Figure skating-Kim unable to lift sagging interest at worlds
- Thread starter drivingmissdaisy
- Start date
If it's true that not even a photogenic American ladies gold medalist can revive skating's popularity (even if temporarily), then things are pretty dire.
You're making me feel like one of the last of the Mohicans.
(Fortunately, I'm a bit more optimistic about the prospects for revival in such a scenario
).
I am confused, Mathman. For all this time, you have been blaming the CoP a gazillion time for the decline of this sport. Now you are saying the sport started declining before CoP and prior to SLC? So the CoP is not to be blamed then if that's true.
Can you please clarify what you mean?
- Joined
- Jun 21, 2003
^ I will try.
I think the reason for the decline of popularity of figure skating in the United States (I don't know about other countries) is simply cultural drift with respect to our tastes in entertainment.
The golden age of figure skating was not the 1990s, but the 1940s and 50s. Sonia Henie brought skating to Hollywood. Touring Las Vegas type shows like the Ice Follies were big time. In fact, the main reason why amateur skaters competed for titles was so that they could hook up with a professional show and earn lots of money. Sonia Henie made US$ 50,000,000. Janet Lynn was the highest paid female athlete in the world. As late as 1976 Dorothy Hamill said, "It was either win the Olympic gold medal and sign up for Ice Capades or else go back to Chicago and my job as a secretary."
http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m1tw12ddG91r0wh2ro1_400.jpg
Time passed. The appeal of that kind of razz-ma-tzz faded. We got more sophisticated in out entertainment tastes. (Spiderman movies, Justin Bieber concerts, monster truck demolition video games). The only thing that saved figure skating for a little while was the explosion of interest in all sports, especially on television.
Anyway, nobody's fault, but the country moved on. I believe it was in 1999 that USFS lost it's big television contract worth 20,000,000 or whatever it was. Nobody's fault, just that the television networks could see the handwriting on the wall. The newspaper guy who wrote that when the old skating fans die out, there will be a bunch of new ones coming along to take their place -- no, I don't think so (unless there is some kind of retro-kitch revival of that old-fashined cornball stuff that grandpa used to go on about.)
Now, about the CoP. I think it is a hindrance to marketing the sport to any audience. Although we can't go back to the days where the circus came to town every July and the Ice Capades every December
, we can still do the best we can to offer something of interest and value to whatever audience we can attract. I think the ISU's attitude, "The CoP is really swell, if you don't like it go to hell," is not helping.
I think the reason for the decline of popularity of figure skating in the United States (I don't know about other countries) is simply cultural drift with respect to our tastes in entertainment.
The golden age of figure skating was not the 1990s, but the 1940s and 50s. Sonia Henie brought skating to Hollywood. Touring Las Vegas type shows like the Ice Follies were big time. In fact, the main reason why amateur skaters competed for titles was so that they could hook up with a professional show and earn lots of money. Sonia Henie made US$ 50,000,000. Janet Lynn was the highest paid female athlete in the world. As late as 1976 Dorothy Hamill said, "It was either win the Olympic gold medal and sign up for Ice Capades or else go back to Chicago and my job as a secretary."
http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m1tw12ddG91r0wh2ro1_400.jpg
Time passed. The appeal of that kind of razz-ma-tzz faded. We got more sophisticated in out entertainment tastes. (Spiderman movies, Justin Bieber concerts, monster truck demolition video games). The only thing that saved figure skating for a little while was the explosion of interest in all sports, especially on television.
Anyway, nobody's fault, but the country moved on. I believe it was in 1999 that USFS lost it's big television contract worth 20,000,000 or whatever it was. Nobody's fault, just that the television networks could see the handwriting on the wall. The newspaper guy who wrote that when the old skating fans die out, there will be a bunch of new ones coming along to take their place -- no, I don't think so (unless there is some kind of retro-kitch revival of that old-fashined cornball stuff that grandpa used to go on about.)
Now, about the CoP. I think it is a hindrance to marketing the sport to any audience. Although we can't go back to the days where the circus came to town every July and the Ice Capades every December
, we can still do the best we can to offer something of interest and value to whatever audience we can attract. I think the ISU's attitude, "The CoP is really swell, if you don't like it go to hell," is not helping.
I think a smart use of publicity could do a lot. I have said before that it's relevant to notice that the supposely niche and declasse sport/art of ballroom dancing has become one of the hottest things to watch on TV. It even has people with names most Americans can't pronounce and certainly can't spell, people from out-of-the-way places like Albania, and men wearing brightly colored satin. To add to it, the show features celebrities of all varieties, including some who are old enough to collect Social Security and some who are far from svelte. Surely we can think of ways to make skating hot also. And I don't mean by having Chloris Leachman try to skate with a professional partner.
Of course, such a show would be a lot easier to sell if Tom Bergeron were the emcee.
Of course, such a show would be a lot easier to sell if Tom Bergeron were the emcee.
- Joined
- Sep 22, 2010
I don't think even Gracie winning the OGM will save figure skating in the US. Also, she's almost certain to retire right afterwards just like Hughes and Lipinski if she wins OGM.
- Joined
- Oct 15, 2006
If you read the comments at the bottom of the article, you will notice the main complaints were that people just don't trust the judging anymore.....and the results in the mens competition are not going to help the sport gain anymore fans.
- Joined
- Jul 28, 2003
I think Steve better give his head a shake. The CBC did a wonderful job of media/tv coverage and from where I sat at home it looks like it paid off. Sure some interest in Figure Skating has wavered, but here in Canada the fans love it just as much as they always have. With hockey taking a bit of a haitus there with the "strike" (lock out) folks were tuning in to other sports like Figure Skating again. The reason the this years Worlds were held in London - a smaller city - was likely for financial reasons and sometimes arenas are harder to come by when hockey is back in full swing, which it is now. It think it was great that London got put on the map by hosting this years worlds. I don't think Steve is much of a reporter, he does work for "Yahoo" after all.
- Joined
- May 10, 2010
I think Kim just picked up the entire Canadian crowd. In fact, if this was under the same system as the Olympics, Yuna would have cracked the world record. It's a lot harder now with the lower GOE bonuses (a 30% cut since 2010 Olympics) and her having to lower the base value of her total jumps due to the new maximum two 2A rule. Under the 2010 Olympic system, we would have seen something in the ballpark of 151-154.
- Joined
- Dec 15, 2003
Yuna was amazing, don't know how she does it. She must have alot of inner strength.
Similar threads
