Exhibition

[Mathman]

Announcer: "Ladies and gentlemen, he's a champion in every sense of the word...."

I think the announcer meant, in every sense but one.

 

[Tonichelle]

you can't take away the fact that he is a champion... just a *past* one... for the moment.

 

[museksk8r]

Rachael skated to Aretha Franklin's "Respect" wearing a red/white dress and she attempted and landed a clean 3flip and a clean 3Lutz and she also did a 2Axel with no speed going into it that was under-rotated. She was so cute doing all the flirty poses, shoulder and hip shakes. Her speed could have been better, but I love that program for her.

Brandon skated to Elvis Presley's "Jailhouse Rock" wearing a black and white striped torn shirt and black pants and he first attempted what I believe was going to be a 3Axel, but he popped it into a single Axel. He did manage to do a clean 3Lutz and 3toe. Like Rachael, he was slow too, which was understandable considering he and the other men had just skated their LP prior to the exhibition. He did this funny pose at the end of his number where he flexed his bicep and kissed it. He's so cute!

 

[Dodhiyel]

Thanks, guys ; much appreciated. Gotta run!!

 

[gold12345]

I thought the coverage of the exhibition was great, although it did go in somewhat of a weird order. I'm used to all the winners being shown last rather than randomly scattered throughout the show. The backstage interviews were a nice addition, and the look back to the winning programs was enjoyable, too.

I think you're right, Tonichelle! I would have much rather seen Amanda and Mark, such an unheralded team. Keauna and Rockne are so over-hyped, it's nauseating to me.

Aw, I think Keauna and Rockne are a little under-hyped, at least on this forum. I thought their exhibition was beautiful and well performed.

Yes, Sandra's commentary seems very phoned in.

Yeah, she's definitely a bit annoying and doesn't always get her facts correct. At least she finally got Jeremy Barrett's age right today.

 

[Tonichelle]

I don't think it was all her fault. Some of the stuff she said didn't sound like her at all and sounded like NBC hype to make it sound like the US and only the US has the market on superior athletes. sometimes NBC adopts Canadian skaters, but only when 'forced' (aka Sale & Pelletier)

 

[momjudi]

The reason for the theme was that Nationals were sponsered in part by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Last summer at the Champs Camp the skaters were asked to chose music for their exhibitions by musicians who are in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

 

[Nadine]

What a pleasure it was to catch my favorite Dance Couple of Samuelson & Bates dance to the Bee Gees from the soundtrack of Saturday Night Fever You Should Be Dancing, Yeah!

Their Exhibition Program (& short interviews), and Ashley Wagner's lovely Somewhere in Time SP were the highlight for me this entire 2009 Nationals (oops, also Alissa Czisny's Swan was lovely & reminded me of Oksana Baiul's). All on tape, thank goodness, and easy to rewind & watch again & again & again...:agree:

 

[Mathman]

...sounded like NBC hype to make it sound like the US and only the US has the market on superior athletes.

But seriously, what is NBC going to do by way of promoting the Olympics in the U.S. market? Tune in, folks, it's just barely possible that Jeremy Abbott (who?) or some dance team might somehow sneak in and get a bronze?

 

[KwanFan1212]

I haven't watched the entire exhibition yet (I've been out and about running errands) but THANK GOODNESS they showed Amanda & Mark's beautiful exhibition program so I don't have to write them a strongly worded letter (or storm their office), LOL

They did show the exhibition in a totally weird order though (from what I could gather on FF as I looked for Amanda & Mark's program ). Keauna & Rockne actually skated last and Meryl & Charlie were close to the end too so it was odd to see them skate so early. I'm not a huge fan of them showing some of the long programs again considering they all ready aired those during the live broadcasts and I'm a little honked off that they couldn't find time to show the only other pairs program that got a standing ovation in Cleveland (aka, Amanda & Mark, Caydee & Jeremy got the other standing O). I guess I should be thankful they showed their exhibition at all considering they chacked them the last time they finished fourth but how hard would it have been to show Amanda & Mark's LP since they actually mentioned that they skated well to move up from sixth to fourth?! :sheesh:

And I think anyone who has finished fourth at US Nationals would argue with Sandra's comment about not finishing on the podium, especially ones that had to move up more than a place or two to get there. I know that the US is the only country to recognize the fourth place finishers with a medal but that comment still struck a nerve with me. Oh well, it's NBC....I know they're pretty bad with their coverage anyway so I'm going back into my happy world where Amanda & Mark finally got shown on TV again.

