as the rush to criticize. I’m sure we’ll hear more of the same.

Regarding commentary...if you haven’t checked Yulia’s translated videos out you are missing out. They turn the mics off during performances and then speak afterwards. Her insight is interesting because she was a recent competitor under the same judging trends and she seems to understand those trends and the calls very well. She’s very positive like Ted which will bore some people but IMO she respects the sport very much and it comes thru in her words.

Keep in mind her partner learned everything about the sport from Wikipedia
https://youtu.be/JWFTZZ8AOqU?t=4m40s

I think the rise of Eteri's school and their dramatic success this season is leading people to have that conversation. An array of gold medals and successful skaters is impressive. But the talk will always include a discussion of the future as well as the strengths of those being left behind in favour of this new style.

I keep up with Yulia's comments on Twitter. She sounds like a very sunny girl, like her Instagram username.

Nice commentary like Ted's has its place, but so does more criticism. I am not a fan of those who gossip, I will be clear (so TSL is out of the equation). But sometimes we all need someone to call a spade a spade. I appreciate Jackie Wong's comments as he isn't afraid to speak up when he notices something different (e.g. Mai Mihara's PCS jump at Japan Open). But even he gets attacked for his comments by people who don't keep up with him.

 

[Sam-Skwantch]

I think the rise of Eteri's school and their dramatic success this season is leading people to have that conversation. An array of gold medals and successful skaters is impressive. But the talk will always include a discussion of the future as well as the strengths of those being left behind in favour of this new style.

True true...there are some that do not want to leave the trends of the past and will do what they can to return the sport to more traditional scoring. This sport is very unique in that way. I just hope it’s the skaters who decide it on the ice and not some announcers or people with influence. That’s not a knock on anyone but I’d prefer the best athletes of our time to determine where the sport goes from here whichever way that is. They are the ones in the rinks spending most of their childhood training.

 

[GGFan]

I guess I've been slow to realize: all of this time we've been saying that figure skating is political, but now it is a full on political campaign waged by fans. Any critiques or analyses are seen as trying to further the gold medal chances of that sides preferred skater. Fans see themselves as part of a rapid response operation. Anything they hear against their candidate (I mean skater) has to be squashed and responded to. This is all supposedly in an effort to clear up "misinformation."

It's figure skating. People dress up in ridiculous costumes. People have opinions that will not agree with yours. It is not unprofessional to express them--you have made up a professionalism standard that does not exist. Rather it's just your preference. Thank you David Pelletier for the good laugh and for showing how humorless we have become.

 

[[email protected]]

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2017/11/07/figure-skating/higuchi-robbed-victory-cup-china/

I know about this guy - hardly is their a bigger russophobe among journalists writing about FS. I happened to be in Japan and to read his ugly and nasty review - thanks, won't read him anymore. This guy is even not Japanese who are much nicer people judging by how they react to Medvedeva and Zagitova.

 

[Mango]

True true...there are some that do not want to leave the trends of the past and will do what they can to return the sport to more traditional scoring. This sport is very unique in that way. I just hope it’s the skaters who decide it on the ice and not some announcers or people with influence. That’s not a knock on anyone but I’d prefer the best athletes of our time to determine where the sport goes from here whichever way that is. They are the ones in the rinks spending most of their childhood training.

Hm...I meant more that backloading is the new big thing. But is there place for other kinds of programs? Does the ISU want backloading to become the new thing that all up and comers should do? I do believe there are people who're on the ice, albeit they're retired, who are raising some concerns about the direction of the sport. This article was just published today, for example: http://absoluteskating.com/index.php?cat=interviews&id=2017lambiel

I know about this guy - hardly is their a bigger russophobe among journalists writing about FS. I happened to be in Japan and to read his ugly and nasty review - thanks, won't read him anymore. This guy is even not Japanese who are much nicer people judging by how they react to Medvedeva and Zagitova.

I don't know about his general thoughts about Russia but he's definitely pro-Japanese. After Worlds 2016 he published an article about Satoko's (in his opinion unfairly) low marks. He does get some good interviews with people so it's perhaps best not to ignore him.

 

[Yatagarasu]

It's the Olympics season and narratives are being built everywhere. It's on CBC, BESP, NBC, Russian channels. It's how that goes.

I don't think they said anything bad about Alina herself. I do think that it was an unfortunate choice of words when it comes to the bathroom break, though this is more about skating, than Alina. Skating should be promoted as more than just jumps and they could have framed this argument in a different way IMO. They for example could have said that they feel like spins and steps, when intertwined with jumps, stand out more etc. This would probably have served them better too because then it would have been about the issue itself, potentially unbalanced programs, and not about the words they used.

I thought Tracy Wilson did a pretty good job commentating Alina and explaining what she feels is off.

 

[ranran]

I was thinking about this type of arguments since WJC and i still dont really understand it.
Consider: Shakespearean Romeo and Juliet have 7 death in it. And you know, they all backloaded. First, Mercutio, have died around the middle of the play. Does that mean that the play is unbalanced, first part is empty and should be skipped and second one is stuffed with deaths and too tiring.
Should we apply the same standarts there?

I really love this comparison. The beauty of a story is when the plot is spread nicely without everything happened too much in the beginning neither everything interesting happened at the end. People will leave the cinema if they have to wait until half of the story to get to the good part. It's a flaw in the system that some coaches take advantage of, it's a fair game per se if your goals is only winning but doesn't mean everyone will appreciate it.

