Favorite Dick Button Commentary Moments | Page 4 | Golden Skate

Favorite Dick Button Commentary Moments

I lived for his snark. There was one competition in Russia, probably around 1995 and everyone was falling, it might have been a GP but I don't think it was, and I totally laughed when Maria Butyrskaya lost her edge on the takeoff of a salchow or loop and he dryly said "Whatever that was supposed to be, it wasn't..." lol. And he and Peggy were absolutely brutal on the Russian women in the 80s. Poor Kira Ivanova....
 
I'll have to find it but....He was brutal to Elena Liashenko. They were talking about all her years of experience. He basically said...."It hasn't paid off" 2006 Olympics SP
 
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labgoat said:
who was he referring to here?
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I don't know for this one, but I know it was Yuna Kim that Dick called "Yuna Kim is a wonderful jumper, and she doesn't wilt. However, she also has rounded shoulders and a very pained look on her face most of the time. And she carries her free leg like a wooden mallet - she doesn't point her feet". It wasn't commentary but on a People magazine article.
 
Reposting from Dick Button has passed away thread

Some more Dick Button Quotes And Sayings...​

  1. One of the reasons for putting yourself on the line, is that life is not simply treading water... I always felt that once you reach a certain point, you have to try and move ahead.
  2. There is a popular fallacy that falling down is the mark of a poor skater. But the truth is that when one stops falling, he has probably stopped improving.
  3. That's what really makes great skating competitions. When you have two top skaters in good form giving superb performances.
  4. They were two halves that together formed a magical whole.
  5. "Whatever that was supposed to be, it wasn't"
  6. "There needs to be a little more swan in that Swan Lake."
  7. I do find some of the costumes sometimes are over the top. You almost feel you've been trapped in a windmill in the Metropolitan Opera House costume department.
  8. It's beautiful theater. It has everything going for it. I mean music and choreography and . . . beautiful girls. It's an elegant, wonderful sport.
  9. That was a devastating time for all of us to deal with. The crash took away so many in the skating community.
  10. Single skaters frequently say "I am only skating for myself" ..Baloney! they are skating for Judges and audience otherwise would be in a vacuum
  11. As a reminder of what I hope to see tonight, confident skating. I would like to see more stretch, more pointed feet, straighter backs, deeper edging, tighter rotation, better flow in and out of jumps and more performance.
  12. The scandal helps people become aware of (skating). And once they're aware of it, they're hooked.
  13. "Look at that look," Dick Button about Michelle Kwan as she waited for her LP music Tosca - also "She skated with heart, she skated with emotion and passion and you can't ask for more than that, she lifts you off your seat."
  14. Dick Button after he assessed Shizuka's 2006 FS in Torino "Magnificent quality, that's a lady skating!"
  15. One of Dick Button's favorite comments "Now THAT is a sloppy foot position". And all of us always wondered WHY it was a sloppy foot position.
  16. "You know, some skaters hypnotize you, and other skaters, even though they may be wonderful athletes, give you the opportunity to make a trip to the refrigerator."
  17. Plushenko has theater in his blood. That's why we watch and comment on him.
  18. "It wouldn't hurt if she would smile once in a while."
  19. "I think this program just looks like it's been slapped together without very much thought or intelligence put into it. it's a series of back strokes and forward strokes like this into one or more triple jumps. and unfortunately it's neither interesting nor original nor unique"
  20. start with a young lady and start counting the number of times when they’re doing step sequences and all of those wonderful things, where they raise either one or the other or both arms over the level of their shoulders. And if you start counting, my bet is that you will get to 20 very, very quickly, and then you can stop. They’re like flailing windmills. That’s exactly the point. That does not augur well, in my book.
  21. An important skater is one who leaves the sport different and better because they were in it.
  22. "Every skater goes through a thousand CDs until they find the music that they want... and all too often they end up with Carmen."
  23. "Was there a program? No, there wasn't. There were jumps and arm movements."
  24. He has a wonderful kind of flair, very much in the style of the 19th-Century Romantic poet Byron might have been. He's kind of Byronic, isn't he?" - Referring to Vladimir Kotin
  25. "See how high she is on that toe? That's not a good spin! Look where is up there, that spin is rocking all over the place!"
  26. "It was completed. It just wasn't completed well."
  27. "Look at the swash in that swashbuckling!"
  28. "Midori Ito has been compared to a Duracell battery -- unlimited energy -- a high-beamed smile -- simply an extraordinary jumper."
  29. The forward outside edge into the axel is the most treacherous
 
Moxiejan said:
Can’t remember the skater, but he was expressing his utter disapproval of her sloppy technique and sloppy costume: “… and, and, she didn’t even polish her boots!”

Or something like that.
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We all know who that is. Him and Peggy picked on poor Kira Ivanova. Dick had such glee as Kira fell apart and Dicky was so thrilled this opened the door for Tiffany Chin. Kira's life went downhill that her unpolished boots were the least of her problems. She was stabbed multiple times (I think over 30 times) to death after having her hair hacked off.
 