 

[Tonichelle]

But seriously, what is NBC going to do by way of promoting the Olympics in the U.S. market? Tune in, folks, it's just barely possible that Jeremy Abbott (who?) or some dance team might somehow sneak in and get a bronze?

But, really, what good does it do to hype a skater only to have him "falter" in the eyes of the average joe? Then they just call him names, insult his very being, and in Johnny case send death threats.

 

[museksk8r]

But seriously, what is NBC going to do by way of promoting the Olympics in the U.S. market? Tune in, folks, it's just barely possible that Jeremy Abbott (who?) or some dance team might somehow sneak in and get a bronze?

That's better than them laughingly insinuating that McLaughlin/Brubaker are going to whip up on Savchenko/Szolkowy, Pang/Tong, Zhang/Zhang, and the rest of the world's best pairs, and claim the World title since they "are unmatched in throws and lifts on the world stage." In this instance, NBC is very much over-hyping Keauna/Rockne.

I much prefer brutal honesty over false hope. Hasn't America had enough lying among government officials in our economic affairs than to have to bring it into sporting events too?

 

[PolymerBob]

Well, it looks like Caroline got chacked.

 

[LeCygne]

Well, it looks like Caroline got chacked.

What?!? How could they? Well good thing I didn't bother to tape it anyway.

 

[KwanFan1212]

Well, it looks like Caroline got chacked.

I haven't even watched the whole thing in real time yet and I KNOW they showed Caroline's program. I think it's either at the end of the first hour or right in the first ten or so minutes of the second hour. They showed her not too long before they showed Amanda & Mark. I know for sure that they showed her.

 

[Tonichelle]

They most definitely showed Caroline.

 

[Marine63]

why is Jeremy skating the same program he did LAST year for the exhibition (and isn't it his SP from last year?)

Anybody else worried about Jeremy's jumps? He had a few problems in his long LP and fell on two jumps in the exhibition. He even said he wasn't satisfied with the way he skated his LP. It doesn't bode well for him at Worlds. Should we just chalk it up to him having a bad cold?

 

[KwanFan1212]

Anybody else worried about Jeremy's jumps? He had a few problems in his long LP and fell on two jumps in the exhibition. He even said he wasn't satisfied with the way he skated his LP. It doesn't bode well for him at Worlds. Should we just chalk it up to him having a bad cold?

I think Jeremy will be fine. Remember that he had just finished competing about three or so hours prior to the exhibition so that fact combined with his cold probably affected him more than anything during his exhibition program. It was very apparent to me that he was having trouble with his breathing through the week due to the cold and as long as he can finally get healthy, I think he'll be in good shape for Worlds. He was hacking up a lung or two during the men's awards ceremony just a few hours before he skated in the exhibition.

 

[Spun Silver]

Yes they did and her spins brought tears to my eyes (familiar as they are). She skated to one of my favorite Joni Mitchell songs - a somber choice for a 15-year-old with so much ahead.

The men were uniformly unimpressive. I am so sick of hip-shaking and shoulder wiggling. Who really likes to see that??? Plus, a US championships exhibition without Johnny... I admit I was ill-disposed.

I loved almost all the pairs and dance teams and Alissa was fine. ITD (disagree) with those who enjoyed Rachael's Respect. I thought it was a poor move for this still juniorish skater to take on the Queen of Soul. She did NOT pull it off, IMO. Ashley maybe - Rachael no. Speaking of Ashley, I unfortunately missed her number, darn it.

Since I've been so critical of Rachael's music I'll make a positive suggestion for her in another thread.

 

[Dee4707]

The men were uniformly unimpressive. I am so sick of hip-shaking and shoulder wiggling. Who really likes to see that??? Plus, a US championships exhibition without Johnny... I admit I was ill-disposed.

I agree with you!!

Dee