 

[Kayyyn]

I think they're irritated that there's another skater who could knock Osmond off a spot on the Olympic podium

pretty much

 

[sinnerspinner]

I think they're irritated that there's another skater who could knock Osmond off a spot on the Olympic podium

Yep.
"She backloads her program. Judges should deduct her pcs scores."
Did anyone else catch that one?

 

[Tulipstar]

I don't either.
First off, she is a fifteen year old girl. There is no excuse for criticizing a girl of her age that much for doing well. It's not like she murdered anybody or tried to commit treason or something. She skated well and in a way that would help her. It's what her coaches asked of her and it's what she delivered.
Secondly, I don't care what your opinion is, but to call yourself a professional commentator and then to say "there's nothing happening in the first two minutes might as well go to the bathroom or get popcorn" is degrading and unprofessional. Not only is there intricate choreography and non-jump elements, a skater is performing right now. If you don't like her layout, go talk to the people who made the rules that made that rewarding. Don't sit and say that she's not doing anything. Would you say that as a skater does, say a solo triple, a spin, step sequence, and choreo sequence in the first half? The only difference is one jump. And if you would, you've got a far greater problem.
Third of all, how on earth do these people want things to go? First they complain "there's too many jumps at the beginning of the program". So the ISU gives backloaded jumps a bonus. But now "everyone has similar layouts". Cue Alina Zagitova. And then "her program is too backloaded, it's too different". Make up your mind and stop criticizing a girl for doing something that will benefit her.

So, no, in my opinion, those comments were incredibly rude, unprofessional, and uncalled for. I am disgusted with the CBC commentators right now.

I agree. It's like he's taking out with his frustration with figure skating and the current scoring system on a young athlete. The bathroom comment was just disrespectful.

I only thought that one man (David?) was rude, though, not the others.

 

[chloepoco]

I'm just surprised that so many are taking the "bathroom break" comment so literally! It's just a figure of speech....

 

[Sam-Skwantch]

I'm just surprised that so many are taking the "bathroom break" comment so literally! It's just a figure of speech....

I think it’s the tone of the comments and not the words in a literal sense that upset people. I’m not offended by the speech or the opinion that they have and I’m not at all interested in shutting down opposing views. The childish snark doesn’t even bother me as I too find myself using these magical tactics. The part that irked me was the disrespectful nature of the commenting. To me saying she is lucky that the judges don’t understand what they are looking at felt uncomfortable. It is demeaning to the judges and wasn’t a witty play or anything like that IMO. It felt condescending more than anything but I do understand there are people who will welcome this tone. I’m just not one of them. There is a place for discussion and there is a place for debate. Let’s not pretend this commentary had no intention and we don’t understand what it is.

On a personal level I don’t really care about rude commentary and it doesn’t ruin my day. If it did I wouldn’t come to a place like GS that is riddled with this behavior. That doesn’t mean I feel uncomfortable weighing in and saying that IMO they showed disrespect to the sport and to Alina. Why that opinion upsets people is beyond me.

 

[mrrice]

I'm just surprised that so many are taking the "bathroom break" comment so literally! It's just a figure of speech....

It's not the comment as much as it was a missed opportunity for David to explain how back loading works. He could have told us all to watch the little clock in the corner of the screen and had us follow her tech score as it grew and grew after she passed the half way point in her program. He could have said..."Had she done her 3/3 in the first half of the program, it would have been worth ..... But since she waited, it was worth....because it's harder to jump in the second half of a long program"

For myself and most die hard fans, we get it. I think it's still confusing for the casual fans and I remember being confused when the system first came out.

 

[Sam-Skwantch]

For myself and most die hard fans, we get it. I think it's still confusing for the casual fans and I remember being confused when the system first came out.

That’s why I linked Yulia’s commentary earlier. When her partner asked while the mics were off “what’s wrong with her? Why isn’t our athlete jumping” I laughed so hard. Now that’s funny

 

[sinnerspinner]

I'm just surprised that so many are taking the "bathroom break" comment so literally! It's just a figure of speech....

For me it was everything. Imo he was coming across as a hater. Also he recommended the judges take off her pcs bc she was backloading (and racking up points). Theres no rule against backloading. Theres no rule i know of that says athlete must jump x times by a certain point in the program. Perhaps it would be better for him to air his grievances with isu not with the athlete following rules.

 

[moriel]

I'm just surprised that so many are taking the "bathroom break" comment so literally! It's just a figure of speech....

Oh, we all get that it is a figure of speech.
The fact it is a figure of speech does not make it nice, polite, educated or professional.

Its kinda like (ok, the example is a bit extreme) rape jokes. Yeah they are jokes. All people get they are supposed to be jokes. Still, nobody finds them funny, and not because people dont have a sense of humor.

 

[chuckm]

Tracy Wilson was doing the commentary (with Ben Agosto on ice dance) on the Olympic Channel (a US TV network). The only complaint I have about Tracy is that she talked nonstop while the skaters were skating, some of it not necessarily relating to the skater on the ice at the moment. It finally got to the point that I shouted "SHUT UP" at the TV.

Ben reserved 90% of his ice dance comments until the KnC and his commentary was never intrusive.

I much preferred Ryan Bradley, who talked a lot less during the skating. (He did the commentary for CoR and SC with Charlie White).