"Turn your foot out here, my dear." to THE Yu Na Kim has to be one of my faves. So iconic!

www.instagram.com

Perry Meek on Instagram: "I mean , we love a good read ! And Dick Button certainly could give a good one …. RIP there wont be another like you ! All we get now is a hooker who looks like she’s between shifts and a third rate drag queen who looks like

65 likes, 6 comments - perrymeekcostumedesign on January 30, 2025: "I mean , we love a good read ! And Dick Button certainly could give a good one …. RIP there wont be another like you ! All we get now is a hooker who looks like she’s between shifts and a third rate drag queen who looks like she...
www.instagram.com www.instagram.com
 
For the most part I liked Dick Button's commentary - but he could be very cruel - almost borderline nasty with some of his commentary.
I think he "mellowed out" in the latter part of his career - particularly when Terry Gannon was part of the broadcasting team. Terry seemed to bring out a more cheerful and humorous side of him.

He definitely was more for the aesthetics of skating rather than the athletics. But for most of his broadcast career, there was not much critique about underrotated jumps. If the jumps looked attractive, then that was good enough.

I remember at 2008 Worlds he was flabbergasted that Yukari Nakano did not win a medal. She was "dinged" in her scores by under-rotated jumps while Carolina Kostner won Bronze - even though she had some small stumbles - no falls, though. So he was looking at it from the 6.0 era rather than the early days of what we have now. I was surprised by the result too. But now I always hold my breath when the announcers say someone's jumps are "under review". Because we all know what happens next.

In my opinion, he was correct about the "adding up of points". It has taken away a lot of individuality in programs. Why put in a lengthy beautiful spiral - or even work on perfecting a Michelle Kwan type spiral - when it only garners a few points? And as is being discussed in another thread - the -3Lo combination is almost going the way of the dinosaur.
 
mrrice said:
I'll have to find it but....He was brutal to Elena Liashenko. They were talking about all her years of experience. He basically said...."It hasn't paid off"T
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True, she had a long career, She won the bronze medal at Europeans a decade apart, 1995 and 3005. Her best year was 2003-04 when she won two golds and a silver in the Grand Prix, plus a silver at Europeans.

I was privileged to see her live at 2002 Skate America (bronze). She had a fine triple Lutz in an era when fluting was very common for ladies.

My memorable Dick Button quote: "I have done everything in skating, except judging. I wouldn't touch that thankless job with a ten-foot pole."
 
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jenaj said:
That was during the slo-mo recap of Michelle Kwan's winning free skate at 2003 Worlds.
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Specifically the comment was "Now look at this landing, going through the water on the ice, it doesn't make a rusty root, it's just wonderful the way she pulled this whole program off."

The commentary of that whole performance (one of my favorite performances ever) was SO perfect...of which the audio has been removed on youtube. :mad:

"There's an ease and a solidity and calmness about this, but I detect underneath, oh thank you she did that double axel, there's a backbone and a great deal of forceful exposure to making this a good event. But the calmness and security of it is really breathtaking to see."

"This woman has more heart, more resilience, and has touched more people than any other skater in the world."

"What a nice solid outflowing edge on that, a straight line, not a single bobble, that's perfect. And look at the back position."

"Wonderful! Ahhh, the control on that landing. The last move, it was extraordinary."

"Look at the face! I love it! I love it!"

"mmmm, mmmm, mmmm" (whimpering and crying at the end of the performance)

"When they're out of their seats before the music even ends and Dick Button is clapping in the booth, you know you've done your job."

"She skated with heart, she skated with emotion and passion, and you can't ask for more than that. She lifts you off your seat."

"There are certain memorable performances throughout this entire world of skating, and this was one of them."
 
Blades of Passion said:
Specifically the comment was "Now look at this landing, going through the water on the ice, it doesn't make a rusty root, it's just wonderful the way she pulled this whole program off."

The commentary of that whole performance (one of my favorite performances ever) was SO perfect...of which the audio has been removed on youtube. :mad:

"There's an ease and a solidity and calmness about this, but I detect underneath, oh thank you she did that double axel, there's a backbone and a great deal of forceful exposure to making this a good event. But the calmness and security of it is really breathtaking to see."

"This woman has more heart, more resilience, and has touched more people than any other skater in the world."

"What a nice solid outflowing edge on that, a straight line, not a single bobble, that's perfect. And look at the back position."

"Wonderful! Ahhh, the control on that landing. The last move, it was extraordinary."

"Look at the face! I love it! I love it!"

"mmmm, mmmm, mmmm" (whimpering and crying at the end of the performance)

"When they're out of their seats before the music even ends and Dick Button is clapping in the booth, you know you've done your job."

"She skated with heart, she skated with emotion and passion, and you can't ask for more than that. She lifts you off your seat."

"There are certain memorable performances throughout this entire world of skating, and this was one of them."
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Here it is (not great quality): https://youtu.be/KR4TRy7pnHQ?list=FLT2IFgeponCwsOmaGDVXmoQ&t=2169
Rusty hoot at about 42.
 
Blades of Passion said:
Ooph yeah, the sound quality there is atrocious. Thankfully I have a clean recording of the performance saved, but it's really sad how many videos have been taken down or muted. History and art being destroyed, and making it very difficult for the sport to grow its audience.
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A newer video of Michelle's 2003 Worlds FS was just posted with clear audio (not muted)!

- YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.
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